Best of the Northwest

I’ve been slammed with the Endorsement Summit and trying to catch up. Therefore, I didn’t read the Coeur d’Alene Press yesterday … and missed its story play re: Ron Rankin’s death. 1C? Secondary story? C’mon. If I didn’t know something about Brand X Editor Mike Patrick , I’d say he had poor judgment. Rankin, after all, cast the second largest shadow in this part of the woods for decades. I’d bet/hope, however, that Mike was traveling to the beat of Uncle Duey’s drum in underplaying a front-page story. Brand X never passed up a chance to kick Rankin. It’s corporate types, publishers, editors, etc., didn’t have the guts to take Rankin on straight up. So, they shot at him from the bushes every chance they could. I doubt that RR would care whether or not his death was mentioned in the Haga-Press. He held it in utmost contempt. Having said all that, I give Brand X credit for reprinting columnist Kerri Thoreson’s tribute to her father here .

1. Political cartoonist David Horsey/P-I nails undecided voters here .

2. “The Coeur d’Alene Blog” by Phil Corless is worth checking out today if you want to catch up on what’s going on around Lake City. Of particular interest is Phil’s link to the Inlander story about Josh Ritter, a 27-year-old singer/songwriter from Moscow, Idaho, which you can also find here . Phil’s blog can be found here .

3. Officials at the University of Washington medical school will study whether to expand its programs for training new doctors in Spokane, according to the AP, here .

4. Tired of losing Bush signs, two supporters on a stakeout nabbed a Mercer Island man stealing one of their signs here .

5. According to The Idaho Statesman, 150 Idaho reservists may be headed to Iraq, here .

6. IMHO-NW: The Argonaut ( Sales tax ), Ralph Bartholdt /St. Maries Gazette ( Dead poets & Elk Hunters ), Dan Hammes /St. Maries Gazette ( Toying with grandparents ), Collin Levey /Seattle Times ( Anti-Kerry film complaints ), and Joel Connelly /P-I ( Gloria Steinem at 70 ).