Pooch a part of State of the State

Gov. Christine Gregoire borrowed from one of the Democratic masters of rhetoric for her State of the State address. Not when talking about taxes and programs, which was pretty standard, if somewhat bland, fare.

More entertaining was the guv’s reaction to Republican attacks on her dog Franz, who, as Spin Control noted last week, was being unfairly accused of having Washington State Patrol protection from wild animals near the mansion.

“Some have not been content with attacks on me, or my spouse, or on my daughters. No, not content with that, they now include my little dog, Franz,” she said. “You know, as soon as he learned that the fiction writers had concocted a story he couldn’t defend himself and was a cost to taxpayers, his Pomeranian soul was furious. He has not been the same dog since.”

Franz “has a real kinship with FDR’s dog Fala,” she said.

This play on Roosevelt’s 1944 campaign speech to the Teamsters is a fun historic reference for political junkies and persons “of a certain age,” but it may have gone over a few other people’s heads. Back then, the story was that FDR’s Scottish terrier had been left behind on an Aleutian Island, and the prez sent a destroyer back to get him. The dog did travel almost everywhere with FDR, but he insisted the island incident never happened.

While the State Patrol says troopers do not walk Franz, the Secret Service did walk Fala whenever FDR was traveling by train.

In and out

Okanogan rancher Peter Goldmark got out of Eastern Washington’s 5th Congressional District race so quickly that some people may have just heard he was getting in.

Goldmark, a Democrat, formed an exploratory committee last fall, after concluding “there are a lot of people who are anxious for change.” He thought he might be able to handle the job better than freshman Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris, and set about weighing his chances and his inclination to run.

His conclusion was that this isn’t the right race, at the right time, for himself or his family. So he dropped out before year’s end.

“Such a race is a very intensive and all-encompassing effort,” he said.

Goldmark acknowledged last week that having a home base so far from the district’s main population center in Spokane would have been “a complication.” But not an automatic disqualifier.

“The profile of who can best speak to the voters is not necessarily someone from downtown Spokane,” he said.

Which is something candidates for both parties learned in 2004.

Maybe in

While Goldmark opted out, Spokane resident Bob DeMotte said he is “real close” to announcing a run for Congress. DeMotte, 66, who trains marriage counselors and has written several nonfiction books, said he would run against McMorris in the Republican primary.

His campaign may include asking voters “what’s she done for you in the last year,” and promising to be more accessible than the incumbent.

A political novice himself, he said he’s been seeking advice from others, including some people connected with Tom Grant’s 2003 mayoral bid and recall petition author Shannon Sullivan.

One significant obstacle for DeMotte: He’s not well-known among local Republicans, and he’d have to beat McMorris in the new primary system that discourages independents and doesn’t allow crossover voting.

Hanging out

Those who share DeMotte’s questions about McMorris’ accessibility should note that she is spending time in the district during the congressional recess.

Among the events on the schedule are speeches to the Ag Expo at 9 a.m. Wednesday at the Spokane Convention Center; a ceremony to honor the Inland Northwest Blood Center at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the blood center, 210 W. Cataldo; and coffee with whoever shows up at the K.C. Diner in Kettle Falls at 8 a.m. Thursday.

Was in, now out

Moving an old stack of newspaper clippings for a remodeling project revealed an amazingly prescient report from 1995. Tacoma News Tribune columnist Les Blumenthal was writing about new additions to one of Washington, D.C.’s lobbying firms with strong Northwest ties, Preston Gates Ellis and Rouvelas Meeds.

One new hire was Werner Brandt, former aide and eventually House sergeant-at-arms under Democrat Tom Foley’s speakership. Balancing Brandt out on the Republican side?

Jack Abramoff, who Blumenthal noted had close ties to then-Majority Whip Tom Delay. “In hiring Abramoff, Preston Gates was clearly moving to open a pipeline to the younger generation of congressional Republicans,” Blumenthal wrote.

Abramoff eventually left Preston Gates for Greenburg Traurig, where he opened the pipeline so much he had to plead guilty to corruption charges.