President: Jimmy Buffett
George Bush has made a mess in Iraq, has no real exit strategy, alienated our traditional allies and diminished our standing in the world. He still doesn’t have a firm handle on the war against terror — which is far more critical to our long-term security and survival than anything else, including Iraq — and he has restricted our freedoms with the Patriot Act.
In the meantime, the Democrats couldn’t come up with a candidate any less pathetic than John Kerry, or a platform that reflects the real needs of the average American and addresses the core problems in this country.
Kerry’s Senate voting record — when he even bothered to show up — is a disgrace. He doesn’t really stand FOR anything, and the lack of direction in his campaign reflects that. He criticizes Bush, but doesn’t offer any real solutions.
It’s difficult to find anyone that’s truly enthusiastic about Kerry — he’s like Al Gore without all that flash. This is more about the Democrats hating Bush and all that “He stole the election” crap. No one we can identify is head over heels in love with this guy like they were Kennedy, Carter, Clinton — or even Gore. The only thing uniting them behind Kerry is that he isn’t Bush.
In our view, that’s a pretty dangerous reason to elect someone more interested in windsurfing than leading the free world. Based on his campaign stategy, you have to wonder if Kerry isn’t actually afraid of winning, because it means he’ll actually have to be personally accountable — something he’s not very used to doing.

U.S. Senate: Ted Nugent
There’s a reason Patty Murray keeps winning those Dumbest Senator Awards. Like Christine Gregoire, she keeps getting elected because women in this state vote for her not because of her qualifications, but because she’s a woman — which is actually pretty lame. Let’s face it; Patty Murray will never be another Maggie or Scoop.
George Nethercutt on the other hand is a proven liar and opportunist who hasn’t helped our state. He deposed a sitting Speaker of the House, saddling us with a go-along, get-along back bench Gingrich-inspired drone with no original thoughts of his own.
He promised to serve only three terms. He broke that promise. He moved his residence to Bellevue to campaign for higher office — while being paid by the taxpayers to represent Spokane. Is that the mark of a man of integrity? Not in our book.

U.S. House, 6th District: Norm Dicks
This needs no explanation — especially in light of the extreme views of his opponent. Norm always brings home the bacon — and we depend on him for it.

U.S. House, 1st District: Jay Inslee
We don’t always agree with Inslee, but he does have a good handle on issues of importance to this state — especially technology and its impact on jobs as well as its abuse. He is also in the forefront of the alternative energy industry, which is in its infancy. This is a cutting edge business, which could literally bring thousands of family wage jobs to Washington. Inslee is one of the very few members of Congress who understands the economic as well as social potential of this.

Governor: Dino Rossi
Rossi is the right man for all the right reasons at the right time. He’s honest, straightforward, squeaky clean personally and politically, and understands the budgeting process better than most people in Olympia.
Christine Gregoire represents all the failures of the last two decades of Democratic control in Olympia — and had a hand in more than few of them. She can’t carry Rossi’s briefcase where honesty or ethics are concerned.
Her record speaks for itself. She sold us down the river on the blanket primary, the Public Disclosure Act, and has a record of being unable to manage with any measure of fiscal responsibility. She’s beholden to the unions, promising them free rein if she’s elected.
The last thing we need is to reward her for the bad job she’s done, with the highest position in the state. It’s time for a change.

Lieutenant Governor: Brad Owen
Owen, a Mason County native, has done a good job in a relatively anonymous position. No need to change.

Attorney General: Ron McKenna
McKenna is one of the good guys. He’s smart, honest, and backed by just about every single law enforcement official and agency in the state, as well as most business organizations.
The next time you sign one of those exorbitant checks to your health insurer, remember Deborah Senn. She’s responsible for the insurance mess we’re in and how much it’s costing you every month.
Then imagine what will happen to our state’s economy when “The People’s Attorney General” starts suing the likes of Microsoft, Boeing, and any other business she dreams up a reason to — all in the name of “consumer protection” — just like she did the insurance companies that used to do business here.
Electing McKenna is a no-brainer.

State Treasurer: Mike Murphy
Murphy’s done a yeoman’s job managing our money.

Secretary of State: Sam Reed
Reed is recognized as one of the best in the nation in this position. Don’t hold the primary election fiasco against him; he didn’t have anything to do with it. All he did was implement the law. If you want to blame someone, blame Gregoire — she’s the one who refused to defend our primary system and caved in to the political parties.

Insurance Commissioner:
No Endorsement
The current Insurance Commissioner, Mike Kriedler, hasn’t done anything to clean up the mess left by former commissioner Deborah Senn. Unfortunately, none of his opponents have come up with a realistic plan to do it either.

State Auditor: Brian Sonntag
Governor Gary Locke and Attorney General Christine Gregoire have placed the only restrictions on Sonntag’s ability to make government more efficient. Both have battled him over auditing certain aspects of government, and refused to implement practices and procedures he’s recommended to make government less wasteful.

Commissioner of Public Lands: Doug Sutherland
Sutherland has practiced balanced stewardship of our state’s forests and water — in spite of what some ultra left-wing environmentalists claim. He’s been a smokejumper, small business owner, Pierce County Executive and Tacoma’s Mayor. He’s a fair man and an independent thinker. Sutherland’s been endorsed by prominent Democrats like former Governor Booth Gardner. Education leaders support his balanced approach to timber sales which have generated hundreds of millions of non-tax dollars for schools. The Machinist’s union, our state’s largest, supports Sutherland because he’s created thousands of family-wage jobs.
Discounting what some socialist-leaning enviros say, Sutherland deserves re-election.

Superintendent of Public Instruction:
No Endorsement
Incumbent Terry Bergeson, formerly of the CK School District, has done a less than steller job. Her opponent, Judith Billings, who held this position before Bergeson, has a past record that speaks for itself. Neither of them deserve this job based on their past performance. Unfortunately for the taxpayers — and children — of Washington, one of them is going to get it.
Education in this state isn’t going to improve until the Superintendent of Public Instruction stands up to the WEA, and starts looking out for the kids and teachers who want to excel. The main job is making sure kids are educated properly — not figuring out how to get deeper into the taxpayer’s pocket.

23rd District, Senate: Phil Rockefeller
Rockefeller is a smart, thoughtful legislator. Although he tends to vote for environmental issues more than for business, the two aren’t mutually exclusive. Rockefeller, who is open to listen to both sides of an argument, isn’t afraid to vote against his party when he’s convinced it’s the right thing to do.
His opponent, Doug Kitchens, is a political novice with a plainspoken, bull-in-a-china-shop, style. Where we tend to agree more on the surface with many of Kitchens’ positions on issues, we also question how effective his forthright style will make him in Olympia.
We know we’ll take some heat from the business community over this one, but Rockefeller gets the nod for his experience and his willingness to listen.

23rd District House, Position 1: Frank Mahaffay
Mahaffay, a political newcomer, is a quick study, has good people skills, and understands business. He’s very direct, as well as results-oriented and prefers common sense solutions.
His opponent, Sherry Appleton, is an abrasive personality who’s in the back pocket of organized labor and the environmental movement. Business is her adversary.
Mahaffay gets the nod for business friendliness and common sense.

23rd District House, Position 2: Bev Woods
Woods has done an excellent job of representing her district and working with other legislators to benefit Kitsap County. Unquestionably, she deserves to be re-elected.

26th District, Position 1: Matt Rice
Another no-brainer. Incumbent Pat Lantz’s staunch refusal to allow tort reform out of committee to be debated on the House floor for the past two sessions is an insult to the people who elected her. She doesn’t represent the citizens of the 26th District; she represents the interests of trial lawyers.
As someone who works in emergency medicine, Rice is one of those people directly impacted by Lantz’s lack of action on this issue and sees the impact in human terms on a daily basis.
It’s time to elect someone who will represent the entire district, not just the lawyers who live in it.

26th District, Position 2: Lois McMahan
McMahan has a 100 percent positive voting record on business issues. While she’s often been criticized for her faith, which she wears like a badge of honor, it’s never impacted her unwavering support for business.
Challenger Derek Kilmer came very close to winning our endorsement, because of his business recruitment and retention experience with the Pierce County Economic Development Board.
When asked if he is strong enough to stand up to the Democratic Party leadership on issues important to business, Kilmer answered in the affirmative. However, we have to question his commitment — and candor — after learning he signed a party pledge requiring him to support organized labor and environmental interests.
McMahan has always supported business. She’s earned our endorsement for that reason.

35th District, Position 1: No Endorsement
Representative Kathy Haigh is running unopposed.

35th District, Position 2: Bill Eickmeyer
Eickmeyer has a lukewarm voting record for business, but is always open to new information. His experience in the legislature gets him the nod — but just barely.

Kitsap County Commissioner, District 2: Jan Angel
One more no-brainer. Angel, a political moderate, has done a good job representing her district. Being in the political minority with active opposition that roadblocked just about everything she attempted the first two years of her term, she still managed to achieve some of the goals she set — in spite of that antagonism.
She’s responsible for the environmental cleanup of Gorst that’s getting underway now, as well as pushing for telecommunications infrastructure that will generate family wage jobs without additional development. She has supported business at every opportunity.
Angel listens, is hard working, honest and very straightforward. You might not always like the answer you get from her, but you always get an honest one.
Her opponent, Charlotte Garrido, served as commissioner for four years until she was booted by the voters of her district in the primary four years ago.
In her time as commissioner, Garrido raised taxes every year she was in office, used her position to roadblock development, and stymied passage of the county comprehensive plan. In doing so, she intentionally prevented development that’s now located just across the county line and generating over a million dollars a year in sales tax revenue that should be going to Kitsap County — as well as diverting jobs.
She is responsible for downzoning thousands of acres of land, decimating family fortunes and retirement nest eggs without a second thought.
Garrido is a committed anti-business, anti-growth ideologue skilled at using the legalities of the Growth Management Act to prevent progress. She has her own agenda for Kitsap County, and it isn’t business or people-friendly
Jan Angel has worked hard and diligently to earn a second term. She has our endorsement for her labor, honesty, fairness, and common sense.

Kitsap County Commissioner, District 1:
No Endorsement
Incumbent Commissioner Chris Endresen is a skilled politician who is usually thinking a step or two ahead of her opposition. She’s smart, savvy and for the most part, represents her district — or at least the majority that’s gotten her re-elected twice — fairly well.
She angers the business community and property rights advocates with regularity, but has also been quite supportive of the efforts of the KREDC.
You’re never exactly certain where Endresen will stand on any given business issue. Although most business people expect her to oppose them — she doesn’t always.
Endresen also angered the South Kitsap community more than she has a clue about when she voted with former commissioner Tim Botkin to deny the commission chair to Jan Angel. Many SK residents haven’t forgotten and swore revenge in this election. Will that be a factor?
Her opponent, Scott Henden, is a Kingston electrical contractor who ran against Endresen in 2000. In spite of being heavily funded by development and property rights advocates, he lost, but not as bad as many believed he would.
Undaunted, Henden began running again the day after that election. In the last four years he’s hired professional campaign advisors, refined his message to resonate with a much larger audience, learned how to speak in public and seriously toned down his angry, confrontational style. Thanks to changing demographics in the district, his constituency has broadened extensively.
But can he govern effectively? With Jan Angel and Patty Lent in office, Henden will be able to learn the job with little pressure, philosphical disagreement and probably few mistakes.
If Charlotte Garrido somehow manages to unseat Angel and Henden wins, it will be ideological gridlock for the next four years — with suddenly senior commissioner Patty Lent stuck in the middle. Nothing will be accomplished — which will suit Garrido just fine.
Endresen has four years of experience handling Garrido and can usually get what she needs from her. She also has pretty good relations with Lent, while she and Angel politely tolerate each other.
A recent poll indicates Henden could actually win. Endresen is confident she’ll prevail. The possible scenarios boggle the mind.
We’re sitting this one out.

Supreme Court:
Jim Johnson
Johnson understands our state constitution better than most lawyers — and judges. He’s fair honest, and will make an outstanding judge.

Initiative I-872: Yes
The people of Washington have the right to vote for whomever they want — not whom the parties determine they should. Our election process is not for the parties to accumulate taxpayer funded voter lists for fundraising — it’s for each and every one of us to determine the person we want to represent us.

Initiative I-884: Not only NO, but HELL NO!
There is no concrete plan for how these billion dollars will be spent, how the spending will be monitored or how the results will be measured. In fact, there is no accountability built in to this measure at all. We’re simply being asked to “trust” our state’s educational establishment.
Sorry — but based on it’s dismal history and poor job up to this point with the 56 percent of the total state budget it already gets, we’re not willing to “trust” the WEA and the rest of the educational establishment with any more of our tax money until we see some improvement in the lame results they’ve consistently delivered. More money isn’t the answer to this problem. Accountability is.

Initiative I-892: No
This is Tim Eyman’s non-tribal gaming issue. We already have enough gambling in this state and there is insufficient proof this will actually lower property taxes as it promises. If you don’t like the gambling here, visit Las Vegas.

Initiative I-297: No
This is the Hanford cleanup bill. It sounds like the right thing to do. But all this measure really does is duplicate efforts already underway and add layers of bureaucracy to the process. Since most of Hanford’s radioactive waste is already being systematically shipped to Nevada and New Mexico, the money from the actual cleanup work will be diverted to bureaucratic process and just slow the entire operation down.

Referendum Measure 55: Yes
This is the Charter Schools issue. The educational establishment in this state has done a poor job educating our kids. The WEA is scared to death of this because it will loosen its death grip on our wallets and could showcase what a bad job the current educational status quo is actually doing. If it passes, the question becomes, how smart do you want your kids to be? The WEA’s lowest common denominator, or as smart as possible?