WA-08

This morning we took a look at the lay of the land nationally (and in two bellweather Midwestern states, Minnesota and Iowa). Unless they're the kind of worthless polls the NY Times is doing now, I prefer district polling to get a better idea of what's going to happen in November.

As you know, Blue America raises money for progressives running for office, primarily for the House, but also for the Senate, for a handful of

Last week the malefactors who prop up the Koch network met in Manhattan for two days. They've gotten wind of the gigantic anti-Trump/anti-Ryan tsunami forming up in the hinterland and heading towards DC.

Leading his party to doom and destructionBefore you get a political tsunami that wipes out your party, you get ripples-- entrenched swing state incumbents in the tough seats start announcing their retirements.

Probably the single best indicator that a swing district is about the flip is when the incumbent suddenly announces retirement. Yesterday, the Republican incumbent in Washington's most swingy district-- Dave Reichert in WA-08-- announced he's leaving Congress at the end of 2018. The district was always sketchy for him and he's had some close calls but the GOPO was able to redraw a slightly safer seat for him with a PVI of R+1.

It's not likely that Señor Trumpanzee will be campaigning in WA-08 this year. The Seattle suburbs and exurbs aren't fertile ground for him and, to put it mildly, the Republican congressman in the district, Dave Reichert, doesn't want Trump getting anywhere near the any media markets where his constituents will have reason to connect the two of them.

This week we were delighted to hear that two truly awful Republican congressmen-- John Kline in Minnesota and Dave Reichert in Washington-- are stepping down.

Blue America’s last endorsement of the 2014 cycle was Jason Ritchie, the candidate running for the Blue-leaning Washington State seat currently held by conservative Republican Dave Reichert, in a district that stretches from the suburbs south and east of Seattle all the way out to Wenatchee and Ellensburg. At the time, Ritchie vowed he word make a concerted effort to win the seat over at least two cycles.

When Congress legalizes medical marijuana-- and that's coming-- dozens and dozens of ineffective, highly toxic prescription drugs, many with ghastly side effects, will cease providing bounties to the industrial drug makers that manufacture and market them. These pharmaceutical conglomerates have appealed-- so far successfully-- to Congress to at least wait for them to make some minor, inconsequential change to marijuana before they legalize it.

If you've been following Jason Ritchie's twitter feed, you're following the most active struggle against Fast Track in the state of Washington, Fast Track that sacrifices $700 million in Medicare to grease the skids and Fast Track that is being pushed by Republican incumbent Dave Reichert. Obama won WA-08 both times, by almost 15,000 against McCain and by close to 5,000 against Romney. Both of Washington’s Democratic senators, Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, also won WA-08.