Slow News Day . . .

. . . When this shows up on the front page of the Friday P-I.

It used to be, before 24/7 newscasting on cable, that the press would hit a "silly season" in late summer. Nothing was happening, national politics were at a lull, and things like frying an egg on the sidewalk or watching dogs frollic in sprinklers or bigfoot sightings were considered front page material. Now those days are gone . . . mostly (the blog-world keeps the spirit alive with "Friday Cat Blogging", but its not nearly the same).

However, going down the list you end up asking yourself two questions:
1) Whaddaya mean by Liberal?
2) Whaddaya mean by City?

The non-partisan operation studied voting tendencies, says the article, but that seems to assume that every election is between a bonafied liberal and a certifed conservative. And a lot of candidates that are to the left on some issues would be considered to the right on others. Many would be rejected as liberals or conservatives by their own party's more hard-core wings. Recently, the Computer has been looking for traitors . . . sorry, had a gaming-moment there . . . the Administration has been looking for liberal bias in NPR, and set the standard such that conservative Republicans appearing on "All Things Considered" were considered liberal guests because they were doubting the wisdom of the Computer. I mean the Administration.

The city limits are also an effect on these studies. Pittsburgh is considered #35, slightly more liberal than Madison, Wisconsin. While I don't doubt that there are a lot of left-leaning policy makers in the heart of former Steeltown USA, once you get south of Mount Washington you're in Richard Mellon-Scaife territory, with a definitely more conservative spin.

Seattle ranks in at #16, and the article includes good-natured quotes from the more liberal politicians and mock-outrage from the local conservatives who sound concerned that there are more liberal places to live than Seattle. If I were them, I would demand a recount.

And speaking of recounts, while I was laid low, the Best of Seattle list showed up from one of the two local weeklies. Alas, my minions (both of them) did not carry the day, and the best blog went to a Definitely Liberal political blog called the HorsesAss.Org. I for one am shocked and outraged, and demand an immediate recount. Obviously we need to examine this travesty of justice fully!

Who knows? Maybe I can get the State GOP to go in with me and we can get a group discount.

More later,