"Obama, Huckabee top county caucus tallies"

From today's Whitman County Gazette:

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee emerged as Whitman County’s picks for their respective parties’ presidential candidates during Saturday afternoon’s caucuses.

The hotly contested race for the Democratic nominee pumped up caucus attendance from the local party, especially at the campus caucus, according to party chair Carolyn Cress, chair of the county Democratic party.

“The turn-out was amazing, even with a Wazzu basketball game people came out in droves,” said Cress.

Cress estimated almost 1,000 Democrats caucused for their candidates throughout the county.

Nearly 200 Whitman County Republicans caucused Saturday, with the bulk of the delegates backing Huckabee.

“We had great support from all the camps,” said Susan Fagan, chair of the county Republicans.

“Everyone I talked to said they had more people than ever show up.”

Roughly 60 people showed up at the six-precinct Democratic caucus at the Public Service building in Colfax. Obama took 10 delegates to the April 19 county convention, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton logged three and one delegate tabbed uncommitted.

Upstairs in the same building, Clinton took two delegates and Obama added one more from the Wilcox and LaCrosse precincts.

Countywide, Obama garnered 142 delegates to the county convention, Clinton took 40 and four remained undecided. Obama took 67.5 percent of the state’s delegates while Clinton posted 31.2 percent.

The county convention will select delegates to the 5th Congressional District Convention May 17 where delegates will be selected to the June 15 state convention in Spokane.

At the six-precinct Colfax Republican caucus in Sterling Savings Bank, Huckabee took five delegates, Texas Rep. Ron Paul took three, Arizona Sen. John McCain took two and two were uncommitted.

Huckabee’s 29 delegates from the county total gave him an edge over McCain’s 20, Paul’s 19, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney’s 10 and 8 undecided.

Despite Huckabee’s strong showing in Whitman County, McCain topped statewide results.

With 96 percent of precincts reporting, McCain took 25.6 percent of the state’s delegates; Huckabee had 23.3 percent, Paul 21.4 percent and Romney, who has suspended his campaign, 15.3 percent.

Republicans will send delegates to the county convention in Colfax March 8, where the party will select delegates for the May 30-31 state convention in Spokane.

"Impassioned politics: Whitman County caucuses see highest turnout rates in years"

If you read this excerpt from the story below, you'll quickly see the problem that myself and other Republicans have with the Paululans:

Devin Prewett, 24, came to the caucus to give his full support to Paul. He even turned his Subaru Outback into a moving Paul billboard.

Prewett said the lack of media coverage for Paul doomed the candidate's push for presidency.

"I really think if Ron Paul had the media coverage his message would get out and he would be a more popular candidate," he said.

If Paul doesn't receive the nomination, Prewett said his next choice would not be a Republican.

"If (Paul) doesn't get on the ballot the next best choice is Obama and I would be willing to jump to the Democrats," he said.

Keep in mind that Mr. Prewett and all other participants at the caucus were required to sign in and attest that they were Republicans. Maybe this Paululan disloyalty explains why thousands of primary ballots are being disqualified because voters refuse to sign a ballot oath identifying themselves as a Democrat or a Republican.

The only thing that Obama and Paul have in common is their stated intent to immediately withdraw the troops from Iraq. I can't see Mr. Prewett as being much of a Libertarian if he buys into Obama's nanny statist, big government policies. A sheep in wolf's clothing.

From today's Moscow-Pullman Daily News:

Whitman County residents turned out in droves to the county's presidential caucuses Saturday.

Pullman resident and Republican Precinct Committee Officer Nancy Gregory said the nearly 100 people at the Pullman caucus was the most she had seen in years.

"Every (election) I come to the caucus meetings, and there are about three or four times more people here today," Gregory said Saturday.

The turnout and passion this year reminded Gregory of former President Ronald Reagan's initial push for the White House, she said.

"This is how we elected Ronald Reagan," Gregory said. "We got all the Reagan supporters out at the caucuses and all the delegates, or most of them, were Reagan supporters."

While the turnout was high - estimated by Republican Party Chairwoman Susan Fagan to be 170 people countywide - in comparison to past caucuses for the Republicans, there was no runaway winner.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee led all candidates with 29 delegates, followed by Sen. John McCain and Rep. Ron Paul, each with 20 delegates. Mitt Romney finished with 10 delegates, despite having suspended his campaign last week. A total of eight delegates were uncommitted.

The results from the county's tight three-way race was similar to those from the rest of the state. Overall, McCain finished with just over 25 percent of the statewide vote, followed by Huckabee with 23.8 percent and Paul with just under 21 percent. Romney received 16.7 percent of the state's delegates.

Fagan said she had only heard positive results from the county's 12 Republican caucuses.

"Everybody said they had more people than ever and the discussions were really good," Fagan said. "Everyone is focused on the elections ... "

Democrats also enjoyed a strong turnout, with about 1,000 people taking part in Whitman County caucuses, said Carolyn Kress, party chairwoman.

"We probably tripled what we did four years ago," Kress said. "We were needless to say pleased. It was very successful, we just couldn't ask for more."

The results in the county mirrored those statewide, with Sen. Barack Obama receiving a majority of the delegates. Obama tallied 142 delegates from the county, compared to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's 40. Statewide, Obama received 67.5 percent of the delegates, while Clinton showed with 31.2 percent.

While the high turnout in the Democratic caucus was partly attributed to the tight race between Clinton and Obama, much of the increased turnout at the Republican caucus can be chalked up to younger generation's renewed interest in politics.

The unusual amount of young participants did not go unnoticed by 76-year-old Pullman resident Miriam Rehwaldt.

"There are so many young people; more young people than anyone," she said.

Many of the younger voters came out to support Paul.

Alex Marcelo, 20, described his vote for Paul as a "principle vote," acknowledging that Paul likely will not win the Republican nomination. However, Paul has given him a renewed faith in the Republican Party.

"Because of the Bush administration, I had written off the Republican Party for a long time," Marcelo said.

"Fundamentally, what attracts me to Ron Paul is he believes in the Constitution. Ron Paul reminds us the Constitution is there to limit the government, not the people."

Marcelo was elected as one of two delegates from Precinct 218 in Pullman to head to the county convention in Colfax on March 8.

Marcelo has pledged his vote for Paul. He said if Paul does not receive the nomination he would not be able to support the party's current front-runner.

"I honestly can't support (McCain)," Marcelo said, adding that Huckabee would be his second choice.

Devin Prewett, 24, came to the caucus to give his full support to Paul. He even turned his Subaru Outback into a moving Paul billboard.

Prewett said the lack of media coverage for Paul doomed the candidate's push for presidency.

"I really think if Ron Paul had the media coverage his message would get out and he would be a more popular candidate," he said.

If Paul doesn't receive the nomination, Prewett said his next choice would not be a Republican.

"If (Paul) doesn't get on the ballot the next best choice is Obama and I would be willing to jump to the Democrats," he said.

Switching parties is definitely not an option for Rehwaldt, a longtime Republican.

"I will go for anybody who will beat Hillary or Obama," she said. "I am a Republican, so I will back whoever."

The Pooled Pullman GOP Caucus: My View

My apologies. I had intended to get this out earlier, but the Huckabee-WSRP PR fiasco took over.

Here are my observations from Saturday's pooled Pullman GOP caucus, in no particular order:

Turnout



Did the WSU basketball game, the commanding delegate lead by McCain, and Thompson and Romney dropping out of the race affect the turnout? Probably.

However, I figure there were at least 100 people at the caucus (see pictures), which is way more than any other county Republican event I have ever attended, and that was just in Pullman. There were many faces I had never seen before. There was also, as I understand, an above-average turnout county-wide.

The Paul-Bearers


Many of the new faces, of course, were supporters of Ron Paul. They were wearing buttons and passing out flyers at the entrance to Franklin. Overall, I can say nothing bad about them. They were young (mostly WSU students), idealistic, passionate, well-organized and, best of all, respectful and polite. There were no disruptions, loud protests, or chanting. Some of the resolutions had a distinctly libertarian slant (see below) and were pretty far away from the normal Whitman County Republcian platform. But, as I discussed with some long-time Whitman County Republican faithfuls, it was nice to have some fresh air and youthful energy.

Now, Ron Paul supporters, your guy didn't win and he's already ruled out a third party run. We have a full slate of state and local races (U.S. Congress, Governor, state senator and two state representatives, and two county commissioners) coming up this fall. All the Republican candidates for those offices share your view of limited government. Will you stand with us to help get them reelected? Prove your detractors wrong that are you just tinfoilers and not real Republicans. Don't step back in the political shadows. Make your voice heard! Local government has far more day-to-day impact than the federal government.

Resolutions

There were a plethora of resolutions from the floor that took an hour and a half to discuss and vote on. Overall, it was pretty fun and not angry or controversial at all.

Jim Logan introduced a resolution about holding a national primary at roughly the same time, so that Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Florida don't get to choose the party's nominee. After a lot of amendments and discussion, this passed. Folks on the rural and remote Palouse feel pretty disenfranchised, especially after seeing that every farmer in Iowa seemingly gets a candidate's visit.

I introduced a resolution concerning the Department of Ecology's riduculous stormwater licensing requirements for Pullman and how DOE should either grant relief to Eastern Washington cities or provide the funding to meet the mandates. It passed unanimously. I think it was one of the Ron Paul supporters that mentioned we should just abolish DOE. I second that motion!

There was another resolution that evoked quite a bit of discussion concerning electronic voting (apparently a real concern with Ron Paul supporters) that passed. After 2004, Republicans in Washington are naturally going to be distrustful of all kinds of possible voter fraud.

National presidential primary concerns came up again with a resolution that called for the elimination of winner-take-all presidential primaries. It also passed.

The most Paulian and most controversial resolution was one that said the U.S. should only uses its military power when there was a clear and present danger to U.S. soil. There was a lot of debate about the Constitutiopn and how only Congress could declare war, but ultimately this resolution failed.

A very strong resolution concerning stopping benefits and incentives, including public education, to illegal immigrants passed by a handy margin. Senator McCain is going to have a real problem with the base of the party in the immigration issue.

Another very Paulian resolution concerning not participating in trade agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA passed by a narrow margin. I spoke with one of our elected officials later that many of these young Paul ideologues obviously don't realize that most of the agricultural products grown in Whitman County are sold overseas and that crippling international trade would put most of our local farmers out of business.

Francis Benjamin


Pullman City Councilman Francis Benjamin served as the permanent caucus chair, and as always, proved himself to be the Roberts Ruler of Order par excellence. He kept things on track and on time.

College Republicans

The WSU College Republicans, led by Chris DelBeccaro, were on hand to help out with the logisitics of registration and counting and did a fantastic job. As always, I had fun chatting with them.

Voting

Each of the participants at the precinct caucuses registered their presidential preference. I don't have those results, nor are they particularly relevant, as only the delegates elected to the county convention really matter. And many of those elected Saturday probably won't even go the county convention March 8. All we really know is that about a third of the roughly 20 Whitman County delegates that go the state convention on May 31 should be Mike Huckabee supporters. With only 37 open Washington national delegates, it's unlikely anyone from Whitman County will go as a primary delegate to the national convention, but you never know.

Here are the delegates that were elected and their presidential preferences:

Mike Huckabee - 17
Ron Paul - 10
John McCain - 9
Mitt Romney - 5
Uncommitted - 3

A note on Ron Paul: Paul may very well have received more delegates in Pullman based on his number of supporters. But the number of precinct delegates are chosen based on the number of Republican votes received in the last statewide election. For campus precincts, obviously, that's not a lot. So while 5 students may have showed up for Paul in a particular precinct, only two could be elected as delegates. That is another reason for you Ron Paul supporters to work harder on our state and local races so that you can increase your caucus representation. Plus, PCOs are automatically county delegates.

Devin Rokyta

I had a chance to talk with Daily News reporter Devin Rokyta at Saturday's caucus. He's a very down-to-earth guy. Definitely my favorite Daily News reporter since Michelle Dupler.

IT Geeks

Okay, I have to say this. Based on my profession, the profession of many contributors at this blog, and now the apparent profession of many Ron Paul supporters, there definitely seems to be a scientific connection between being an IT geek and a libertarian/conservative.

BREAKING NEWS: WHITMAN COUNTY LIKES MIKE!!!!

Final results from today's Whitman County Republican Caucus:

Mike Huckabee - 29 (34%)
John McCain - 20 (23%)
Ron Paul - 19 (22%)
Mitt Romney - 10 (12%)
Uncommitted - 8 (9%)

Here's how it broke down at the pooled caucus in Pullman:

Mike Huckabee - 17
Ron Paul - 10
John McCain - 9
Mitt Romney - 5
Uncommitted - 3

Whitman County GOP Caucus Report

There was a good turnout county-wide today for the GOP caucuses, even though there was a Cougar home basketball game at the same time.

I was very happy to see many news faces in the crowd today at Franklin Elementary, including many college students. I hope we can build on that momentum.

As you can imagine, quite a few of the students were Ron Paul supporters. They made an impact on the vote, as well as some of the resolutions that were voted on.

I'll have a more extensive report later.

For now, let's just say that Mike Huckabee has handily won Kansas and based on the vote results I saw, my prediction is that he will carry Pullman and rural Whitman County as well. Let's hope that trend holds for the whole state. Republicans are looking for a REAL conservative, and John McCain is not it.

NOW ON TO VICTORY!!!!!

2008 Whitman County Republican Party Caucus Locations

All precinct caucus statewide will start at 1 p.m., so be about a half hour early so you can get signed in.

Tekoa #101
Farmington #103

127 S. Leslie
Tekoa 99033
Bunny Bippes & Wendy Sienknecht
509-284-3171

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Garfield #104

1008 Spokane St., Garfield
Susan Love
509-635-1250

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Oakesdale #102
Palouse #106
Palouse #107
Malden #150
Rosalia #151
Thornton #152

Oakesdale Fire Station #10
108 N. 1st. St.
Oakesdale
John Goyke
509-285-5333

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Colton #108
Uniontown #109

Colton School Library
706 Union Street
Colton
Eric Bean
509-229-3779

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Pullman #110
Pullman #111
Pullman #112
Pullman #113
Pullman #114
Pullman #115
Pullman #116
Pullman #117
Pullman #118
Pullman #119
Pullman #120
Pullman #121
Pullman #123
Pullman #124
Pullman #125
Pullman #126
Pullman #127
Pullman #128
Pullman #129
Pullman #130
Pullman #131
Pullman #132
Pullman #133
Pullman #134
Pullman #234
Pullman #235

Franklin Elementary School
Cafeteria
850 SE Klemgard
Pullman
Susan Fagan
509-332-1702

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Pullman #122

345 N.W. Linda
Pullman
Ron Wachter
509-334-2591

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Steptoe #104
Colfax #136
Wilcox #138
Colfax #139
Colfax #140
Colfax #141
Colfax #142

Sterling Savings Bank
803 N. Main St.
Colfax
99111
Michael Largent
509-397-3205

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Colfax #137

Lustig Residence
4202 Ed Hamilton Road,
Endicott, 99125
Vangee Harrison
509-397-3353

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#143 Dusty
#144 Hay
#145 Hooper
#146 LaCrosse

LaCrosse City Hall
LaCrosse
Harmon Smith
509-549-3368

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Endicott #147

401 D Street
Endicott, 99125
Greg Burns
509-657-3640

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#148 Lamont
#149 St. John

4 West Short St.
St. John, 99171
Steve Naught
509-648-4091

"County politicos expect big caucus day turnout"

I'll be at the pooled Pullman GOP Caucus at Franklin Elementary School at 1:00 PM tomorrow as Mike Huckabee for President Whitman County chair and Precinct Committee Officer for Pullman Precinct 120, and of course, blogging all the action as it happens.

From yesterday's Whitman County Gazette:

Political wonks throughout Whitman County will meet Saturday, Feb. 9, to select delegates to carry forth a banner in support of the county parties’ choices to run for the office of President.

“I’m predicting an absolutely incredible experience for everyone that comes to the caucus,” said Susan Fagan, chair of the county Republican party. “Personally, I’m very excited about this weekend.”

“It’s going to be so interesting in Washington,” said Carolyn Cress, chair of the county Democrats. “I’ve had people calling all the time, asking to get involved in the caucus.”

Super Tuesday, when 24 states conducted primaries, was supposed to clarify the picture. With several Republican candidates splitting up those states, and Democratic runners chopping the pot, Washington’s caucus will make a difference in the national race for the first time in decades.

Officials from the county parties both anticipate the close races will pump up the turnout this weekend.

“In the past, the caucuses have tended to be for the activists in the party,” said Fagan. “I think you’re going to see a lot more people who would align themselves as independents.”

Those independents could well decide the race, as both Cress and Fagan see a great deal of crossover appeal in candidates for their respective parties.

“If McCain does win the nomination I think probably he would fare well in Washington,” predicted Fagan.

McCain topped the primary returns in 9 states, most of them with large populations and, therefore, delegate counts. That showing brought him 632 delegates from wrapping up the party endorsement.

On the Democratic side, neither of the top two candidates, New York Senator Hillary Clinton and Illinois Senator Barack Obama, posted big enough victories to gain a significant edge in the race.

Clinton did pull ahead in the delegate count, but the margin was far too slim for either candidate to claim a victory.

That narrow margin is mobilizing a greater proportion of locals, Cress said, especially among the youth vote.

“Barack has been pulling a lot of people in,” said Cress. “But Clinton’s supporters are so organized and committed, I think its going to be quite the battle here in Whitman County.”

Despite the apparent rise of McCain, Fagan said the county party faithful may not be completely sold on the Arizona senator.

She added she has received lots of calls from supporters of Texas Rep. Ron Paul and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee.

“If anybody tried to predict how this caucus is going to end up, they’d be crazy,” said Fagan.

Cress said, mostly due to Obama, she has heard from WSU students who have never caucused before and want to get involved.

She pointed to the Illinois Senator’s campaign stop last week in Boise.

“He got 15,000 people to show up for a rally in Boise,” said Cress. “If he can draw that kind of a crowd in Idaho, just think what he can do here.”

That galvanization is causing a unique dilemma for the county Democratic party.

Cress said she is afraid there might not be enough space for caucus attendees.

“But you can caucus in the bathroom for all I care, just get involved,” said Cress.

Caucus attendees must be prepared to openly declare their choice for commander-in-chief. Those candidates must garner at least 15 percent of the votes from attendees.

Those whose candidate does not receive 15 percent will then be wooed by the supporters of successful candidates to join their camp.

All candidates receiving more than 15 percent will receive delegates to the regional and state conventions.

The state Republican Party will allocate 18 of its 40 delegates to the national convention based on the state caucus results. The winner of the Feb. 19 Presidential Preference Primary will receive 19 delegates with the remaining three reserved for party officials.

All of the state’s delegates to the Democratic national convention, except for a few key party bigwigs, will be selected via the caucuses. The Democrats select nothing from the primary.

Both parties kick off their caucuses at 1 p.m.

Democratic Caucuses:

Colfax precincts meet at the Public Service Building, 310 N. Main, Colfax; Wilcox, Dusty, Hay, Hooper and LaCrosse precincts meet upstairs in the Public Service Building, 310 N. Main, Colfax; Colton and Uniontown precincts meet in the Uniontown Community Hall, 207 S. Montgomery; Garfield precinct will meet at the Garfield Community Center.;

Tekoa, Oakesdale and Farmington precincts meet at the Fraternal Hall in Oakesdale; Palouse precincts meet at 430 W. Church St.; Steptoe, Endicott, Lamont, St. John, Malden, Rosalia and Thornton precincts will meet at the St. John Community Hall.

North Pullman precincts meet at Pullman High School, 510 NW Larry St.; South Pullman precincts meet at Lincoln Middle School, 315 SE Crestview; WSU/College Hill precincts meet at the Center for Undergraduate Education (CUE) in Smith Hall.

Republican Caucuses:

Colfax, Steptoe and Wilcox precincts meet at Sterling Savings Bank, 803 N. Main St., Colfax; Colfax precinct 137 meets at 4202 Ed Hamilton Rd., Endicott; Dusty, Hay, Hooper and LaCrosse precincts meet at LaCrosse City Hall; Endicott precinct will meet at 401 D Street in Endicott.

St. John and Lamont precincts will meet at 4 West Short St., St. John; Colton and Uniontown precincts will meet at the Colton School Library, 706 Union Street, Colton; Garfield precinct will meet at 1008 Spokane St.; Oakesdale, Palouse, Malden, Rosalia and Thornton meet at the Oakesdale Fire Station, 108 N. 1st St.

Tekoa and Farmington precincts meet at 127 S. Leslie, Tekoa; Pullman precinct 122 meets at 345 NW Linda; All other Pullman precincts meet at Franklin School, 850 SE Klemgard.

"Partch will seek third term as commissioner"

As I stated earlier, Commissioner Partch has my fullest endorsement for a third term. From yesterday's Whitman County Gazette:

County Commissioner Greg Partch Monday announced his plans to seek a third term in office. The 59-year old Garfield Republican has served as the District 1 representative, which covers the northeast portion of Whitman County, since 2000.

Partch kicked off his campaign on the heels of a decision to commit to bonding up to $9.1 million to fund infrastructure improvements at Boise-based Hawkins shopping center on the Idaho state line.

“I can’t think of a more fitting send off for my campaign than today’s signing,” he said.

He said the Hawkins development was indicative of his efforts to fulfill his 2000 campaign platform of strengthening the county’s economy.

“Watch Whitman County grow,” he said. “With what we’ve done for economic development, those fruits will be bearing four years from now.”

After entering office, Partch was faced with a declining county treasury after voter-approved state initiatives limited the taxing authority of local governments.

He pointed to Commissioner Jerry Finch, who was also elected to office in 2000.

“We weathered those storms together, and we’ll weather future storms as well,” he said. “We’ve been through a lot together,” he added. “But the county is in as good of hands now as it’s ever been.”

Finch announced earlier that he intends to seek a third term.

“We want to see the corridor develop. We want to see it develop, organized and systematic, and we want to protect the environment at the same time,” he said.

Partch also said he was proud to have helped coordinate an interlocal agreement to fund the Whitcom emergency dispatch center.

He said when he was first elected the cooperation of local entities in setting up the center was falling apart. Washington State University was contemplating a withdrawal from the Whitcom board. Those entities eventually pulled together to form the board.

“Now we’ve got a state of the art E-911 system at Whitcom,” he said. “It’s as good as anywhere in the US.”

Partch said the decision to run for a third term came after a great deal of consulting with his family.

“This was not an easy decision,” Partch said Monday. “But the salary commission made a big difference.”

Last year, the county’s citizen commission on salaries for elected officials decided to bring those salaries in line with the pay received by elected officials in comparable counties.

Prior to that, the commission set salaries at 85 percent of the average of its comparison counties. Bringing salaries to 100 percent of the average meant a $774 raise in the monthly salaries of county commissioners.

Partch explained low pay rates often discourage the best and brightest from entering the public sector. Pay for politicians is not always compensatory with their time commitment, he said.

“Sometimes its hard to get good people in government,” said Partch.

If elected to a third term, Partch said he hopes to mend fences with neighboring Moscow, with whom relations have been tense since the city tried to block the Hawkins development.

Also in his sights is finalizing a tax-share plan with Pullman that would allow the city to grow without draining the county’s tax rolls.

Partch currently sits on several multi-jurisdictional committees, including the Aging and Long Term Care Council of Eastern Washington, the Whitcom board, the Eastern Washington Work Force Development Council, the state Transportation Improvement Board, the Joint Planning and Action Committee and the state Public Defense Advisory Committee.

Prior to his first election, Partch worked for 26 years at Arrow Machinery north of Colfax. He and wife Sherry have two children. Greg Jr. lives in Spokane, and daughter Dawn lives in Tennessee.

The couple has also raised several foster children.

Mitt Quits

Mitt Romney announced at the annual meeting of the Conservative Political Action Committee today that he is giving up his 2008 presidential bid.

Meanwhile, Governor Mike Huckabee has vowed to fight on. He is the last conservative standing. I urge all Whitman County Romney supporters to join me in supporting him at this Saturday's caucus.

Mike Huckabee - In It to Win It

I’m staying in the race because I still want to be president, and until somebody gets 1,191 delegates, we don’t have a nominee.

- Mike Huckabee, FOX News, February 6, 2008

Defying the predictions of pollsters, pundits, and prognosticators, and calls from conservative talking heads Sean Hannity, Laura Ingraham, Glenn Beck, Mary Matalin and Ann Coulter to drop out of the race to avoid "stealing votes from Romney" (it is Romney who stole votes from Huckabee) and stop being "McCain's attack dog," Governor Mike Huckabee won Arkansas Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and West Virginia on Super Tuesday, keeping his presidential hopes very much alive.

I have said all along that if the GOP cannot replicate its winning strategies of 2000 and 2004 by taking the South whole, along with the southern Midwest states and the the interior West, then it doesn't stand a chance in this year's presidential race. Huckabee has now proven he can win the South. Take a look at the electoral map below from 2004:



Huckabee has now won Iowa, Arkansas Georgia, Tennessee, Alabama, and West Virginia; ALL Red States in 2004 worth 53 electoral votes.

John McCain has won 2004 Red States Arizona, Florida, Missouri, Oklahoma, and South Carolina, worth 63 electoral votes. Mike Huckabee finished a close second in South Carolina, Oklahoma and Missouri.

Mitt Romney has won 2004 Red States Alaska, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Utah, and Wyoming, worth 31 electoral votes.

You can see why it is so important for Mike Huckabee to win this race. As the only real conservative left, he can win this thing. And the race is still far from decided. Come out to the Washington Republican caucuses this Saturday and make a difference. As John McCain has essentially passed on Washington, the Seattle Times predicts a duel between Mike Huckabee (although Mike has no paid staff in Washington, only grassroots volunteers) and Mitt Romney in the Evergreen State, which has 40 GOP delegates on the line this Saturday. However, since Louisiana and Kansas have twice as many delegates up for grabs, we probably won't get much candidate attention. Our presidential primary system needs fixing.

Greg Partch Will Seek Another Term as Commissioner

Greg Partch, seen here signing the Hawkins development agreement today

Republican Whitman County Commissioner Greg Partch announced at noon today in the Whitman County Commissioners Chambers that he will seek a third term as District 1 Commissioner. He said it wasn't an easy decision. The salary commission decision to raise county commissioner's salaries played a big role in his decision. Partch said people didn't realize what a time-consuming job being a commissioner was.

Economic development is Partch's main platform, along with "peace in the courthouse." He said it took a year and a half after taking office the first time, but there is now more of a team effort between the commissioners and other county elected officials.

The Pullman-Moscow corridor is a natural place for economic development, so he and Commissioner Finch planned accordingly. They rezoned it several years back to be business-friendly. The county has bent over backwards to partner with Hawkins, but would have done so with any business.

In four years, Partch expects to see the fruits of this economic investment. He thinks the county is in the best hands it has ever been in before. There are things we work together with Moscow on currently and he hopes we can work together better in the future.

Greg has certainly earned another four years on the county commission and he has my fullest endorsement.

7 Days until the Republican Precinct Caucus

CALLING ALL MIKE HUCKABEE SUPPORTERS!

Attend your neighborhood CAUCUS on FEB. 9!

Getting to Your Republican Precinct Caucus

What's a Precinct?

Washington is split up into 49 legislative districts and 39 counties.

Each legislative district is then broken down further into smaller areas called precincts.

How do I know what precinct I live in?

The quickest and easiest way to find out is to check your voter registration card or ballot (they went out today).

You can also contact the Whitman County Auditor Elections Department at (509) 397-6270 have them look-up your precinct.

How do I find out where the caucuses are meeting?

What Happens at the Caucus

Ok, now what?

From the start of the caucus at 1:00 p.m. until 1:30 p.m. your time will be spent discussing specific aspects of the party platform and voting on the platform questionnaire. (Party Platform-a statement of where a political party stands on each major issue of the day.)

Most likely you'll simply have papers to fill out with different choices for what you want represented in the party's platform for each issue. For example, the attendees of your precinct caucus will be asked to reach consensus on where the Republican Party should stand on issues like abortion, taxes, national security and health care. This encourages lively discussion and is a great way to start off the caucus.

If you're not sure about what you're doing, ask your PCO or caucus leader for further direction. There are usually many veterans of the caucus process who can help guide you along the way.

What about delegates?

From 1:30 p.m. on, you and the people at your table will elect certain people to go as delegates to the county convention. (Delegates commit to attend the county convention and/or legislative district caucus which is where they will certify local candidates and elect delegates to the state convention). The paperwork provided will inform you as to how many delegates you can elect from your precinct.

Any voter from the precinct can be a delegate, whether he/she is actually at the caucus or not. (In other words, if you are the only attendee of your precinct caucus, fill out the delegate sheet with family members or neighbors from your precinct whom you know to be Huckabee supporters).

First, delegates will be nominated. You can volunteer to be a delegate, and you will represent the Presidential candidate of your choice (Mike Huckabee) .

You can declare yourself uncommitted, but you do want to make sure that any delegates you elect are also supportive of your candidate (Mike Huckabee).

To be elected a delegate, you must receive 50% + 1 of the vote. For example, if 3 people attend your precinct caucus, at least 2 most vote for you to be elected a delegate. A majority vote is not required to be elected an "alternate delegate"

What's so important about the delegates?

In short, this is where we can win.

As mentioned earlier, the delegates elected at the caucuses will attend the county convention (or legislative district caucus) later in the year, and they will choose delegates to go to the state convention.

At the state convention, the delegates all vote on which candidate they want to nominate for President. 18 of Washington's 40 delegates to the national convention will be allocated on the basis of the caucus with 2 delegates being elected from each of the 9 Congressional Districts at the State Convention. 19 delegates will be determined by the outcome of the February 19th Primary with 9 delegates being allocated on the basis of the primary outcome in each Congressional District and 10 selected based on the statewide totals. There are 3 automatic delegates who are the State Party Chairman, National Committeeman and National Committeewoman. Click here for more details on the allocation of delegates from Washington State. (We agree, it can be a little confusing.)

The Presidential candidate who wins 1,191 delegates will be the official nominee for the Republican Party, and will face off against the Democrat nominee in the general election in November 2008. Click here to track Mike Huckabee's progress state by state and nationally.

If you want Mike Huckabee to win, you must make sure you vote for delegates in your precinct who are also for him, so they can represent him at your county convention. Strongly consider becoming a delegate yourself. Also consider inviting neighbors, family members and others who live in your precinct who are known to support Mike Huckabee for President.

Also, encourage everyone you know to vote in the February 19th Primary Election since the Republican Party will be allocating 51% of its delegates based on that outcome!

Now let's win Washington State for
Mike Huckabee!!

"Commissioner Finch will seek third term"

This is great news! As most of my regular readers know, I'm a big Jerry Finch fan. He gets my most enthusiastic endorsement for county commssioner. From today's Whitman County Gazette:

Whitman County Commissioner Jerry Finch of Pullman announced Monday his intention to seek a third term for the District 2 seat on the Board of County Commissioners. Finch has represented the southeast section of Whitman County since 2000.

Finch, 65, said he made the decision to seek re-election after receiving a clean bill of health from his doctor during an annual physical.

“He said I’m in better shape today than I was a year ago,” said Finch. County Commissioner Jerry Finch

Finch touted the economic turn-around of the past two years as one of his proudest accomplishments while in office.

“Where we are now and where we were when Greg (Commissioner Partch) and I came into office is like night and day,” Finch told the Gazette Monday.

When Finch entered office, the county’s budget deficit cut cash reserves deep, sometimes to the point the county could barely meet its payroll. That prompted commissioners to put freezes on hiring and eliminate some positions.

Strengthening the economy so those cuts do not have to be made again is atop his list of priorities for another term, Finch said. He said that is why he has made such efforts to ensure the development of Hawkins’ Companies proposed shopping center at the state line in the Pullman-Moscow Corridor.

That development will strengthen the tax base, he added, and would ensure the county’s budget stays in the black.

“There’s a lot more work to do in the corridor, and I think the responsible thing is to see this through,” he said.

Finch has long championed the shopping center as the spark of an economic firestorm in the county.

He pointed to the county’s rezoning of the corridor as a seminal event in improving the county’s economic development.

The lean-time decisions to limit the size of county government have proven fruitful now, he said, pointing to a cash reserve of more than $3 million.

“Because of those tough decisions we’ve gotten our stuff together,” he said.

At the time, however, those decisions were criticized by county staff, and made the commissioners unpopular in the courthouse.

“The longer you’re a commissioner, the more decisions you make,” he added. “And the more decisions you make the greater the chance you’re going to do something to make someone mad.”

“If you’re not comfortable making tough decisions and angering somebody, you shouldn’t run for this job,” Finch added.

While in office, Finch has seen criticism over several policy decisions and off-the-cuff remarks he has made.

One for which he received the most criticism was the 2005 decision to drop commissioners’ mileage reimbursements in favor of county-owned vehicles. After a great deal of public outcry over that decision, commissioners dropped that plan.

“I was disappointed over the car deal,” he admitted. “But the people made it crystal clear how they felt and we backed off.”

In addition to his policy decisions, Finch has been a controversial figure with his plain-spoken nature.

“What you see is what you get,” he said. “I may be painfully blunt at times, but I’m always honest.”

He attributed much of the controversies to a misinterpretation of his attempts to bring humor, often in sarcastic form, to the daily proceedings of the county commission.

“A lot of times levity can diffuse a tense situation,” he said. “Unfortunately that doesn’t always come through in print.”

Finch lives in Pullman with his wife of 40 years, Donna Lee. The couple raised two daughters and a nephew, and has five grandchildren.

For 35 years he was a partner in his family’s grocery store in Pullman. After closing the store, he became manager of Harrison Distributors in Pullman for four years before the company was sold to Odom Corporate of Seattle.

How Washington Will Select Its 40 Delegates to the Republican National Convention

It's a bit cryptic. But the race for the Republican nomination is still very much up in the air and Washington will probably be a major player for the first time in years. YOU can play a part by attending the Whitman County Republican Caucuses on February 9.

Half of the GOP delegates will come from the caucus process, the other half through the statewide primary. The Democrats are selecting ALL their delegates through the caucuses, making their primary a time-wasting and expensive beauty contest.

From The Green Papers:

Washington has 40 delegates.

3 party leaders, the National Committeeman, the National Committeewoman, and the chairman of the Washington's Republican Party, will attend the convention as unpledged delegates by virtue of their position.

37 (27 district and 10 at-large) delegates are elected by the Primary and the Caucuses.

51% (37 × 0.51 = 18.87, round to 19) of these delegates are elected by Primary.

49% (37 × 0.49 = 18.13, round to 18) of these delegates are elected by Caucus.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saturday 9 February 2008: Precinct Caucuses.

Republican Party Caucuses meet in each precinct. Participants are required to sign a form stating they are Republicans (as voters do not have to declare political party membership to vote in the state's regular primaries or general elections). Each Precinct Caucus chooses the precinct's delegates to the County Convention. The County Conventions will, in turn, choose delegates to the State Convention. There is no formal system applied in the Precinct Caucuses to relate the presidential preference of the Caucus participants to the choice of the precinct's delegates. The participants at each Precinct Caucus alone determine if presidential preference is to be a factor in such choice and, if so, how it is to be applied.

The Caucuses initiate the process of electing 18 (49% of 37) of the National Convention delegates. These delegates will attend the Republican National Convention officially "Unpledged".

Tuesday 19 February 2008: Primary.

19 (1 from each of the 9 Congressional Districts and 10 at-large) of Washington's delegates to the Republican National Convention are allocated to presidential contenders based on the results of voting in today's Washington Presidential Primary. Voters are required to sign a form stating they are Republicans (as voters do not have to declare political party membership to vote in the state's regular primaries or general elections).

9 district delegates are to be allocated to presidential contenders based on the primary results in each of the 9 congressional districts: each congressional district is assigned 1 National Convention delegate and the presidential contender receiving the greatest number of votes in that district will receive that district's National Convention delegate.

10 delegates are to be allocated proportionally to presidential contenders based on the primary vote statewide. A 20 percent threshold is required in order for a presidential contender to be allocated National Convention delegates at the statewide level.

Saturday 22 March - Saturday 3 May 2008 (tentative date): Republican Party County Conventions convene in each county. Each County Convention chooses delegates to both the Congressional District Conventions and the State Convention.

County Conventions choose both the county's delegates to the Republican Party Convention of the Congressional District the county is a part of as well as the county's delegates to the Washington State Republican Convention. Again, there is no formal system applied in the County Convention to relate the presidential preference of the County Convention delegates to the choice of the county's delegates to either the Republican Convention of the Congressional District in which the county is located or the Washington State Republican Convention; each County Convention alone determine if presidential preference is to be a factor and, if so, how it is to be applied.

Once more, there is no formal system governing how the District Convention is to go about indicating its presidential preference to the State Convention. It is the delegates in attendance at the Congressional District Convention alone who decide how best to go about this.

Friday 30 May - Saturday 31 May 2008: The State Convention convenes.

There is no formal system applied in the State Convention to relate the presidential preference of the Caucus participants to the choice of the National Convention delegates. The participants at the State Convention alone determine if presidential preference is to be a factor in such choice and, if so, how it is to be applied.

The State convention elects 18 delegates. These delegates will attend the Republican National Convention officially "Unpledged".

3 party leaders, the National Committeeman, the National Committeewoman, and the chairman of the Washington's Republican Party, will attend the convention as unpledged delegates by virtue of their position.

Whitman County Republican Caucus Loctions (with contact name and phone number):

ALL CAUCUSES TO BE HELD SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 9 AT 1:00 PM

Check your voter registration card or call the Whitman County Auditor’s Office at (509) 397-6270 to verify your precinct before caucus day.

Tekoa #101
Farmington #103

127 S. Leslie
Tekoa 99033
Bunny Bippes & Wendy Sienknecht
509-284-3171

------------------------------------------------

Garfield #104

1008 Spokane St., Garfield
Susan Love
509-635-1250

------------------------------------------------

Oakesdale #102
Palouse #106
Palouse #107
Malden #150
Rosalia #151
Thornton #152

Oakesdale Fire Station #10
108 N. 1st. St.
Oakesdale
John Goyke
509-285-5333

------------------------------------------------

Colton #108
Uniontown #109

Colton School Library
706 Union Street
Colton
Eric Bean
509-229-3779

------------------------------------------------

Pullman #110
Pullman #111
Pullman #112
Pullman #113
Pullman #114
Pullman #115
Pullman #116
Pullman #117
Pullman #118
Pullman #119
Pullman #120
Pullman #121
Pullman #123
Pullman #124
Pullman #125
Pullman #126
Pullman #127
Pullman #128
Pullman #129
Pullman #130
Pullman #131
Pullman #132
Pullman #133
Pullman #134
Pullman #234
Pullman #235

Franklin Elementary School Cafeteria
850 SE Klemgard
Pullman
Susan Fagan
509-332-1702

------------------------------------------------

Pullman #122

345 N.W. Linda
Pullman
Ron Wachter
509-334-2591

------------------------------------------------

Steptoe #104
Colfax #136
Wilcox #138
Colfax #139
Colfax #140
Colfax #141
Colfax #142

Sterling Savings Bank
803 N. Main St.
Colfax 99111
Michael Largent
509-397-3205

------------------------------------------------

Colfax #137

Lustig Residence
4202 Ed Hamilton Road,
Endicott, 99125
Vangee Harrison
509-397-3353

------------------------------------------------

#143 Dusty
#144 Hay
#145 Hooper
#146 LaCrosse

LaCrosse City Hall
LaCrosse
Harmon Smith
509-549-3368

------------------------------------------------

Endicott #147

401 D Street
Endicott, 99125
Greg Burns
509-657-3640

------------------------------------------------

#148 Lamont
#149 St. John

4 West Short St.
St. John, 99171
Steve Naught
509-648-4091

Washington Caucus for Huckabee

Come join me in caucusing for Mike Huckabee at the Whitman County Republican Caucus in Pullman on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 at 1:00 PM at Franklin Elementary School Cafeteria at 850 SE Klemgard. If you don't live in Pullman, contact me at palousitics@adelphia.net for the location of your caucus site.

Whitman County Republican Caucus Locations

All precinct caucus statewide will start at 1 p.m., so be about a half hour early so you can get signed in.

Tekoa #101
Farmington #103

127 S. Leslie
Tekoa 99033
Bunny Bippes & Wendy Sienknecht
509-284-3171

------------------------------------------------

Garfield #104

1008 Spokane St., Garfield
Susan Love
509-635-1250

------------------------------------------------

Oakesdale #102
Palouse #106
Palouse #107
Malden #150
Rosalia #151
Thornton #152

Oakesdale Fire Station #10
108 N. 1st. St.
Oakesdale
John Goyke
509-285-5333

------------------------------------------------

Colton #108
Uniontown #109

Colton School Library
706 Union Street
Colton
Eric Bean
509-229-3779

------------------------------------------------

Pullman #110
Pullman #111
Pullman #112
Pullman #113
Pullman #114
Pullman #115
Pullman #116
Pullman #117
Pullman #118
Pullman #119
Pullman #120
Pullman #121
Pullman #123
Pullman #124
Pullman #125
Pullman #126
Pullman #127
Pullman #128
Pullman #129
Pullman #130
Pullman #131
Pullman #132
Pullman #133
Pullman #134
Pullman #234
Pullman #235

Franklin Elementary School
Cafeteria
850 SE Klemgard
Pullman
Susan Fagan
509-332-1702

------------------------------------------------

Pullman #122

345 N.W. Linda
Pullman
Ron Wachter
509-334-2591

------------------------------------------------

Steptoe #104
Colfax #136
Wilcox #138
Colfax #139
Colfax #140
Colfax #141
Colfax #142

Sterling Savings Bank
803 N. Main St.
Colfax
99111
Michael Largent
509-397-3205

------------------------------------------------

Colfax #137

Lustig Residence
4202 Ed Hamilton Road,
Endicott, 99125
Vangee Harrison
509-397-3353

------------------------------------------------

#143 Dusty
#144 Hay
#145 Hooper
#146 LaCrosse

LaCrosse City Hall
LaCrosse
Harmon Smith
509-549-3368

------------------------------------------------

Endicott #147

401 D Street
Endicott, 99125
Greg Burns
509-657-3640

------------------------------------------------

#148 Lamont
#149 St. John

4 West Short St.
St. John, 99171
Steve Naught
509-648-4091

<

2008 Lincoln Day Dinner

Please join the Whitman County Republicans for their annual Lincoln Day Dinner, Sunday, February 10. A reception will be held at the Hawthorn Inn and Suites in Pullman beginning at 12:30, followed by dinner across the parking lot at The Hilltop Restaurant.

Special guest speaker this year is: Washington gubernatorial candidate DINO ROSSI!

UPDATE:

- Dinner and membership in WCRP $50
- Dinner only $35

Send checks to WCRP, P.O. Box 203, Pullman, WA, 99163

Whitman County Republican Caucuses

Speaking of caucuses, the Whitman County Republican Party will be holding caucuses on Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008 at 1:00 PM to select delegates and alternates to the county convention and discuss issues pertinent to the Republican platforms for county, state, and national organizations.

Any registered voter of the precinct in which the caucus is being conducted who is willing to state by signing a Registration Form and List of Participants at Precinct Caucus form that he/she considers him/herself to be a Republican and has not participated and will not participate in the 2008 caucus or convention system of any other party is eligible to participate in the caucus.

In Pullman, except for precinct 122, Ray Lindquist and myself, along with the other Pullman Precinct Committee Officers will be holding a pooled caucus in the Franklin Elementary School Cafeteria at 850 SE Klemgard. Come join us for the most basic grassroots event of our nation’s political system.

Pullman precinct 122 will caucus at 345 N.W. Linda in Pullman.

Check your voter registration card or call the Whitman County Auditor’s Office at (509) 397-6270 to verify your precinct before caucus day.

For more information, log on to whitmancountyrepublicans.org

BREAKING NEWS: Schmick tabbed to replace Buri as 9th District representative

I'm glad the commissioners from the six counties in the 9th District voted to uphold the Republican Party's #1 choice. Plus, Joe deserved it. In the last two contested Republican primaries for State Representative, only two people have outpolled Joe: Rep. Steve Hailey and former Rep. David Buri. He was the logical choice.

Joe is a personal friend that I strongly supported in the race last year; a true conservative that will do a great job representing us over in Olympia. I'm very happy for him! Also, congratulations to Michael Echanove. He would have been an equally good choice. With what he brings to the table, I'm sure Michael will serve in higher office eventually.

From the Moscow-Pullman Daily News website:

Commissioners from Whitman, Garfield, Adams, Franklin, Asotin, and Spokane counties on Monday selected Colfax farmer Joe Schmick to fill out the remaining year of David Buri's term as Washington 9th District representative.

Buri resigned from the Legislature earlier this month to become director of government relations at Eastern Washington University. Buri was elected in 2004 and had one year left in his second two-year term.

Schmick, 50, was chosen from a pool of candidates that also included Palouse Mayor Michael Echanove and LaCrosse farmer and teacher Tedd Nealy.

Schmick has been farming in the area for nearly 30 years and operates a vending machine business, in addition to serving on the Washington Farm Bureau Board of Directors.

He unsuccessfully ran in 2006 for the 9th District's seat held by Rep. Steve Hailey.

"Republicans narrow down District 9 choices; Several county commissioners will pick replacement Nov. 26"

I had a chance to chat some yesterday with Dean Ferguson, the political reporter for the Lewiston Tribune. Nice guy, and pretty funny. His article in today's Tribune is a very accurate account of what happened.

COLFAX - Republicans from six eastern Washington counties spent a democratic Saturday morning choosing three finalists for the open 9th Legislative District seat.

Former Rep. David Buri, R-Colfax, made the rare gathering in downtown Colfax necessary when he resigned Nov. 1 to take a job at Eastern Washington University.

The 49 precinct captains chose three men: Palouse Mayor Michael Echanove, Colfax farmer Joe Schmick and LaCrosse farmer and teacher Tedd Nealy. County commissioners from Garfield, Adams, Franklin, Asotin, Whitman and Spokane counties will choose one Nov. 26.

Washington State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser oversaw what amounted to three elections. Next week he'll lead Legislative District 18 in the same process to replace Rep. Richard Curtis, R-La Center, who resigned Nov. 1 after a sex scandal.

The Colfax gathering was the culmination of two to three weeks of campaigning.

"Everybody sent e-mails, some personal calls and mailings," Asotin County Republican Party Chairwoman Alice White said.

In a district that sprawls across a huge chunk of eastern Washington, the candidates had their work cut out introducing themselves.

It mattered.

In White's case, she was glad Schmick and Nealy won, having known them from previous elections. But White didn't know much about Echanove and voted against him based on his speaking style, she said.

The meeting ran smoothly and partisan humor kept the mood light.

During one of several rounds of paper ballot voting, Esser asked White why it was taking so long to hand out ballots.

"I missed a whole row and I want them to vote twice," White quipped.

"Well, Alice, you're a Republican, not a Democrat," Esser jokingly replied.

Retired Rep. Don Cox, R-Colfax, took a few minutes to remind the crowd the day's long-range implications.

Washington's Democratic leaders are probably trying to recruit a top-tier candidate to exploit the weak position of a new legislator who cannot legally campaign or raise money 30 days before or 30 days after the legislative session that starts Jan. 14, Cox said.

"A potential opponent can be raising money and they can't," Cox warned.

If Democrats find a good candidate, they'll send money and activists to the district, he said. So, the Republicans need to embrace whoever wins.

"If they're not your three people, do get over it quickly because there's a lot worse people to have than anybody on this list," Cox said.

The three finalists have experience with area politics.

Echanove, 49, lost a bid for Buri's seat in 2004. As Palouse mayor since 2001, he touted his revitalized town and his work with statewide groups such as the Washington Association of Cities. He is a Washington State University systems programmer.

Echanove, who also owns a restaurant, said he knows it's tough for small businesses.

"I live and breathe economic development," Echanove said.

Nealy, a 60-year-old LaCrosse farmer, lost to Rep. Steve Hailey in 2006.

As chairman of the Whitman County Planning, Nealy said he knows how to handle government agencies. As a teacher, he understands challenges such as dealing with gang members and non-English speakers, and he said he can reach out to Democrats.

"I am able and willing to work with the majority," Nealy said.

Schmick, 50, who also lost to Hailey in 2006, railed against increased state spending and new taxes. As a farmer and owner of a vending machine business, he said he understands fiscal responsibility. Schmick said the state needs to protect property owners from eminent domain laws.

"The Kelo decision opened a whole new can of worms," Schmick said, referring to a 2005 U.S. Supreme Court decision that angered property rights advocates.

The three candidates who didn't make the final cut included WSU Veterinary School worker Darin Watkins, WSU Finance Director Jeff Phelps and Cheney Mayor Allan Gainer.