The little monsters came out of nowhere, left their trail of destruction and disappeared while I was lost in unwary sleep. And, when I awoke, I realized I had become part of a big news story...

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...but the debate goes on...

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Direct democracy is again in full bloom in the 2010 election season. Washington voters are being asked to weed out the bad ideas from the good among several statewide initiatives and a county tax plan.

To help the debate along, the seattlepi.com editorial board will be giving thumbs up or down on these measures next week. To deepen the discussion, we would like you to join in as well, by becoming a contributor to our Readers' Panel.

The process is simple. Just write a succinct endorsement for or against any of the issues. Then go to www.seattlepi.com/readerpanel. If you don't already have a seattlepi.com account, you'll need to register first here. If you have a seattlepi.com account, simply sign in and post your editorial. We'll publish as many reader endorsements as we can with an eye to presenting a wide spectrum of the most well-reasoned opinions.

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What's haunting Obama?...

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And there's more...

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My wife is a passionate liberal Democrat and it's not too hard to guess on which side she'll come down on the great issues of our time. That's why I was surprised to discover she's opposed to the idea of building a mosque near Ground Zero in New York City.

Actually her reaction to the idea is not unlike the initial reaction I had when the issue first arose. The destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001, seared a terrible memory into our minds and hearts and the idea of a multi-story building devoted to Islam rising up just two blocks from the site of that horror seemed wrong. Because I had that reaction and because my sweet and smart wife continues to feel that way, I can appreciate the strong feelings of other Americans who are upset by the idea.

But feelings need to be trumped by reason, especially since the usual gaggle of fear-mongers on the right have turned concern about the project into a nativist, paranoid screaming match that betrays American values and could undermine American interests in the world if it continues.

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Let's hear it, boys...

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Is he serious?...

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Two years ago, during my annual trek through the Republican bastion of Central Washington, I saw a bumper crop of campaign signs touting Dino Rossi for governor. Signs promoting Democrat Chris Gregoire were rare as orchids.

This year, with Rossi running for the U.S. Senate, I didn't see even a single sign bearing his name. Instead, Clint Didier's name was everywhere. The favored candidate of Sarah Palin and Tea Party enthusiasts, Didier is not supposed to stand a chance against Rossi in the state's August 17th primary. But you wouldn't guess that on a drive down the roads between Omak and the Tri-Cities. All those signs make it look like Didier country all the way.

Of course, as an Eltopia farmer, Didier is already far more at home on the east side of the state than Rossi, the Issaquah real estate broker. Didier works the land, he doesn't sell it. And, unlike Rossi, Didier doesn't dilute his conservatism with qualifiers to make moderates feel more comfortable. Didier is unflinching in his beliefs, even when they bear little relationship to reality.

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