A week ago, Gov. Chris Gregoire‘s aides were preparing for across-the-board cuts if Congress didn’t come through with $480 million in state budget aid that is looking less and less likely. On Thursday, she told KOMO Radio she would consider a special session of the Legislature.

What changed? Nothing except details continuing to emerge about the effects of the “blunt instrument” of across-the-board, 3-5 percent cuts, said Gregoire’s budget director, Marty Brown.

She plans to talk soon to the leaders of the Legislature’s four partisan caucuses, Brown said, starting with calls to House Speaker Frank Chopp and Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown early next week.

But many Democrats in the Legislature aren’t thrilled with the idea of returning to the capital. The potential difficulty of reaching agreement on cuts is one reason, but there are also political factors.

Lawmakers might have to take tough votes to cut popular programs just before an election, and then there’s the legal freeze on campaign fundraising by lawmakers while they’re in Olympia.

Even if session lasts a couple of days, it would be a couple of days away from the campaign trail. And if it goes longer than expected, as the one earlier this year did, incumbents will be bottled up under the Capitol dome while their challengers raise money freely. It would put Democrats, who are playing defense in most competitive races, at a disadvantage.