Gov. Chris Gregoire repeated her statements about a potential federal appointment Tuesday – essentially that she has work to do in Washington state and isn’t looking for another job.

But she hesitated when asked if she could tell the president no if he called on her to serve as U.S. Solicitor General.

“It’s one thing to say I have a job. But you don’t look the president in the eye when he asks you to serve and say no,” she said. “I don’t know what I’d do.”

“The state needs consistent, stable leadership,” Gregoire said during a conversation in her …

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Lt. Gov. Brad Owen will meet with the king and queen of Spain during a trip to their country next week.

His office is emphasizing that Owen is traveling at no cost to taxpayers – or at least Washington taxpayers. The Spanish government is footing the bill.

Owen is making the trip as head of Washington’s delegation to a ceremony at the University of Washington’s study center in León.

He traveled there last year for a similar ceremony, to “formally open” the 9,000-square-foot center housed in a 14th-century palace, according to a news release. The May 4 event is to …

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What happened today, had it been successful, is one reason one can never pronounce a bill dead. Many of them have a tendency toward resurrection.

Such was almost the case for a bill sponsored by Sen. Ken Jacobsen, D-Seattle, chairman of the Senate Natural Resources, Large Bodies of Water and Having Fun in the Great Outdoors Committee. Jake’s original bill to gut the state Fish and Wildlife Commission passed the Senate but “died” over in a House committee.

But today, Sen. Jacobsen tried to amend another Fish and Wildlife bill, House Bill 1778, to include his proposal to

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Lt. Gov. Brad Owen, (D-Lincoln High School), is sporting a new beard (with lots a salt and not much pepper) and it’s such a change from the usually clean-shaven Owen that it knocks the good senators off their stride.

Just about everyone who stood to speak on the floor of the Senate today remarked on it. And they kept telling Owen how good it looked.

Sen. Jim Hargrove did.

Sen. Mike Hewitt did.

Finally, Sen. Karen Fraser stood up to speak.

“You want to tell me how

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I’m catching up with my e-mails. I got this one last Thursday, but I got real busy covering the Sound Transit board. Thursday is when the board decided to put a $17.9 billion measure on the ballot.

Also, there’s not much new news in this news release. But you can visit Marcia McCraw‘s Web site to see her picture and bio, etc.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: info@marciamccraw4ltgov.com
July 24, 2008

Marcia McCraw Running for Lt. Governor to Renew Washington

Marcia McCraw from the Ballard neighborhood in Seattle, Washington is running for Lt. Governor with a promise to Renew Washington.

"Have you noticed that the answer to every challenge in Olympia is to create a new and expensive program?" says McCraw. "In addition to the duties of Lt. Governor which include presiding over the Senate and stepping in when the Governor is out of state or in an emergency, I want to promote what’s best for Washington by initiating Renew Washington."

Marcia McCraw is an attorney licensed to practice in four states, was appointed by the President of the U.S. to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, speaks fluent Mandarin Chinese and has served in many community service groups.

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I guess those Spanish lessons finally have paid off for Lt. Gov. Brad Owen. (And those trips to Spain.)

He is going to be knighted soon, along with longtime aide Antonio Sanchez. Not bad for a guy from Tacoma’s East Side and, I think, Lincoln High School.

What next? Maybe one of those Spanish-built Talgo trains that make the Amtrak run between Seattle and Portland will be named after him.

That’s right. After April 2 you’ll be able to refer to Lt. Gov. Brad Owen as “Don” Brad Owen. In a reciprocal move, Gov. Chris Gregoire

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After 10 years in the Legislature, Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, D-Normandy Park, will retire.

What I will remember of her: How fun it is to say her name.

From the press release:

"Whenever you see a Washington license plate with the colorful children’s handprints, you are seeing a Shay Schual-Berke idea for raising funds to combat child abuse in our state," said Rep. Ruth Kagi, D-Lake Forest Park, who chairs the House Committee on Early Learning and Children’s Services.

Schual-Berke earned a reputation for being a tireless advocate for her local district’s interests, including state funding for local parks, Highline Community College and noise-abatement efforts to help children in schools near the airport.

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