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Posts published in “Day: December 21, 2006”

Face of things to come

December 21, 2006

In his Bremerton Beat blog, Steven Gardner equably suggests: Look and decide for yourself.

The context: Democratic state Representative William "Ike" Eickmeyer was challenged this year by Republican Randy Neatherlin. Eickmeyer wound up winning in the Kitsap-Mason County based district with 60.9%. Near the end of the campaign, Washington State Democrats mailed a flyer with a picture of Neatherlin that looked a lot like the Republican's official portrait photo. But not exactly alike.

Watch Gardner's video and gauge your reaction.

Our reaction: The brows were shifted down, giving Neatherlin an almost demonic look.

The upcoming photoshopping of candidates? Don't be surprised.

And look for something else we've not seen before: Analysis by way of YouTube, which Gardner did here quite effectively.

(And a hat tip here to the pointer, from David Postman's Seattle Times blog. Which pre-empted the logical headline: "Low brow campaigning in Kitsap County?")

You’ve got a gun; are you armed?

December 21, 2006

Just because it sounds simple - like common sense - doesn't mean it stands clear as law. Lawmakers in the three Northwest states (elsewhere too, for that matter) would well spend a day, as they prepare for their January sessions fast approaching, reviewing recent Supreme Court cases in their states, to consider how the law gets interpreted, or must sometimes be expanded upon to make sense.

It would be a humbling experience.

Here's one good example from the just-released Washington v. Sheldon Dwight Easterlin, that efficiently lays out a case involving a conviction on a drug conviction "enhanced" because the arrestee was armed. But it was not a simple equation: When, exactly, did he become armed?

Here's the Court on the question:

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