Inside the editorial page

What's on the minds of TNT editorial writers

Wednesday, May 7th, 2008

Posted by David Seago @ 04:18:37 pm

Want to party with Mike Lonergan? Here's your chance.

Running for Pierce County executive as the standard bearer of the "Executive Excellence Party," the current Tacoma City Council member will hold his nominating convention at 10 a.m. Saturday at Oscar's Restaurant, 8820 S. Hosmer St., Tacoma.

Breakfast with Lonergan and friends starts at 9 a.m. He didn't say whether it's free.

His announcement also says it's a "photo opportunity." That was probably a hint for us media types, but he surely wouldn't mind if the party faithful or even the merely curious want to take a few snaps.

Lonergan decided to run as a minor-party candidate after his bid to run as a Republican was rejected by the county GOP. He says:

Now we'll find out whether or not it's going to be politics as ususal in 2008. I predict voters from both parties will get behind an executive with actual leadership experience, so we can take Pierce County government to a higher level.

If Dems have the donkey and the Republicans have the elephant, what should be the symbol of the Executive Excellence Party? A Blackberry? An expensive fountain pen? That's a hard one . . . Mike, do you have the answer?

Categories: Taking notice • 3 comments

Mike Peters cartoon: Hillary's limping

Posted by Cheryl Tucker @ 01:07:41 pm

Categories: Editorial cartoons

Thursday editorials: Bow out, Hillary

Posted by David Seago @ 11:08:48 am

The outcome of Tuesday’s Democratic primaries in North Carolina and Indiana was what the Democratic Party needed: A clear signal that Hillary Clinton has no good reason to prolong the debilitating battle with Obama. A graceful concession would enhance her stature and leave her well-positioned for the future.

The state Public Disclosure Commission has shamefully ignored blatant election fraud by gambling interests in Tacoma’s vote on casinos.

About our editorials:
If you have comments or questions about these topics, please email them to david.seago@thenewstribune.com. Editorials represent the consensus view of The News Tribune's editorial board.
Want to sit in on a daily ed board meeting? Email cheryl.tucker@thenewstribune.com to make an appointment.

Categories: What's coming

Murray fires new round in tanker fight

Posted by David Seago @ 09:13:24 am

Washington's U.S. Sen. Patty Murray took to the Senate floor again today to argue that Boeing's proposed version of aerial refueling tanker is the one the Air Force should have chosen.

This time Murray focused on the Boeing model's superior "survivability" – its ability to perform and protect its crew in combat situations. And she effectively cited the view of a former Air Force chief of staff who said he was surprised the Air Force didn't pick the Boeing plane for that reason.

Murray said:

Mr. President, let me take a moment now to explain what I’m talking about when I say that Boeing’s plane was more survivable. Survivability refers to the ability to keep the warfighter safe. According to Ronald Fogleman, a former Air Force chief of staff and retired general, the more survivable tanker would have the systems to identify and defeat threats, avoid threats, and protect the crew in the event of an attack.

General Fogleman said he was surprised that the Air Force selected Airbus’s tanker, even though it ranked lower in all of these areas. He said, “When I saw the Air Force’s assessment of both candidate aircraft in the survivability area, I was struck by the fact that they clearly saw the KC-767 as the more survivable tanker.”

And he added that he believes the KC-767 is better for the warfighter – and for the military. This is how he put it. He said: “The KC-767 has a superior survivability rating and will have greater operational utility to the joint commander – and provide better protection to air crews that must face real-world threats.”

Listen to Murray's speech here.

Categories: Taking notice

Inside the editorial page

Inside the editorial page

This blog is designed to give readers a glimpse of our editorial-page operation and how we make our decisions. We’ll let you know who we’re meeting with, what they’re telling us, what events and issues we’re looking at. We’ll also pass on information and observations that may not make our print editions. In addition to the editorial board members who post on this blog, the board includes Publisher Cheryl Dell and Executive Editor David Zeeck.

Contributing bloggers

Editorial page editor David Seago joined The News Tribune in 1967. He oversees the daily editorial and letters pages and the Sunday Insight section. E-mail him at david.seago@thenewstribune.com.

Chief editorial writer Patrick O’Callahan came to The News Tribune in 1987 and has worked at Washington newspapers since 1979. He writes the editorial board’s annual civic agenda published at the beginning of each year. E-mail him at patrick.ocallahan@thenewstribune.com

Editorial writer Cheryl Tucker began her journalism career in 1974 at a Virginia newspaper and came to The News Tribune in 1978. She is responsible for day-to-day production of the editorial and op-ed pages and editing letters to the editor. E-mail her at cheryl.tucker@thenewstribune.com.

Editorial writer Kim Bradford joined The News Tribune in 2005 after working 11 years at newspapers in Washington and Maryland. She manages this blog. E-mail her at kim.bradford@thenewstribune.com.