If it looks like a campaign flyer and arrives when your mailbox is filling up with campaign flyers, is it a campaign flyer?

Take a look at the postcard below and decide for yourself.

It’s one of three large postcards recently mailed to some Pierce County residents. County Councilmen Shawn Bunney and Terry Lee mailed two of the postcards. Bunney and Councilman Dick Muri sent another.

The councilmen tapped their district mailing budgets to pay for the postcards. The total cost to taxpayers for the three mailings: about $18,000.

All three Republican councilmen are running for public office this year – Bunney for county executive, Lee for assessor-treasurer and Muri for re-election to his council seat.

State law prohibits the use of public resources – including postage – to assist a campaign or candidate. The law does not prohibit activities that are part of the normal and regular conduct of a public agency.

Some government agencies have rules that spell out in some detail what kind of constituent communication is allowed in an election year. The state House of Representatives, for example, limits members to two newsletters, with the last mailed no later than 60 days after the end of a regular legislative session. The House even removes press releases and other material from representatives’ web sites from June 30 until after the November election.

The County Council’s rules prohibit bulk mailings after July 31 in an election year when a council member is seeking office. Lee said the postcards were sent just before the July 31 deadline.

The deadline dates to a time when candidates for county offices appeared on the primary ballot. This year – thanks to Pierce County’s new ranked-choice voting system – the three councilmen featured in the postcards won’t appear on the ballot until the November general election.

Lee and Muri said the postcards were not intended to promote the council members’ candidacies. Instead, they said the postcards seek public input on important county issues.

“I think they’re very similar to a typical newsletter we would send out,” Lee said.

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With the eyes of America firmly glued to the Olympics, Washington's gubernatorial candidates are busy trying to remind voters that there's a primary election next week.

Gov. Chris Gregoire is planning to spend the final few days before Tuesday's election right here in Pierce County.

On Saturday, Gregoire plans to visit the Pierce County Democratic Campaign office.

On Sunday, she and First Mike are scheduled to drop by the 25th Legislative District's office in Puyallup before heading over to the Puyallup Farmer's Market.

And on Monday, Gregoire is expected to show up at a Tacoma General Hospital construction site to symbolize her support for the building trades.

Dino Rossi, meanwhile, is spending the next few days east of the Cascades in presumably friendly territory. Rossi is in Chelan/Wenatchee today, the Tri-Cities on Saturday and Spokane on Monday, according to spokeswoman Jill Strait.

But that doesn't mean his supporters are writing off Pierce County, which he won by 4 percentage points in 2004. On the contrary, Don Anderson, Pierce County Chairman of Dino Rossi for Governor 2008, said in an e-mail to supporters yesterday that, "If Dino wins big in Pierce County, he wins - period!"

"But Christine Gregoire is coming to Pierce County almost every day!" Anderson writes.

Click on to read the full e-mail.

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On Aug. 7, we reported that Republicans were recruiting University Place resident Denise McCluskey to run as a write-in against state Rep. Tami Green, a Lakewood Democrat who's unopposed on the ballot.

On Monday, McCluskey filed her write-in candidacy for the 28th District seat with the Pierce County auditor's office. Since her name isn't on the ballot, she needs 1 percent of the vote in that race to advance and get her name on the Nov. 4 ballot. She figures 300 write-in votes would do it.

Since she's "official" in the eyes of the county, I've left a message with McCluskey inviting her to fill out the questionnaire for our voter guide.

Auditor Pat McCarthy says there are no other write-in candidates in Pierce County.

Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign offered a special chance to those who were helping pay off her debt. If they gave as little as $5 they would be entered into a drawing to be the New York senator's special guest at the Democratic National Convention in Denver.

According to this solicitation for more funds, "Leslie of Tacoma, WA" is one of the winners. The letter offers new contributors the same chance.

"If you're the lucky winner, we'll fly you to Denver, where you'll be my special guest at the convention. And I'll make sure that you and I have some time together to chat. You'll get to see me speak Tuesday night and see Senator Obama accept the nomination at Mile High Stadium on Thursday," the fund-raising e-mail says.

"So let's have some fun in Denver – try your luck and contribute today. You might be the one joining me for the 2008 Democratic Convention!"

So Leslie is going to Denver. But who is Leslie?