Washington has a plethora of industry, but there are two names that pretty much come to people's minds when they think of the state:  Boeing and Microsoft.  I have worked for both, and while I have mentioned my high tech industry experiences, I don't talk about Boeing much.

I hired on to the 777 plant in Everett in 1996, about a year and a half after I left the Air Force.

Prior to my hiring on, in 1995, I began to pay attention to Boeing.  It was just prior to Christmas in 1995.  I heard the stories and saw the TV reports.  Christmas shopping at the Auburn Super Mall we drove past the picket lines.

I noticed something.  Boeing had offered them a new contract at around 45 days and they were voting on it.  A person labeled as a Union Officer came on TV expressing his optimism.  The membership flatly rejected it.  Shortly afterward, the same guy spoke on TV about how he had been pretty sure the Members would reject it.

Yes, I admit, it is a stunt.  But it is a brilliant one.  Here is the situation:

Last week the House adjourned for the 5 week summer break.  Republicans were trying to force a vote on the oil drilling issue and on energy in general.  The Democrats, lead by Speaker Pelosi would have none of it, and they voted to adjourn anyway.

So the Republicans didn't.  They refused to leave and ended up essentially performing a sit in protest.

Pelosi not to be deterred, ordered the lights turned out, and when that didn't deter them, she ordered the capital police to clear the House.

As Hot Air noted:

A transparent stunt but an awfully shrewd one. The cameras are off so we’re forced to rely on Politico for running updates. What a scene:

The House Republicans are still on the floor, refusing to take a 5 week vacation, as decreed by the Commissar of the House, Comrade Nancy Pelosi.

Various links here, here, here, and a twitter feed from Rep Hoekstra.

I called Rep. Dave Reicherts office.  They would not confirm nor deny his if he is in DC, Home, or travelling, but DID say that HE WAS NOT on the House floor.

Why not, Dave?

So far I have seen two ads promoting incumbent governor Chris Gregoire, and both had the same theme:  George Bush.

In both ads a comparison was made to how Gregoire was nothing like George Bush.

I have one question:  Did I miss something, or is Bush running for Governor of Washington?

Seriously, the ads are frankly no better than the Better Then Bush sentiments in the 2004 presidential elections.

One of the ads does carry it further and that provides the connection:  they are trying to pain challenger Dino Rossi as "another George Bush" thereby scaring us into not voting for him.

Dino's ad, by comparison targets the Washington's government at it;s weakest areas, traffic, taxes, small businesses and education.

David Postman of the Seattle Times caught the comparison and the flaws:

Gregoire ad is off-base on Rossi v. Roe v. Wade