... Washington Senate contender, state Sen. Don Benton who is one of the myriad Republicans ostensibly running with the goal of replacing three-term incumbent and do-nothing Harry Reid Deputy, Patty Murray.

In a chit-chat with Politico's Dave Catanese, Benton apparently said this:

Benton warned that Rossi might find the 2010 campaign a less hospitable environment than he expects.

“Democrats have already attacked Dino. He doesn’t have any money in the bank, he doesn’t have any money raised. He doesn’t have the foundation. The talent pool is pretty much committed for this election cycle. It’s too late for him to become a viable candidate in this race,” Benton said, adding: "I think he would make an excellent governor and hope he decides to run for governor again.”

(emphasis mine)

Riiiiiiiiiight.

I don't get up in the morning and think about ways to be a snarky bitch to politicians back home, but here's the thing, Sen. Benton. If you haven't noticed, Patty Murray raised $1 million last quarter and has about $6 million on hand.

...

Via Pollster, here are the numbers from a new Rasmussen poll of Washington State voters:

500 likely voters, 4.5% margin of error
Mode: Automated phone

Washington

2010 Senate
48% Murray (D), 46% Rossi (R)
48% Murray (D), 40% Bention (R)
47% Murray (D), 37% Didier (R)
46% Murray (D), 37% Widener (R)
45% Murray (D), 37% Akers (R)

Favorable / Unfavorable
Dino Rossi: 52 / 44
Don Benton: 34 / 25
Patty Murray: 53 / 43
Clint Didier: 26 / 29
Chris Widener: 28 / 24
Paul Akers: 29 / 27

Job Approval / Disapproval
Pres. Obama: 54 / 43
Gov. Gregoire: 44 / 54

I have a couple of thoughts on this.

First, it's interesting to me that Murray can't break 50 percent in a single, hypothetical matchup with any of the Republicans named. While that means that those currently in the race (Akers, Benton, Didier and Widener, in alphabetical order) absolutely have work to do to catch her, she's more catchable than her campaign staff and the DSCC would like. See my post earlier for more about her overall vulnerability this cycle. It sure does suck to be a three-term incumbent and a member of Senate Majority leadership right now, doesn't it?...

Here's a non-political post for a Friday.

The other night, power went out along Seattle's Frat Row. And the Frat Boys, it turns out, not doing anything to, you know, perpetuate stereotypes about Frat Boys behaving like drunken yobbos or anything, decided to build and light a bonfire. Out of couches. The police showed up with riot gear on. The Fire Department had to put the bonfire out.

Some pics (credit to the UW Daily):

I wasn't involved in the Greek system at University. This is in part because I didn't attend University in this country. But even if I had, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been involved in these kinds of shenanigans. I'm sure the Frat Boys enjoyed themselves, but this is the kind of dumb stuff that I can attest actual homeowners and non-student residents of the general U District loathe about their neighbors. I'm a libertarian, and am all for self-expression. But I hope the guys who started this are made to compensate the police and the Fire Department for the time they wasted dealing with their, um, creation, instead of actually, you know, doing what they're paid to do (which is not clean up after boozy, overgrown teenagers).

In their honor, and since it's a Friday and I don't write about Supreme Court nominations and the like, here's a song that a lot of Seattle residents find equally annoying to stereotypical Frat Boy antics: