A poll of Alaskans suggests that people in the Last Frontier may be souring on Sarah Palin.

The survey of 505 adults showed that 57 percent prefer Lisa Murkowski in the 2010 Republican Senate primary. Only 33 percent would vote for Palin, John McCain's vice presidential running mate.

The margin of error is 4.4 percent.

P-I reporter Kathy Mulady has a piece in Thursday's paper examining the curious case of the Seattle mayor's race. There isn't one. That's especially odd considering that incumbent Greg Nickels is as politically vulnerable as he's ever been, following the great snowstorm of '08.

No one is confirming they are in - and time is running out.

"By March 15 it is all over," said Cathy Allen, a Seattle political strategist. "Right now there appears to be no candidates. If none materializes by March 15, it could be one boring mayor's race.

"You have to get moving, you have to be out there. With the August primary, you have to raise money and you have to raise visibility."

Allen said taking on Nickels might seem daunting.

"It is true that he has a great campaign organization, and it is perceived to be even greater than it is," Allen said.

Nickels has $242,500 in contributions already for the 2009 mayor race, according the Seattle Election office records. Four years ago, Nickels had raised $537,000 by the end of the campaign.

Over the last three years, Washington has seen several of its top political reporters leave for greener pastures. We felt the consequences this week as a totally unsupported rumor took off and flew from coast to coast.

The departures have included Ken Vogel of The News Tribune (to Politico), Robert Mak of KING-5 News (to the mayor's office), David Ammons of The Associated Press (to the secretary of state's office) and David Postman of The Seattle Times (to Vulcan).

Cut to Monday afternoon.

Gov. Gregoire canceled an appearance at a Tuesday briefing on the upcoming legislative session. The governor's office would not give her whereabouts, only that she was out of state.

What happened? A rumor took hold that the newly re-elected governor was about to be named Secretary of Commerce.

"Gregoire as Commerce Secretary?" headlined a Slog posting in The Stranger. There followed a brief, totally noncommital exchange between reporter Eli Sanders and a gubernatorial spokeswoman.

"Like everyone, I await Tuesday's announcement," Sanders wrote. "But I will say - and again this is just tea leaves - that Lockard didn't sound like a staffer who was mourning some sort of personal tragedy in her boss' life."

Huh?

But Crosscut, the Northwest news Web site, promptly headlined the speculation. Perhaps the site's pundits were so long-at-the-tooth that they knew no Washington, D.C., source who could send up or knock down the story. Hubert Humphrey, alas, has departed this life.

"Christine Gregoire: Commerce Secretary? Washington Governor's D.C. Trip Fuels Speculation," came a posting in HuffingtonPost. It spoke of "conflicting reports." What report ever spoke of Gregoire getting appointed? None, really.

The usually reliable - although highly opinionated - dailykos.com Web site embarrassed itself the most.

"My money is on Cristine Gregoire, the excellent governor of our fine state of Washington," wrote "MooreJ," a kos correspondent.

Not to be outdone, democraticunderground.com led with: "Speculation that Washington Governor Gregoire to be Named Commerce Secretary."

Even the voice of the right was heard: "Gregoire Going Cabinet?" asked Sound Politics.

The Stranger even started a second rumor. With a moment off from her usual role as political correctness enforcer, news editor Erica Barnett speculated that Gregoire might announce money for the viaduct.

Curiously, Fox News - an outfit with a history of much-lampooned speculation - got hold of a real-life transition team source, who took the air out of the Gregoire-Commerce rumor. A grudging thank-you to Roger Ailes.

Could the governor's hearty laugh be heard from Baghdad?

After two bronze medal primary election finishes, businessman and civic activist Robert Rosencrantz said Tuesday he is mounting a third campaign to win election to the Seattle City Council.

Rosencrantz ran in 2003 and 2005, narrowly missing the '03 general election in his race against then-Councilwoman Judy Nicastro.

Rosencrantz brings to the election a knowledge of city history, and experience in the housing field.

He grew up in Madrona, and remembers one of the wisest decisions ever made by Seattle city government: Mayor Wes Uhlman vetoed a bid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms for an armed raid into the Seattle Black Panthers headquarters at 34th and Union.

Rosencrantz served as acquisitions manager for the King County Housing Authority, and on the board of the Rental Housing Association of Puget Sound. He is a former president of the Montlake Community Club.

He has not yet decided which seat to contest on the council. City hall insiders predict between one and three retirements by incumbents.

As longtime news director at KVOS-TV in Bellingham, and senior aide to two congressmen, R.H. "Andy" Anderson probably forgot more about the U.S.-Canada border
than present-day politicians and Homeland Security brass will ever learn.

Anderson, 77, died in Bellingham on Sunday, Jan. 4.

The former newsman had remained politically active in retirement, serving as a director of KZAZ Public Radio, and as program director of the Bellingham City Club.

Anderson worked for much of his career at a TV station based in the United States whose viewers were mainly Canadian. Along with future congressman Al Swift, he produced KVOS' Emmy-winning local public affairs programs and later co-anchored a nightly newscast. He received more than two-dozen journalism awards.

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Tuesday at The Associated Press Legislative forum in Olympia, I asked Gov. Chris Gregoire's legislative liaison Marty Brown about how the viaduct selection was coming along - and why the number of options seem to be increasing as the decision nears.

Last month a panel narrowed the options to two, but now a deep bore tunnel is back in play and House Speaker Frank Chopp's highway/park/shopping center is still in by default because the Legislature will also have a hand in the process to determine how to replace the vital north-south arterial through Seattle.

Brown said:

"I know that the governor and executive Sims and Mayor Nickels have another meeting later in the week...They have committed making sure that they got something to the Legislature early in the session and hope they can make that work. It is not any less contentious today than it was a year ago or a year before that. There are lots and lots of folks weighing in from all aspects. The more public information that is out there generates more interest and more opinions and we certainly haven't seen any of that narrow. We are getting lots and lots of calls, lots of letters."

A little background here:

Two years ago, Gregoire was narrowing down the options for rebuilding the Alaskan Way Viaduct. She decided rebuilding an elevated highway was the best option. But Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels really wanted a tunnel and made all kinds of threats to refuse permits and basically do everything in his power to block the state's plan.

Speaker of the House Frank Chopp also dug in his heels and said sorry, no more money, the tunnel was a non-starter.

Everyone refused to budge.

Then a Seattle voters weighed in and said they hated both ideas.

I vividly remember the press conference following the vote. In defeat, Gregoire, Nickels and Ron Sims (who wanted a surface option that did not appear on the Seattle ballot) agreed to try to work together again after months of trying to claw each other's eyes out.

But that was two years ago - plenty of time to reconcile and agree on a new plan right?

Apparently not.

After winning three closely contested elections, U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash., has received one of Congress' most sought-after postings: He has been named to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Reichert

The appointment means that Washington has three members, representing both political parties, on Congress' tax-writing panels.

Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., is a subcommittee chairman on Ways and Means. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., sits on the Senate Finance Committee.

Reichert reacted to his appointment by stressing traditional Republican themes plus an issue usually identified with Democrats -- health care.

"Representing one of the most trade-dependent states in the nation, this assignment will enable me to continue my tireless advocacy for enacting free trade agreements, keeping taxes low for families, businesses and individuals, and ensuring access to affordable, high quality health care," Reichert said.

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Seattle City Council President Richard Conlin said Wednesday he will seek re-election.

"Seattle works best when we work together. I have the experience, the commitment, and the knowledge to do the job. My task is to work with all of Seattle's communities to create and implement a positive vision for our future", Conlin said in a statement.

Some political observers thought Conlin, first elected to the City Council in 1997, might run against Mayor Greg Nickels. So far no serious candidate has emerged to challenge Nickels.

From the Port of Seattle's Web site:

The Special Session of the Highline Forum
When: Thursday, January 8, 2 to 3 p.m.
Where: Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 's Conference Center (directions)

The December 18th Highline Forum, postponed because of the weather, has been rescheduled for Thursday, January 8th. Members of the Highline Forum will meet at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport 's Conference Center from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. to discuss aircraft noise connected to the new third runway. The public is invited to observe.

From 3:00 to 4:00 p.m., the Port will administer a public comment period. Members of the public will be invited to provide remarks.

Contact Marco Milanese at the Port of Seattle for further information – milanese.m@portseattle.org.

Read the P-I's in-depth reporting on the third runway here and here.

The Port of Seattle Commission decided their 2009 hierarchy with a 4-1 vote on Tuesday that established Commissioner Bill Bryant at the top as Chair and President, Commissioner Gael Tarleton as Vice Chair, Commissioner Lloyd Hara as Secretary and Commissioner Pat Davis as Assistant Secretary.

Bryant took the commission's helm from Commissioner John Creighton, who guided the board during two turbulent years and a CEO transition while raising the port's environmental standards. While the port's trade volumes have fallen with the recession, the port is increasing its capacity to handle more container ships at Terminal 30 and revamping its cruise ship infrastructure at Terminal 91.

Since 2007, the commission grappled with a state audit that called the port's contracting vulnerable to fraud, waste and abuse and set off a federal criminal investigation – as well as a port-led inquiry that found ten instances of civil fraud.

In response to the state audit, the commission enacted a series of reforms to insert more transparency in their oversight of port operations and to create more opportunities to rein in projects whose budgets are spiraling out of control.

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St. James Cathedral has invited Christians of all denominations to a Friday evening service of prayer for peace in Gaza. The prayer service is slated for 6:30 p.m., this Friday, January 9th.

"In light of the devastating violence in Gaza which is taking an alarming number of civilian lives, it seems important that the Christian community come together to pray earnestly for the cessation of hostilities," said Fr. Michael Ryan, pastor of the Catholic cathedral.

The prayer service will include songs from the ecumenical community of Taize in France, as well as scripture readings, prayers and lighting of candles.

The service follows a Seattle tradition.

Before both wars in the Persian Gulf, in 1991 and again in 2003, the nation's largest peace marches wound their way south from St. Mark's Cathedral on Capitol Hill, a major center of Episcopal worship, to St. James at 9th and Marion on First Hill.

Israel has applied "a lot of force" against Hamas positions in the Gaza Strip, but the air-ground military operation will "not last long," Avika Tor, Israel's consul-general in San Francisco, said Tuesday on a Seattle visit.

In a meeting with P-I editors, Tor insisted that Israel has been "very very surgical" in its effort to stop rocket attacks on settlements and cities in the southern part of the Jewish state. Its armed forces have not tried to occupy densely populated Gaza City.

"The consensus is that Israel will only fight wars of necessity: This is an operation of necessity," he argued.

The Israeli ground incursion - which has cut the 140-square-mile Gaza in half - drew a protest by more than 500 people in Seattle over the weekend.

The city has been a longtime public opinion battleground on Middle East issues. Some Protestant churches, liberal activists and even some Jewish peace activists have long criticized Israel for its occupation and settlements in the predominantly Palestinian West Bank and Gaza.

Two years ago, however, Israel did give up 21 settlements in Gaza and force 9,000 Jewish settlers to move out of the coastal strip.

The gesture "didn't work", Tor acknowledged on Tuesday, and the militant Hamas won Palestinian legislative elections a year later. When 100 rockets rained down on Israel in late fall, "we had to do something about it," Tor said.

The Israeli consul was candid about risks of the operation.

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OLYMPIA - Clay Bennett may be one of the big winners during this year's legislative session.

Bennett, owner of the former Seattle Sonics-turned Oklahoma City Thunder, must pay the City of Seattle $30 million in 2013 if the city still doesn't have an NBA team by then. But there's a big caveat. If the Legislature doesn't approve a funding source for an overhaul of KeyArena this year, Bennett gets to keep his money.

Listening to Gov. Chris Gregoire's legislative liaison speak Tuesday, it doesn't sound like finding $75 million to chip into a $300 million arena renovation is a priority.

"Lots and lots of people are in line for the various funding," Marty Brown said during a legislative preview session held by The Associated Press.

Last year Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels wanted the Legislature to approve a bill that would allow King County to reallocate restaurant and car-rental tax streams originally designated for Safeco Field. With Safeco's bonds being paid off early, the idea was to divert the county's restaurant tax from 2012-2014 and car-rental tax from 2012-2016 to KeyArena instead.

Lawmakers rejected that idea and instead formed a task force to examine how to best spend that money. Brown said in addition to KeyArena interests, groups representing the arts and housing issues are among those who would like access to the tax stream.

Would the fact that Seattle would forfeit Bennet's $30 million if no money is made available for KeyArena influence things? Basically, Brown said no.

"I don't know if that (money) .... is a factor," he said.

Seattle officials realize that tapping the restaurant and car-rental taxes will be a tough sell. They are also pushing an idea that would raise $75 million with a 1-percent Seattle hotel tax currently collected to pay debt on the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. However that plan is no slam dunk, either.

Bennett just may get to keep his millions. But he's still stuck with the Thunder, the NBA's worst team.

As the Public Disclosure Commission collects final figures on the 2008 election, the cost of Washington's gubernatorial election has soared to a mind-boggling $41 million, when the candidates' spending and "independent" hits are totaled.

Gov. Chris Gregoire spent $13.356 million, while a Democrats' front group called Evergreen Progress spent more than $6.1 million largely to denounce Republican Dino Rossi. Gregoire was also supported by such groups as NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.

Rossi, the two-time Republican gubernatorial nominee, reported spending $11,604,370. However, the "independent" anti-Gregoire spending , by groups ranging from the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) and realtors' political committees, came out at $11,035,853.

The gubernatorial battle of the airwaves lasted from June until November, and featured images ranging from burning piles of money to a soiled diaper.

After defeating Rossi by a tiny 133-vote plurality in 2004, Gregoire was reelected by a 194,000-vote margin last November.

Seven-figure spending was also evident in other statewide races.

State Land Commissioner-elect Peter Goldmark, a Democrat, spent $1.059 million to become top manager of 5.6 million acres of state-owned land. He appeared to outstrip two-term Republican incumbent Doug Sutherland, whose direct spending totaled only $602,151.

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At the first briefing on the snowstorm that slowed the city for two weeks in December, the Seattle City Council questioned how engaged key leaders were during the crisis.

Councilman Tom Rasmussen questioned Mayor Greg Nickels's lack of visibility and wondered whether department heads were in their offices during the storm that halted garbage service and delayed buses.

"When there is an emergency …. leadership matters," said Rasmussen. "It's not clear how engaged the mayor was early on.
"I would say all of our city directors would have to be inovlved, it was one of the biggest storms in decades. Leaderhip requires everyone to be visible and active," said Rasmussen.

The snow hit hardest in the days before Christmas.

Seattle Department of Transportation Director Grace Crunican was in the office daily, except for was gone for two days to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas in Portland, Ore., with her family.

"I don't drive a snowplow, I was in constant contact by phone," Crunican said in an interview after the council briefing.

- Kathy Mulady