Tuesday The President and Seattle

There is just something about Air Force One that gets the blood pumping when you see it. I always like seeing the scenes on The West Wing that involved the airplane. Maybe that is why I like living here and having the south view to see all the planes coming and going from both Boeing and Sea-Tac. I know Markie's sure likes planes. Part of it has to be that the President always walks up and down those steps and it is an amazing show of presence to be sure. OK, so let's not remember President Ford too much, but hey accidents can happen.

Today President Obama arrives and will be heading to Pioneer Square to a bakery for a round table chat and then on to the Westin Hotel for a fundraiser for Patty Murphy who is running for re-election. Then back to Boeing field and off he goes as he continues his whirlwind 5 day trip to visit and help raise funds for candidates. It is all part of the process that has been accepted for years by both parties. Yet this year it has suddenly become a "burden on the taxpayer" for this to happen. Please share with me a President of memory who has not done this very thing. To try and make the current seat holder suddenly wrong is pretty sad, but folks are doing their best. It is getting tired and old all too quickly. Rather, I look at how this man has come into office and has been working hard for 18 months to try and fix some of the problems that his predecessors could not do and he has been successful. For that I am quite proud of late.

There is just something about seeing him walk off the plane that makes me happy to be an American. And heck, I like that feeling from time to time. So while traffic will be a nightmare this afternoon, it is just for a day and in fact a few hours. Then he'll be gone and we will talk about for a couple of days. I have to tell you that the impact he will cause in this city does not even come close to what happens in New York City when the President visits it. It is GRIDLOCK! Nasty! But here, in Seattle, I-5 will have a rolling close and traffic might get held up a half hour or so and then all's good. We have room to move. And the temps are going to be in the mid-80's, a perfect summer day for a visit by the President of the United States.