It was 2006 when an underrated superstar named Brandon Roy, a graduate of Garfield High School in Seattle, led his basketball team into a Sweet 16 matchup with Connecticut. The game took place in Washington, D.C., my current town of residence, just up the street from my office at the Verizon Center.

In the midst of one of the best games the Huskies would play in years, against a UConn team just two years removed from a national championship, something painfully unforgettable happened. It seemed so innocent when Rudy Gay cut across the key, trailed by Roy. The two had be chipping away at each other the entire game and as Gay exited the key, the whistle blew, a foul on Roy, his third.

As the official went to the scorers table to report the "foul", the two players turned toward each other and came face-to-face. Another official separated them and as they began to back away from each other, the whistle blew again, this time from the other side of the floor. It was the same official, some 25-feet away, dealing out a double-technical on both players.

It devastated Washington. Roy picked up his third and fourth fouls on one play, early in the second half. The Huskies played remarkably with him on the bench and had a chance to win, but that game, a Sweet 16 game, was irrevocably turned by an overzealous official long before the game-tying three and bonehead foul.

I understand why Lorenzo Romar says it will haunt him. These Sweet 16 matchups against UConn have that effect on Washington. Just ask Michael Johnson, the Ballard High School grad who watched Richard Hamilton stab the Huskies in the heart in 1998.

Point? Few teams have the Sweet 16 demons the Huskies do. It has been 57 years since Washington advanced past the Sweet 16 and back then there were less rounds. Twice in their history the Huskies have faced devastating last-second losses to Big East teams.

Tonight, they play another program from the Goliath conference, West Virginia.

I will not make a pick or anything of the like. I'm not even going to preview the game. These are different players, a different time, but they know. They played with Jon Brockman, a member of that 2006 team. Donald Watts, from the '98 team, is still around the program and Todd McCullough has made appearances as well. History hangs over the head of this program tonight.

It is against a Big East team on a Big East court on the heart of Big East country: New York state. The crowd could actually be decidedly pro-Husky, since it is hard to imagine Cornell fans, who are traveling in droves from 60 miles away to see their Ivy League team play Kentucky, rooting for WVU. Opportunities to validate a program and exercise demons don't get bigger than this.

What: Washington vs. West Virginia, NCAA Sweet 16
Where: Carrier Dome, Syracuse, N.Y.
When: 7:27 pm E.T.
Follow GoHuskies.com during the day for more.

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Other notes:
- Health care isn't quite over yet and it appears headed back to the House for one more vote. Last night, as Senate Republicans did everything they could to block the legislation, offering amendments until 3:45 am, an small issue was discovered that needed to be changed. It was in part of the student loan reform, requiring the deletion of 16 insignificant lines. Simple fix and another vote.

During the daytime yesterday, Republicans attempted to shut down government yesterday, using another minority ploy that forces a unanimous consent motion to continue any business past the two hours after the Senate is gaveled into session. They objected, forcing the ending of several hearings and halting business for the day. The ploy led Ohio Democrat Sherrod Brown to call them "children".

Also, I actually watched the mind-numbing proceedings for a couple of hours, something us wonk types do out here. I actually find it refreshing to watch floor proceedings, if only because it paints members in a different light when they are interacting with each other. Sometime around 9:30 last night, Montana Democrat Max Baucus poked fun at Kansas Republican Pat Roberts, sarcastically asking how Kansas and Kansas State were doing in the NCAA Tournament. These two would never be mistaken for political friends, ever. No only that, but in poking fun, Baucus was wrong. While Kansas has been eliminated, KSU is still very much alive.

So, the next time Baucus was up to speak, Roberts asked if he would yield for a moment. Surprised, Baucus said sure and Roberts stood up to say: "Senator, I am sorry Montana was eliminated in the first round." Laughter ensued and, for just a moment, the mood in the room was lightened. Trust me, that only lasted a minute. But, in the same spirit of my post about Ernie Kent yesterday, it is nice to remember these people are human.

The Senate reconvenes at 9:45 am this morning, with a final vote expected by 2 pm.

- Don't Ask, Don't Tell was in the news again yesterday, as Sec. of Defense Robert Gates has promised a more "humane" treatment of gays in the military regardless of congressional inaction.

- Health care is a social justice issue.

- Finally, this might be the best poll ever. These "tea party" groups, well, they look a whole like the Republican party. Of the members of tea parties, 74 percent are Republicans and a whopping 88 percent are white.

All for now. Go Huskies!

You'll have to excuse me today as I continue to come down from last night's high. Taken together with the absolutely gorgeous morning we have here in DC and I'm feeling pretty good.

Quincy Pondexter, his entire career defined by how good he wasn't, validated every decision he has made in his last four years, including being the only member of his recruiting class to still don a Washington jersey. Having watched that guy up close for three years, it is hard to be happier for someone. Those kinds of moments are when sports do become real.

However, he missed a couple of free throws, meaning he probably spent some time in the gym last night. And, though his shot will overshadow it, let's not forget the craziest play of the game, a 75-foot all-net buzzer-beater by Isaiah Thomas, that was waved off by a shot clock violation on Marquette. Talk about a buzz kill.

Huskies will play New Mexico, which escaped Montana by five last night. You may recall that Washington also beat the Grizzlies by five points earlier this season. New Mexico is known for great guard play and its tough home environment. Sounds like the "Shark Tank", home the the San Jose Sharks, where these games are being played, was full of Husky fans last night. The game will be at 2:50 pm pacific.

Maybe the bigger national story here, however, comes from the east, the Big East to be exact. The oft celebrated, oft televised, oft crowned league went 1-3 on opening day, and that first win took overtime against a 15 seed. This, after one of the league's most storied teams, Connecticut wasn't even included in the eight teams that made the NCAA tournament and two more lost in opening round NIT games. The league will get four more chances today, but after an embarrassing loss for Georgetown against Ohio and a Pac-10 team knocking off one from the super conference, this has already been a tough year for the pundits around hoops. Oh, and the Pac-10 gets another shot today, when California takes on Louisville.

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Daily health care update:

- Proponents of health care reform legislation had a huge day yesterday, when the CBO (which was once again a trending topic on Twitter) announced that the bill would cost $950 billion, but most importantly would cut the deficit $100 million in the first ten years and $1.2 trillion in the second ten. Those cuts come from reduced costs and savings over time, which is why the second figure is so much higher. Pay attention that $1.2 trillion number. It could be the reason this bill is passed.
- CBO was a trending topic internationally, behind only "March Madness" and even made Yahoo!'s top ten searches. Guess: American people still don't know what it is. The CBO is the Congressional Budget Office, an independent agency that scores bills, among other things. I remember one congressman calling it "religious in this town." He wasn't far off.
- Two things to know about the CBO score. First, the possible negative aspect is that this numbers rely on the bill being implemented exactly as it says it will be, not exactly a certainty. These things are often changed in the long run as bad programs are scrapped and better ones see increased funding. That's the whole point. Second, more positively, the CBO is always conservative with these estimates, meaning the numbers could grow.
- On last check, Dems were about five votes away for a vote that will be held Sunday after the Rules committee takes it up tomorrow.

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One last note, thanks mostly to a minus-10 in the Rasmussen poll, president Obama's RCP average net approval rating is negative for the first time.

Happy St. Patrick's Day. No, I am not wearing green. I don't do that. That's an Oregon color.

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Health care: the recruiting battle.

This is completely true: Dennis Kucinich will announce how he is going to vote on healthcare at 10 am today. This he'll pick between an Obama hat and an American flag lapel pin? This is so far beyond ridiculous.

Of course, this kind of thing isn't altogether unusual, but generally they just leak it and have the media do some legwork. The media doesn't really do that anymore though (or at least not the media you watch - remember newspapers?).

The consensus is that the bill must be presented today in order for it to be voted on before the president leaves town on Sunday. That is to allow the House to abide by the 72 hour rule (bills must be posted online for 72 hours before being voted on - you know, unless Nancy Pelosi decides otherwise).

One final health care note: apparently Dems are 11 votes shy in the House as of this moment. By the I hit 'publish' it's anyone's guess. That's it, I'm done talking about it.

Okay, one more thing. I refuse to talk about this process stuff. If someone has a specific question, I'll answer it. Here is a New York Times piece that talks a little about the "Slaughter" rule. My problem is simple: this stuff happens all the time. If you think Democrats and Republicans have never used this sorts of "tricks" before, you're way wrong. It is part of the process and the reason the process shouldn't be televised. Most people just don't understand it. I took a class in which it was my job to understand and I don't get all of it. Rest assured of one thing though: it will require a vote. Even though it is just a rule they may be explicitly voting on, every senator knows what's in that rules bill. They are free to vote no. Also, this brings the statement Harry Reid brought up yesterday to the forefront. Right now Republicans are complaining that Pelosi isn't going to have a vote, but in the Senate the same part has been doing everything he can to block him from having the same vote.

This is what I mean. It's process and people don't understand process. Pass the bill and people won't remember it when they have health insurance. I firmly believe that. All of this complaining about the process is political. If you have a problem with the bill, vote 'no'. That's how this whole thing is supposed to work.

It's Monday, which means that the NCAA women's basketball bracket will be unveiled. That should not be forgotten, even if the result is a foregone conclusion. Connecticut should run its winning streak to 78 and hoist another trophy. Just watch out for 30-1 Nebraska...

In case you were not among the living yesterday, you missed the best secular Sunday of the year (although some would argue there is something religious about March Madness - case in point, Kentucky in the SEC championship game, where the announcer joked that the Wildcats missing the tournament - like they did last season - is against people's religion in the Bluegrass state. Replied his partner "that's why they changed preachers". Kentucky has a new head coach this year). Anyway, with One Shining Moment being sung by Jennifer Hudson, the latest edition of March Madness will kick off on Thursday and is led by top overall seed Kansas.

For you Washington Husky fans, the Dawgs head to San Jose Thursday to take on Big East foe Marquette, alma mater of Dwyane Wade. My early favorite to surprise some people is actually California, which could legitimately be an Elite 8 team. This would only qualify as a surprise outside of the Pac-10 mind you.

As Terrelle Owens would say, "get ya popcorn ready."

Also, lost in the shuffle of yesterday was the fact the the Huskies actually received votes in the coaches poll, 10 of them, placing them 30th. The six teams directly above UW are all from non-power conferences.

And one more sports note, here is the NIT bracket. This is a tournament that could sell a lot of tickets this year given that both North Carolina and Connecticut are both in it. The No. 1 seeds are Illinois, Arizona State, Mississippi State and Virginia Tech. This could be the final season for the NIT if the NCAA does take up plans to expand the NCAA tournament to 96 teams.

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Other things will happen in the world this week, most notably a possible passage of the long-awaited health care bill. Yesterday on Face the Nation, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said, "this is the week" that health care will pass the U.S. Congress.

This is the beginning of another moment of truth for Democrats. So far they've only failed at these. Do the same this time and health care is a non-starter during this legislative session.

Yesterday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the House will wait for policy changes in the Senate before mustering the votes for passage. She told Majority Leader Harry Reid to use reconciliation. He seems reluctant to do that and would rather the House went first. Have two people ever fought more like brother and sister?

If these two could get together on something, we'd pass more things, point blank. Right now, they are going to need to do that.

I am in the camp that thinks Americans will not long remember how the bill was passed, but that it was. Welfare reform was a bill that very much affected me when I was younger - I remember talking to my mother about it - but I had no idea it was passed through reconciliation. Same with the Bush tax cuts and I was really paying attention then.

People don't remember this stuff. They remember, and reward, action.

Here we stand, the week after the infamous Health care Summit, with the entire country knowing that the Democrats could get this done if they can get together. Which makes me stand by President Obama's words at the end of the Summit: We will push this through, then we'll let the voters decide.

Hmmm, that sounds like Democracy.

Hey it's Friday. How about that. The New York City school district is closed, generally an apocalyptic sign given that this is only the fourth time in six years that has happened. The weather in the Big Apple is apocalyptic, however, as they are comparing the storm sitting over it right now to the "great storm of 1888." So, you know, it's big.

We, thankfully, are getting only the edge of that storm, which has led to wind gusts in the 60 mph range. If I turn up missing, just check down wind.

Oh yeah, and there was some event up near the White House yesterday too.

A summit on health care.

The Paul Krugman, New York Times take, noting that this whole reconciliation thing was used pretty recently - to pass two Bush tax cuts. That's also being called the "nuclear option." Somehow, I don't think people will care what it was if the bill gets done.

My own note to the reconciliation part: I am watching Fox News as I write this and they have a former Senate Majority Leader (Bill Frist) talking. He is saying it has only been used for things like the Bush tax cuts and welfare reform in the 1990's. In other words, bills that help rich people. I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

I think it is safe to call this an opposing look at the summit (also, why is everything a summit now? Just like anything bad that happens is a "-gate". Can't we come up with a title?) Anyway, read the whole thing as it has some good political analysis near the end.

What a week, huh? For me as well, since it included a redeye flight across the country, only to be sitting in my office less than an hour off the plane.

Anyway, wanted to start this off with a little anecdote from the New York Times. In the Week in Review section:

"A new insurance industry study found that bans on use of handheld cellphones while driving had made no difference in accident rates.

Researchers said they were puzzled, since it was clear that using a handheld phone while at the wheel increases accident risk and that the bans sharply reduce use of the phones. "We would expect to see a decrease in crashes," said Adrian Lund of the highway Loss Data Institute. "But we aren't seeing it."

Amazingly, the last sentence of the blurb notes that one theory is the "hands-free phones...may be just as distracting as the handheld kind.

Ya think? Seriously, it is somewhat amazing that this hasn't become part of this debate at all. Many cities (and the entire state of Washington) have banned talking or texting on cellphones while driving. None have admitted that the distraction is your mind being focused on the phone conversation, not holding the phone to your ear. If that were the case, we'd have to ban stick-shift cars too.

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To a review of the week. You all know that the president gave his State of the Union on Wednesday. It honestly doesn't nearly matchup with his visit to the House Republican's retreat in Baltimore on Friday. (By the way, how did the House GOP get so screwed that they only went to Baltimore, while the rest of the party is in Hawaii right now?)

Wow, it is finally Friday. The last day of recess and the first "morning after" of college football.

And what a night to talk about.

With much love and respect for my grandfather, I must say, classic performance by the Ducks last night. I say "classic", because it surely wasn't "classy."




But, what LeGarrette Blount didn't do to make Oregon look bad, they offense did. Just five minutes with the ball in the first half and only 14 yards to show for it. This team was thoroughly dominated by Boise. Really there is nothing more to say on the subject, but I did and you can read it at JBJ Sports.

Some actually pretty interesting news has been coming out of the healthcare fight and it could impact the ever-controversial "public option."

We are now talking about something called a "trigger." Led by Maine Senator Olympia Snowe, it is basically a threat. Do what we want with healthcare now, including a public option, or watch the feds launch a public option all on their own. Bipartisanship is long gone. Adam, you can comment now.

Seriously though, not to be beat the same Bush (or dead horse, but no pun then so deal), but this whole government power thing, especially in the executive branch, certainly didn't start with Barack Obama. That said, why not use it. Well I'll tell you why, because it is the "same old thing in Washington" if you do. But so is this partisan bickering over a healthcare bill that is no going on its 16th year. The polling on this is damning: Americans want healthcare reform. So maybe a trigger is part of it.

Or, maybe President Obama's comments next week will do the trick. He is set to remind Congress that it was not the fight to get healthcare passed and the bold thinking early in President Clinton's term that cost the Democrats. It was the fact that nothing got done that made voters unhappy. No one likes to see the process, how the sausage is made if you will, but that is what everyone is arguing about at town halls across America right now. A final resolution and a passed bill will change some minds.

Unemployment has risen, obviously just adding fuel to the fire out here in Washington.

In today's ultra-sensitive world the President can't even make a speech directed at school children without running into opposition. Reminded me of a status update I had on my Facebook page not long ago:

"Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft."

I bet every generation feels this way, but that does not mean we don't get our turn, so back off. Back in the day kids used to flock to the television to see the President speak. Now in this day of excess information, you can't get away from it fast enough. This is why I've started going to pro baseball games again. Even the Nationals are fun to watch if you actually get to sit back, relax and enjoy something genuine again. That is until the ExxonMobile 7th Inning stretch starts...

Alright, I have to do work or something, but a quick sign of the apocolypse:

"A former jail inmate suffered severe cuts from barbed wire while trying to climb back into Florida's Brevard County Detention Center Monday. The man was released last week after accepting a plea deal on a manslaughter charge, but showed up at the jail Monday asking to be taken back because he feared the family members of his victim. When he was denied, he tried to climb over the fence."
- The Express

Real Talk.

And today in history:
1886: Geronimooooooooooooooooo surrenders
1888: Kodak was created by George Eastman
1967: The last episode of Gilligan's Island airs
1969: The FDA declares the birth control pill "safe"
And in Civil Rights history, in 1957, nine black kids were denied entry to a school in Little Rock, Ark., touching off a string of events that made the Civil Rights movement a huge national issue.

Looks like President Obama is finally going to step out and lay out a plan for healthcare. He is scheduled to speak to a joint session of Congress on Sept. 9.

This is a major development even if it seemingly has been in the works for a while.

Especially with the voice of the late Ted Kennedy now gone from the Senate, it was long past time for the President to weigh in on the debate. His hands off approach works for a while as both chambers try to find some direction, but at some point the President has to lead and it is a little past due for him to do that.

Sept. 9 is the first full day back from recess for Congress and the top of the agenda is a healthcare bill that has been extremely contentious over the last month. Likely the most telling cue of where the debate is at will be the President's position on a public plan in his speech.

Good evening/middle of the night on the east coast. Been meaning to get on here earlier, but as it stands it was a late night at work and now here I am talking to all kinds of people from Washington State who are working on campaigns

Why? Today was the primary. Races like the King County Executive and Mayor of Seattle are obviously huge. But a friend of mine is running Laura Grant's campaign in the 16th and the first numbers have her at 46 percent. HUGE in a primary.

I know I said I would talk some about healthcare. Hopefully some of you care about that (because even if you aren't calling Obama or some member of Congress dirty names, waving signs, screaming about birth certificates, or in some other way "exercising your right to free speech" - it still matters). This fight could well determine what happens with energy and could also spell doom this November for some. So down at the bottom I'll add some videos/links and short commentary, to be followed up later.

For now, it's the primary. First, the results of the King County races can be found here.

The two most important races to those of you in the 206 are obviously for mayor and for King County Executive. No, I have a friend who does fundraising for Dow Constantine. Despite his willingness to "go to any length", or maybe because of it, Constantine seems the best choice here. I know one of Larry Phillips kids, and Larry himself a little. He is very good at what he does now. Don't expect him to do well as an executive. Out of respect for him as a person, we'll ignore Ross Hunter here. The surprise may be Fred Jarret sitting in third, but it might have something to do with most of the ballots counted being from his district. Right now Susan Hutchison, the former news anchor, is leading (she's the only legitimate Republican) and Constantine is second. Obviously things will shake out differently when only two are on the ballot.

Which leads us to the even more interesting race for mayor. While you can blame the Executive free-for-all on the President's raiding on Seattle African American delegation (Ron Sims is currently the deputy director of HUD), this one was going to be crazy from the beginning.

Greg Nickels needs to go. He has done some great things in Seattle, to be sure. He has strong ties to the environment, to labor, to business and to Democrats, making him a formidable foe. But that isn't why he has been successful. It has been, as the mother of my high school classmate wrote about this election, the lack of "A-listers" running against him. Instead, Nickels looks like Snow White to these seven dwarfs with no leadership experience, no credentials and no chance. He marginalizes everyone around him, leaving himself to mop it all up.

No longer.

With the state's new top-two primary system, finally this race will be a test. For the first time on a large scale two Democrats will most definitely run against each other in the general election. Susan Hutchison will have nothing on this race. It will be nasty and people that mostly agree will disagree, strongly. Nickels is the status quo, and in Seattle usually the status quo has to go. But he's had such strong support that there will be a fight. And finally, because he is only running against one person who will have standing on his level, this icon could fall.

Currently Nickels is actually third, behind Mike McGinn and Joe Mallahan. Nickels will catch up when more of Seattle is counted. Looks like about half the ballots to go.

Biggest congrats to Meagan though, who has Laura Grant firmly entrenched in first place out in Walla Walla. And props to Benton County, which did big things. Damn Republicans.

Quickly on healthcare because it is 1 am and I still haven't set up the coffee pot for my 6:30 am waking from the dead.

Check out this video. I'll add more links tomorrow as I read more.

Politico

The way I see it is as one Republican Congressman put it. A public option is fine. Just don't force people to take it. All these people that are complaining so much can go with their private option. If they want to complain about tax hikes, someone can explain to them that the hikes are coming anyway. The Bush tax cuts are going to expire and all will be right with the world again. You remember Obama's world-fixing angels. But seriously, no one complains about the budget until someone tells them to. No one understands the budget. Pay your taxes and deal. Certainly don't burn a Congressman in effigy. Please.

Great political cartoon in the Miami Herald that I wish was still there. It was two guys with anti-Obama healthcare t-shirts and signs and such, clearly about to go to a rally. That is after their detour at the pharmacy to pick up their medicare-covered medication. The U.S. is the ONLY INDUSTRIALIZED NATION WITHOUT FEDERAL HEALTH CARE. And yes, we do very well with medical advancement. But private insurance companies aren't going anywhere. Some people who can't afford it are getting healthcare. Deal with it.

More later. Goodnight.

Stay Classy.

Good morning y'all. It's primary day in Washington State. Yes I voted yesterday and yes I voted for Robert Rosencrantz, father of Zack and all around good guy.

Quick update on stuff I'm doing. Well, that wouldn't be so quick as I am now doing work for my program (Heat Is On), Communications and Policy and Lobbying. It is busy, but I love it. Yesterday I did all of my normal research, reading several newspapers and other links I am sent. Then I spent some time on the phone with newspapers setting up an ad buy. Had a couple of staff meetings. It is clear that things are picking up a little bit. Today I will be up on the Hill in the afternoon. Maybe I'll sneak a workout in before trivia...

Back to the stories from yesterday. The Mariners did indeed sign Dustin Ackley. This was not really a surprise, as the story says, but still a great success for the Mariners.

The bigger surprise is that the Nationals got Steven Strasburg to sign as well last night. This is obviously a very big deal. Washington had back-to-back number one picks and was in danger of not signing that pick for the second year in a row. Furthermore, the organization was in danger of not signing a can't-miss kid that instantly is the most recognizable face of the franchise. Make no mistake about it - right now this is huge for for what is currently the worst team, and organization in baseball.

More:

This is long, but an incredible article. If I had more time I'd write a post about it. Maybe later today along with something about healthcare (I am formulating that as we speak, with sticky notes of links - and some John Stewart). Hate speech and political speech have always been separated by a fine line in this country. Near the end when he talks about stealing the line about replenishing the tree of liberty with blood, it reminds me of another person who said that revolutions are not peaceful, they are bloody - Malcolm X.

Follow that up with this story about race and law in Carolina.

Some interesting comments about the future of Jake Locker with the Angels.

This what I meant when I said the NFL isn't that bad. Count on Stephon Marbury. While you're on that page, scroll down to the bottom and check out the video of the end of the Giants-Panthers game from last night. Wild.

Abdelbasset Ali al-Megrahi, convicted of the Lockerbie bombing may be released.

CHECK YOUR CREDIT! That was not an ad. Seriously. Check it.

Project Hurricane Bill, the first of the season.

Hard to ignore H1N1 again, now that I personally know people that have had it. I'm fine. For now.

Many fear gun carriers won't be so peaceful around Obama at some point.

Look for more today if I can get some time.

Stay Classy.