Far be it from me to obsessively dwell on a topic, but on the issue of Rob McKenna's free car, well, it's occurred to me that I need a free car too! So who wants to give me one? Or lease me one? Or whatever it is a dealer does when they loan a car to public figure like McKenna in exchange for promotional or some other considerations?

Seriously. My car's over 10 years old. I'd really like a new one. So who wants to step up to the plate and make it happen?

Here's the deal: "Loan" me a new car for a year or more, and I promise to shamelessly promote the shit out of it. I'll mention it in my Slog posts, in my news articles, even in daily conversation. Trust me: I'm the king of convoluted tangents. Give me a post on radiation levels in Fukushima, and I'll find a way to mention how my 3rd generation Prius and its true hybrid technology creates the perfect harmony between man, nature, and machine (hint, hint local Toyota dealers). Plus, I'll happily follow McKenna around the state with a promotional message proudly emblazoned on the side of my car. Just imagine a new Ford Explorer hybrid with a sign that says "My free car gets better mileage and has more cargo space than Rob McKenna's free car; learn more at Ford of Bellevue!" Now that's publicity!

And it doesn't even have to be new—I'll take a dealer demo, or a "pre-owned" or whatever you call used cars these days, as long as it's a late model in good condition and, you know, free. And unlike McKenna, I'm not a sitting attorney general or a candidate for office—that means you are free to "lend" me as expensive a car as you want, for as long as you want, without bumping into any of those pesky campaign contribution "limits." Or even public disclosure. Sweet!

Now I know what you may be thinking: Isn't it illegal or at least unethical for a journalist to incessantly plug a product like the Chevy Volt—the 2001 Motor Trend Car of the Year, available now from Chuck Olson Chevrolet-Kia—without disclosing the promotional considerations? I dunno, maybe. But then, as McKenna has pointed out, I'm no journalist, so I'm at least as unencumbered by ethics as an attorney general who takes thousands of dollars a year in what is essentially a personal gift from an industry he's sworn to regulate.