Actually, no—unfortunately—State Senator Ed Murray isn't running for Congress. At least not yet.

This is a picture taken as Murray was campaigning in Cal Anderson Park yesterday evening to hold his seat in the state legislature (he's unopposed), where he will keep representing his liberal 43rd District while maintaining thriving relationships with his moderate Democratic caucus, with unions, with businesses, with big-money-backers of campaigns, and all the divergent constituents that only the most nimble politician can bind together. After rattling off lots of stuff he's done, he said, "Republicans have once again decided that they have no ideas. They are pushing politics of division and politics of slime."

So Ed Murray should be a straight-talker running for Congress, right?

After all, he's got the Democrats, unions, businesses, big-money-backers of campaigns, and so forth—everything you need to represent Seattle. I know, I hear you: Those folks have an allegiance to Ol' Jimbot McDermott (a pretty strong one, admittedly) as the House rep for the state's 7th district. But they secretly want someone like Ed. They want someone proven to push through tough liberal bills (like Ed's three-piece set of domestic-partnership legislation) and they even more secretly want to boot out McDermott, who is little more than a liberal placeholder. Since being elected, Jimbot's climbed to the Chairmanship of the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support while that other member of the house who represents an insanely liberal city... she's the ax-wielding Speaker of the House.

So when is Ed going to run for Congress? "I think that to be a member of the U.S. Congress would be an incredible opportunity," he tells me after thanking his 200 rich and powerful friends for supporting the campaign he didn't have to run because no idiot in the city is stupid enough to run against him. But he doesn't plan to run against Jimbot because "we already have a liberal Congressman." He does acknowledge, however, "Our styles are different." If he stays in Washington state, he says, "I sure would like to see marriage happen." So why not just do it D.C.?

And with that—to the Slog poll!

Who would you rather have in Congress?