Player got played?

Surely using the Seattle channel for political lobbying is illegal. It's not a debate, it's advertising and these are public funds.

Why?

Because they're too scared to show up in public, knowing how much Seattle citizens hate this Deeply Boring Tunnel and want it to die.

Showing up on a Seattle Channel show means no audience filled with irate taxpayers being taken to the cleaner for a gold-plated Billionaires' Tunnel.

Got DEBT?

@2, Publicola reported that C.R. plans to run clips of things said at the no-tunnel event (filmed at public expense too, mind you), then have his honcho guests respond. I tend not to argue with C.R.'s idea of what's good to do.

Anyone who doesn't want to wait for Seattle Channel's 5pm broadcast of the no-tunnel basement rally (or wants to be able to jump forward and back at will in the video) can see it online anytime right here:
http://www.seattlechannel.org/videos/vid…

Here is another way to not be naive: Among the people who matter, the tunnel is a done deal. For a serious politician to show up at a "debate" organized by the tunnel opposition makes about as much sense as for a serious historian to show up at a "debate" organized by 9/11 conspiracy theorists. But, as with holocaust deniers, while you don't want to lend them legitimacy by participating in their forums, you do want to issue statements reassuring the rest of us as to how marginal, deranged, and unserious they are. And that is just what the people who matter are doing to the anti-tunnel wackos with these prepared statements.

DW, lol. You're new to Seattle, aren't you?

We have three more DEIS phases and the obligatory two Federal EIS stages to go thru, plus the mandatory five public votes.

It is an ex-tunnel.

"Why did Rasmussen and the state agree to talk about the tunnel when, a couple weeks earlier, they refused? "

Really good question. I mean, how could anyone pass up an opportunity to discuss the tunnel with you, McGinn, and Will in Seattle?

The only explanation I can think of is that the tunnel people are fascist billionaire idiotic republican trolls. Oh yeah, and cowards.

BTW, another thing the DEIS documents won't tell you - they plan to pave the tunnel with the ground up bones of human babies. All just to save a few bucks!

@7 As I recall, I wasn't on the panel.

But there was this annoying questioner at the end.

Put it up to a Public Vote of the People if you're so sure it's a good idea.

@8: As I recall, I wasn't on the panel.

Don't sell yourself short, Will, you are the veritable poster child of the grassroots anti-tunnel social justice enviro-revolution!

Anyway, an election is no good. You know as well as I that They'll just rig it or ignore it. They are billionaire fascists, after all, and They control the means of production!

No, best to stay the course and keep on repeating the phrase "Billionaire's Tunnel" to ourselves, over and over again. Lead the way, comrade!

@5 - Nice way to bring Hitler into it. Really, you think pointing out that there's no plan to deal with the effects of planned tolling (using the DOT's own numbers) is the on par with denying the Holocaust? That may be the most unserious comparison ever. I expected a little better out of you.

Free Lunch @ 10: You're right. That was over the top. I was letting off steam.