"But I'm kinda tired of Kruse being mad about people being mad in politics and somehow missing the hypocrisy."

That's been like 50% of The Stranger's recent output lol.

Why the petty jab at Brandi Kruse? She is possibly the best current journalist in the NW, and always seems to offer informative, well-researched, balanced reporting.

Looks like the Republicans are punting this one. Again. Third time in a row they've offered her token opposition. (Last time, she spent her election season working the phones -- for marriage equality.)

In fairness, Sen. Cantwell is the person Republicans always claim to want: successful in business, legislates carefully, keeps the best interests of the state foremost. It just so happens she's not crazy, and therefore a Democrat.

Yes, they do speak for me. I voted for Patty Murray back in 1992 and every time since, and I've never regretted it. Cantwell is less impressive but she generally votes the right way and advocates for her constituents. They are good senators, and if the entire body was people of their caliber, this country would not me in the mess it's in. They have been consistently better than their primary and general election opposition.

The problem isn't people serving a long time, or being too old. The problem is that the old, rich, white men who predominate in the Senate were bad in their very first terms and only remain because of the power of incumbency and the privileges granted to white male mediocrity. We don't need term limits. We need to vote out bad, conservative, white men and replace them with qualified, liberal and moderate women and people of color. We need actual representation of our population.

@6: she unseated Slade Gorton (who also served 3 terms, though not consecutively). damn right she speaks for me.

@6: I'll pile on to @7 and @8: Senators Murray and Cantwell definitely do speak for me. From the beginning, Murray has championed our veterans, and Cantwell has worked to limit the damage done by Enron (remember those Republicans?) to Washington State's economy. Had the entire Senate voted the way Cantwell did on the war in Iraq, that bloody waste of American lives and American treasure could have been completely avoided.

Jack, you've pounded out that tired old complaint several times here on Slog. When are you going to learn about how if that's your best argument, you've already lost?

Just like Hutchinson will next month.

Shooting fish in a barrel:

“Times have changed, what people want just might have changed in the past quarter century.“

A lead of thirty (!) percentage points suggests rather strongly we citizens are happy with Sen. Cantwell’s performance.

“But does she really speak for the younger generation?”

Go ask them. I suspect they are fully represented in her thirty point lead.

“Every Washington State Senator will look out for us, that's what they were elected for.”

Your naïveté is touching, Jack.

“The demographic who elected for Murray, way back when, has changed.”

We’re talking about the other female senator from Washington state. Please do try to keep up.

“And yes, it needs repeating, they have been sitting pretty for a long time and are not interested in letting someone else in the Party step up...”

Then maybe another party should run a viable candidate?

“Fresh faces, fresh ideas.”

You do understand the sitting senator at that time was a serial rapist, right?

@6 - Yes, Cantwell speaks for me and does a pretty damn good job of it. Does a nutcase like Hutchinson speak for you?

That should be "Hutchison". But she's still a looney-tunes Republican moron.

susan hutchison is a dead zombie robot with vacant eyes (and the wrinkliest face i've ever seen). barf. why can't she slither back under a rock where she belongs?