Yesterday, the Seattle City Council voted 8-1 to ratify Council President Richard Conlin's signature on an environmental-impact document that moves the council's favored Viaduct replacement option—the deep-bore tunnel—forward and into the arena of public comment. (Mayor Mike McGinn had asked the state for another week to review the document, so the state bypassed the mayor and approached Conlin for his signature instead.)

I tried calling McGinn to get his thoughts on the council's vote and find out his next move (will he veto the council's vote, which the council could then easily overturn? Or does the mayor have an ace up his sleeve—like a series of Jean Godden, Tom Rasmussen, and Sally Clark sex tapes with which to blackmail council members?)

But I couldn't reach McGinn. He's out of town for the day. And according to the city charter (Article V, Section 9), that makes Conlin acting king-mayor (it's the city council's girlish fantasies come true)!

Which raises the question: