Joel Connelly

I worked for Seattle Post-Intelligencer from 1973 until it ceased print publication in 2009, and SeattlePI.com from 2009 to 6/30/2020. During that time, I wrote about 9 presidential races, 11 Canadian and British Columbia elections‎, four doomed WPPSS nuclear plants, six Washington wilderness battles, creation of two national Monuments (Hanford Reach and San Juan Islands), a 104 million acre Alaska Lands Act, plus the Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area.

From Grace to Grievance: Trump Preaches as Republicans Nominate Him for a Third Time

In 92 minutes initial grace turned to grievance, uplifting prose gave way to personal attacks ("crazy Nancy Pelosi"), praise for dictatorial rulers, partisan hyperbole ("They're destroying our country"), and ceaseless self-praise.

Bob Ferguson’s Glide Path to Victory

Chess master Attorney General Bob Ferguson is up with a “shock and awe” blitz of TV spots, introducing himself to the voters but also trying to define his presumed Republican opponent as “anti-choice Dave Reichert.”

Climate Change Toll in Alaska

Fires have consumed vast tracts of land, especially in Siberia and Canada’s Northwest Territories. The Arctic Icepack is shrinking, endangering the polar bears who hunt seals from the ice.

Pressure on Biden to Withdraw: Washington’s Adam Smith Joins a Growing Chorus

Adam Smith has reason to fear, the country has reason to fear, Trump's once more becoming commander-in-chief. Congressman Smith is right to ask: Is a diminished 81-year-old up to rescuing democracy?

The Next Domino? Justin Trudeau Grapples with a Restless Canada

The right wing populism infecting American politics has moved north across the 49th parallel. For the second time in 40 years, Canadians are getting tired of a Trudeau.

Jumbler-in-Chief Versus the Demagogue

Biden recovered later in the debate, but not before viewers were given ample reason to worry about an 81-year incumbent.

New Poll: Dead Heat in Washington’s Third between Gluesenkamp-Perez and Kent

The Kent/MGP race has wider implications. As pointed out by Andrew Villeneuve, executive director of Northwest Progressive Institute, the path to controlling Congress passes through the Pacific Northwest.

A Hardball Strategy for taking on Dave Reichert

The Democrats know the spot Reichert is in. Ferguson is a chess master setting a trap for his presumed foe.

Leashing The Pacific Northwest’s Master Stream

The author writes: “Everywhere in the watershed there used to be more — more salmon, more bears, more old growth forests, bigger glaciers, more language speakers.”

The Wilderness Act: A Triple Anniversary

The latest cause – it is now 13 years old – is the Wild Olympics campaign. It would create 126,661 acres of' new wilderness protection on Olympic National Forest land, which surrounds the national park like a donut.

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