Here in Washington State, the race for governor has been contested with unrestrained hostility, probably due to the incumbent, Chris Gregoire, winning over her then, and current, challenger Dino Rossi by a scant 133 votes last time - after a trial, recount, charges and counter-charges, and, presumably, much wailing and gnashing of teeth.

Television here mostly features the two candidates attacking each other, this spectacle briefly interrupted at intervals by actual television programming; most other advertising has been utterly displaced.  With a week to go before the election proper, the race - which has been up until now utterly nasty in tone, consisting primarily of mutual insults and slander - has now gone south in a rather visceral way.

In Rossi's most recent ad, he literally (and I know the literal meaning of "literally") compares Gregoire to a diaper full of baby shit.  I should add that he really did that.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen (and my regular readers) - American political discourse has finally arrived where it was always bound to:  They are flinging poo at each other.

As Dave Berry would say, I am not making this up - which would be a pretty good name for a band.

In related news, the local, well, news recently featured a story about a dog who rescued a litter of kittens from a burning building, and then had to be saved in turn by heroic firefighters who treated the dog for smoke inhalation.  I am also not making that up.  Is there anything left for a craftsman of sensitive, nuanced social commentary such as myself to say at this point other than "ZOMGWTF!!!1!!"?