Well, here's what I came up with.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

I just did this sketch after reading news that Rupert Murdoch appears to have enough support to go ahead with the purchase of Dow Jones & Company and the Wall Street Journal.

I don't know what if anything I am going to do with this sketch. I just like it and wanted to share.

I got this email about my Sunday cartoon.

"Eric --
Glad this cartoon finally saw the light of day.
Now, back to the labeling you use: Is it really necessary to give the donkey a "D" button on its suspenders? Isn't it obvious that it's a Democratic symbol? Would you have put an "R" or "GOP" on an elephant?
Seattle Times readers are pretty smart folks, and those who read the editorial page are probably smarter still. I don't think you have to spell out the really easy stuff. "

No, it's not necessary for most of my readers. You are right, Seattle Times readers and intelligent and on top of their game. But the key word is "most". I want to reach as many people as possible and there are always new readers. For example, lots of teachers use editorial cartoons in their classrooms to introduce young students to politics in a way that's fun and engaging. Truth is, I hate labels too. What I try to do if possible is integrate labels into the cartoon subtlety as I can. But clarity is the key. If the message isn't clear the cartoon fails.

As to your other question, "Would you have put an "R" or "GOP" on an elephant? "

Yes, I do it all the time. Here is just one example among many.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

At the time of this post these three stories are on the front page of our web site.

Adhahn charged in Linnik murder; prosecutors will not seek the death penalty

Sheriff publicizes facial reconstructions of 3 Green River victims.

Ridgway sentenced to life in prison without chance of parole.

These stories make me sick. I'm not a huge proponent of the death penalty, but if there is ever a case to be made for it's application these two inhuman beasts are the poster children. Can anyone receive the death penalty when a man who killed at least 50 women (some as young as 12) doesn't get it? Is that what we gave up when we made a deal with Ridgway? When they made a deal with Ridgway did they make a deal with every murdering pedophile to come? Was it worth it?

Now we are dealing with Adhahn. A man accused of this among other things:

"Adhahn is also charged with repeatedly raping a girl who moved in with him in 2001 when she was 12 because her mother had unspecified "troubles" that made her unable to care for her. The girl, now 19 and living in Wichita, Kan., told Tacoma detectives that she was raped at least 150 to 200 times over the course of the four years she lived with the man she called "Dad.""

Adhahn deserves the death penalty, but according to the latest news, the state won't seek it. Looks like Ridgway is still haunting us.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

Update:
The comments so far are happy to have automated red-light ticketing. I wonder how you would feel about cameras on I-90, 405 or I-5 automatically sending out tickets for speeding? Maybe they should set up jaywalking cameras?

Money in the bank!

Kevin Kallaugher or Kal as he is known in the cartooning world performs a one of a kind analysis of how baldness affects your chances to become president of the United States.

Kevin Kallaugher/The Economist

After today's cartoon was published both in print and here on my blog, I got this email from one of my closest friends. With his permission, I am sharing the short exchange.

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(Here's the cartoon, scroll down to see a larger version in my previous post.)

Friend: "Seriously, why would put that crap out there? Do you really think that pulling the troops from Iraq would improve the situation? C'mon."

Me: "No, it would not improve the situation in Iraq. The question is, do I think keeping them there with incompetent leadership will improve the situation? No. Do I think the current leadership will miraculously become competent? No. Then I have to ask myself, do I think more U.S. soldiers should be wounded and killed following leadership that has proven itself incompetent and incapable of winning or even producing an acceptable outcome?"

I posted this because it is essentially how I feel about what is going on in Iraq. Many of you here in Seattle will find this repulsive, but I was in favor of this war in the beginning and I've been hanging on for a long time. I wasn't alone either. Lest we forget, at one time about 70 percent of Americans supported this war.

Truth is, I still want to be in favor of this war. I want this to work. I want the people of Iraq to have a government that works for them. I want to win.

Problem is I don't have any faith left in our leadership, which has proven itself incompetent at every turn. Without competent leaders, this whole thing feels like a rudderless ship throwing men (and women) to the sea trying to turn back the tide.

It's not every day that I have extra ideas and have to pick one of them for the paper the next day. Usually, I'm just looking to get one solid idea. Yesterday, I had three. The previous post below is the cartoon I chose, here are the other two.

Do you think I picked the right one?

I want to direct your attention to this fantastic animation created by a friend of mine, Nick Anderson. Nick is the Pulitzer Prize winning editorial cartoonist at the Houston Chronicle.

All single-family homes in Seattle must sign up for table-scrap recycling in 2009, the City Council decided Monday.

I'm speechless. Recycled table scraps? We use to call those left overs. Who puts their food scraps in the garbage anyway, isn't that what a garbage disposal is for? This is SOOO ripe for a cartoon. All I can think is, what the heck are they going to recycle it into?

What will they do with all your table scrap folks? Please post your ideas in the comments section, I need a good laugh!!!

Update:

WAY to many of you are taking me literally here. Of course I know that the table scraps will be composted. I thought the sarcasm was clear.

My initial thought last night after reading this article is that this seems to be a slap in the face to all those of you who already compost. After reading your comments, seems many of you agree. This line in the article also stuck out to me:

"Recycling food waste will be voluntary for apartments, as well as for businesses, which produce twice as much food waste as residents."

How do they square that with their stated goal?

"By 2025, the council hopes, the city will divert 72 percent of its garbage from the landfill."

If there is anything I like less than over reaching government regulation it's impotent and unproductive government regulation.

John McCain has issues...and they are killing his chances of getting the Republican nomination. His support of an increasingly unpopular war isn't helping. But what I think is really sinking McCain is his unflinching support of comprehensive immigration reform. By a large majority republicans hate the latest immigration reform bill and they are taking it out on him. The latest report saw claims his campaign has only 225k in the bank. That won't cut it in one of the most expensive presidential campaigns in history. He's not the kind of person I would count out though.

Any McCain supporters out there? I'm curious what you think of all this.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

We got 'em on the run.

We are smoking them out.

A new threat assessment out today says that Al-Qaida is gaining strength and possibly as strong now as they were before 9/11. President Bush disagrees, he thinks the report show his administration is right on course. He also sees progress in Iraq.

Delusional.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times

The King County Health board is considering banning trans-fats. Don't you all feel healthier? Now when you eat that double cheese burger fries and pop you don't have to feel quite as guilty, right? Now those fries are healthy..um..healthier...uh...they'll kill you slower...maybe. I find regulation like this absurd. If I want to eat greasy delicious fries, I don't need some half-baked, nanny-state regulation board with nothing better to do messing with them.

Eric Devericks/The Seattle Times