Gov. Christine Gregoire's proposal for public financing of judicial races has some people asking,

"Why stop there?"

Lynn Allen at Evergreen Politics writes:

The timing is good to jump on public financing for the judicial races given the insane amounts of money that was spent on the three Supreme Court races between the primary and the general elections. I understand that. Plus, Gregoire is cautious by disposition. But what an opportunity to go all the way and ask for public financing of all statewide and legislative races.

There's a group that's been pushing for that in the state for three years. Washington Public Campaigns has run a low-profile effort to get public financing here. But Gregoire's effort could bring attention to the group's more ambitious goals.

Early next month Washington Public Campaigns has four town hall meetings scheduled to talk about publicly funded campaigns. The main event is at Seattle's Town Hall Jan. 5, and is headlined by David Sirota, author of Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Have Conquered Our Government — and How We Can Take It Back.

The panel will also include Democratic legislators from Arizona and Maine, where public financing is already in place, as well as Washington Democratic lawmakers Sen. Jim Kastama and Rep. Mark Miloscia. Miloscia has said he will introduce legislation next year for public financing of all campaigns, not just the Supreme Court and Court of Appeals that would be covered by Gregoire's plan. Kastama is also a supporter of the Arizona and Maine models.

The moderator will be Ken Alhadeff, a Seattle businessman and philanthropist who has long been among the top Democratic donors in the state.

The panel, minus Sirota, will also be at events in Everett, Tacoma and Olympia.

There's nothing radical about Miloscia, Kastama or Alhadeff. But public financing has also caught the attention of the more aggressive left-wing of the Democratic Party.

The Sirota event is being publicized on the liberal washblog in a post by dinazina. The headline is, "MAD AS HELL and not going to take it anymore!" There's a graphic of protesters with pitchforks, torches and a guillotine that says:

The People's Revolt

We demand

Clean elections

Universal healthcare

Real science

End to warmongering

End to spying

End to stupidity

Impeach 'em all

dinazina then adds:

The time for polite dialog is DONE!

You want Christmas, America?

THERE'S your Christmas!

YOU CAN START RIGHT HERE

Gregoire may have hoped to avoid that sort of ideological rabble rousing by focusing on a pilot program for public financing of judicial races. But nonetheless, her efforts are likely to be a boost for groups like Washington Public Campaigns and others that are looking for wholesale changes.