Viva La Cola!

Founded in January 2009, PubliCola is a blog about Seattle written by journalists who are dedicated to non-partisan, original daily reporting that prioritizes a balanced approach to news. Started by longtime local editor and award-winning reporter Josh Feit, PubliCola is the first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol.

PubliCola was off and running. In June 2009, PubliCola hired another award-winning journalist, super-sourced Seattle city hall reporter Erica C. Barnett.

People were afraid that blogging would change journalism. Instead, we believe journalism can change blogging. Twenty-first century journalism may look and feel different, and yes Erica isn't afraid to get cranky, but we're committed to making sure online news still delivers independent, reliable, even-keeled coverage. And most of all, we're committed to making sure the coverage sparks honest civic debate.

Bringing you cola for the people, PubliCola is named after Publius Valerius PubliCola, the alias for the authors of the Federalist Papers—the original bloggers.

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The first online-only news site in state history to get media credentials to cover the state capitol and Seattle city hall, PubliCola has been called a “must-read” by the Seattle Post Intelligencer and a hot “New Media Mover and Shaker” by Seattle Magazine—which also cited our own Erica C. Barnett as the city's No. 1 news nerd.

Gregoire Mentioned as Possible Supreme Court Pick

News   May 1, 2009 at 10:59 am Josh Feit

Re: Filling U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter’s spot, The New York Times reports: 

During the presidential campaign, Mr. Obama spoke of his admiration for former Chief Justice Earl M. Warren, citing as a special virtue his practical political experience as a former governor of California. If Mr. Obama were to look to a political figure with a strong legal background, he could turn to a longtime friend, Deval Patrick, the African-American governor of Massachusetts. Other governors who have held high public legal positions areChristine Gregoire of Washington and Jennifer M. Granholm of Michigan, both of whom are white.

The governor’s office tells PubliCola that Governor Gregoire has had no conversations with the Obama administration about the position and the NYT report is based purely “on speculation.”

Gregoire spokesperson Karina Shagren says: “She’s flattered by the attention, but she has every intention of completing her second term as governor.”

Of course, Gregoire—a prominent woman in the Democratic party—endorsed Barack Obama in February 2008—in the heat of the Obama/Clinton Democratic primary standoff. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell endorsed Clinton.


  • Trevor

    Huh. On the one hand, I’d like someone with more judicial experience nominated. On the other, I’d love to see her step down so we don’t have to wait 3 years for something truly progressive to pass the State Legislature.

  • Trevor

    Huh. On the one hand, I’d like someone with more judicial experience nominated. On the other, I’d love to see her step down so we don’t have to wait 3 years for something truly progressive to pass the State Legislature.

  • Seattle Jew

    Our Gov has many admirable traits but she is less qualified to be a justice of the SC than .. well than Clarence Thomas. Unlike him she has no significant judicial experience. Her management of the AGs office .. well lets leave that be as we are talking about scholar ship or legal acumen?

    She CONVENED the state AG group that sued the tobacco companies. That was laudable but the ability to get elected attorneys to work together says very, very little about her courtroom or intellectual legal skills.

  • Seattle Jew

    Our Gov has many admirable traits but she is less qualified to be a justice of the SC than .. well than Clarence Thomas. Unlike him she has no significant judicial experience. Her management of the AGs office .. well lets leave that be as we are talking about scholar ship or legal acumen?

    She CONVENED the state AG group that sued the tobacco companies. That was laudable but the ability to get elected attorneys to work together says very, very little about her courtroom or intellectual legal skills.

  • Chris Stefan

    All I have to say to the idea of appointing Gregiore to anything is “Governor Brad Owen”.

  • Chris Stefan

    All I have to say to the idea of appointing Gregiore to anything is “Governor Brad Owen”.

  • Carrie

    Her lack of judicial experience doesn’t strike me as an obstacle–many justices had none–but she’s no Elena Kagan or Cass Sunstein, that’s for sure. And you don’t give a seat on the Supreme Court as payback for a primary endorsement, unless it’s a REEEAAALLY good one.

  • Carrie

    Her lack of judicial experience doesn’t strike me as an obstacle–many justices had none–but she’s no Elena Kagan or Cass Sunstein, that’s for sure. And you don’t give a seat on the Supreme Court as payback for a primary endorsement, unless it’s a REEEAAALLY good one.