Between a Lap and a Hard Place

Two not unrelated facts:

1. On a 5-4 vote, the Seattle City Council passed restrictive rules yesterday that may shut down strip clubs in this city.

2. There are three city councilmembers facing opponents for re-election in November.

Here's the connection--the three councilmembers running for their seats all voted to impose the new rules. Coincidence? We think not.

The mayor, also up for reelection this year, proposed the rules. Coincidence? Doubtful.

You need not consult the brilliant political minds of Crossfire to strike upon this nugget of wisdom: Strip club advocacy does not a winning campaign make, even in bluest blue Seattle.

Who votes in this town? Old people and guilty liberals. Not a lot of crossover between this group and the 1am crowd at Rick's.

That's why, at the pre-primary Stranger candidate forum, only two of the ten candidates indicated that they would oppose the new rules, even after a live stripper pleaded her case (while fully-clothed, unfortunately). Those two candidates did not advance to the general election.

Why did this happen now? Earlier this year, a judge struck down the city's absurd 17-year "moritorium" on new strip clubs. Without these new rules, many more strip clubs would get built in the city. The mayor doesn't want that on his watch, so he forced the city council's hand.

That's what we think. We could be completely wrong.

But one thing is for sure: our cousin is moving to Portland.