"Mallahan goes after Nickels at Seattle Times meeting" (with video)

(Part 1 Mayor 3/4)
Seattle Times, with video:

In today's webcast Seattle Times editorial board meeting, candidate Joe Mallahan won the award for taking the most negative tack against two-term Mayor Greg Nickels.

The candidates for mayor appeared before The Seattle Times board for its endorsement meeting. City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Jan Drago was not there because of the council's Transportation Committee meeting. She heads that committee.

Drago met later with some members of the editorial board.

Mallahan, a T-Mobile executive and political rookie, said Seattle is "crying out" for a more open and accountable administration. He said Nickels has been "a bit starry-eyed when dealing with people and corporations of great wealth."

Mallahan has spoken strongly against Nickels since he declared his intention to run and wrote his campaign a $200,000 check. He says the mayor has failed Seattle on basic services.

While other candidates tried to woo the editorial board members with their differing views on the Alaskan Way Viaduct tunnel project and plans to reduce youth violence, Mallahan went after the mayor. He said the mayor doesn't "seem to grasp" his mistakes and that he's created a "culture of information hoarding at City Hall."

He didn't even give Nickels credit for the light-rail line, which opened this weekend after 20 years of work by Nickels and other leaders. Sure, Mallahan said, it opened, but it was "seven miles short and two years late."

Howie P.S.: If you have the "luxury" of spending the time to watch/listen the whole meeting, you may reach the same conclusion as I have as to who is the best candidate to challenge the incumbent.