Fran, our foreign correspondent in Washington State sent us this report last night —

How afraid are you of having more women in leadership roles and elected office? I’m not. But there are people who must be downright terrified.

Last night, I went to an Emerge Washington training in my little purple bubble on the west end of my very red county. The library meeting room was full of women, mostly in the 30-40 year old range, with a few of us dependable oldies thrown in. It was wonderful to behold. My heart leapt with joy at the sight of so many young women interested in public office and how to get there. (Definition: Young to me is if they are young enough to be my daughter. Sometimes I forget and think I’m still 40.)

And then I saw them. One couldn’t miss two old white guys, one with a MAGA hat, sitting in the FRONT ROW. Are you kidding me???? Who would do that? Well, I did recognize one of them. It was the County GOP Chairman. He was the one in the MAGA hat. He lives on a small ranch about 30 miles east along State Hwy 14, and had the biggest Trump sign in the county that stayed up well past the expiration date. Next to him was his tea party patriot side kick. I know that because they actually signed in, and the sidekick’s email address was Patriot@…

The presenter was an incredibly poised young woman who is a veteran of Sen. Maria Cantwell’s campaigns, and is planning a run for State Legislature herself. She spoke eloquently about how to run a successful campaign, how to prepare yourself for the job you want, and how to engage a team to help you get there. She never ONCE looked at these two men, just off to her left. She never missed a beat. Totally unflappable. Must have been disappointing to these two. What a sad life you must have to drive half an hour in the pouring rain on a dark 2 lane highway to crash a progressive women’s political training.

That is how terrified they are. And it makes me smile.

Me, too, Fran. Me, too.  And I think you need to send us a picture next time so we can offer a nationwide warning that these guys are attending Democratic women’s meeting to grab them by the … well, you know.