COUPEVILLE — An Island County jury ruled Friday that the husband of state Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen groped and sexually touched his wife’s former campaign manager without her consent and ordered him to pay her $50,000 in damages.

The verdict against retired lawyer and lobbyist Basil Badley came down shortly before 4 p.m., ending a two-week civil trial surrounding events inside the Democratic senator’s Camano Island home Dec. 2, 2008.

Follow @Herald_Politics for more.

Former White House Deputy Press Secretary Scott Stanzel is also reportedly considering the race.

Follow @KREM2, @VoteBaumgartner, and @ScottStanzel for more.

Wide receiver Mike Williams continued to dominate, catching eleven passes for 145 yards. Across the NFL, Williams resurgence is being heralded as the comeback story of the year. After his eleven catch performance Sunday, Williams has 46 catches on the season, seven for 20 or more yards. And he’s making catches in a variety of ways: down the sideline, over the middle, in front of press coverage, and over-top of smaller defensive backs. Standing at 6’5” and weighing 230 pounds, Williams has the prototypical size, hands, and physical ability to dominate like many of his counterparts – Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald, Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin, and New York’s Hakeem Nicks. However, unlike all these similarly sized and talented wide receivers, Williams is not producing in perhaps that most important aspect of the game: the end zone.

Williams has only one touchdown catch. Compare that to his counterparts: Fitzgerald has four touchdown catches, Boldin has six, and Nicks is leading the NFL with nine. And it’s not as though Fitzgerald, Boldin, and Nicks are simply catching more balls than Williams. In fact, only Fitzgerald has more catches than Williams at this point (he has 49).

It’s problematic when a team’s leading receiver, who absolutely has the ability to dominate offensively, like Williams, is not scoring touchdowns.

Considering Williams total catch numbers, it is mind-boggling that he has only found the end zone once – a touchdown catch in the first-half of their first win over the Cardinals. Why can’t he find the end zone?

The answer lies in the Seahawks inability to convert in the red zone. Olindo Mare, the Seahawks field goal kicker, kicked five field goals Sunday. He converted from 41, 34, 19, 23, and 19. He also missed a 29-yarder late in the game.

On the season, Mare has attempted field goals of 29 yards or less eleven times, converting nine of those tries. In other words, the Seahawks are relying on their field goal kicker to convert points in the red zone rather than their most dominate receiver.

Failing to connect with Williams in the red zone is, perhaps, the Seahawks most glaring offensive weakness at this point in the season. Williams is catching balls all over the field, in many different ways. There’s no good reason why he isn’t catching more balls on his way to the end zone.

‘Tweet’ thoughts –
Does Brian Billick even watch the game?

Forget Defensive Rookie of the Year: Earl Thomas is a Pro Bowler.

Matt Hasselbeck looks TERRIBLE; where’s Touchdown Jesus?

Greg Tolar sucks.

Cardinals quarterback Max Hall (everyone’s favorite Mormon) is playing like garbage. He looks overwhelmed nearly every play. Early on, Seahawks Safety Earl Thomas ran underneath a Hall pass downfield and appeared to be the intended target. I doubt Thomas will have a simpler interception all year.

Cardinals punter Ben Graham, known league-wide for his penchant to drop the ball inside the opponent’s twenty yard line, shanked one for seven yards and put another in the end zone for a net of twenty yards. Both times, however, the Seahawks failed to respond on the ensuing drive.

Both offenses look extremely anemic and Hasselbeck was sacked four times in the first half, and clearly held on to the ball too long on two of those sacks.

Again, the Seahawks lead 10-0 at the half but, considering the awful mistakes the Cardinals made in the half, should be leading by a much larger margin.

On the bright side, Walter Thurmond – starting in place of Kelly Jennings – is playing phenomenally occupying the corner opposite Marcus Trufant. He broke up two passes intended for Cardinals electrifying receiver Larry Fitzgerald. Rookie defensive back Roy Lewis had a solid first half as well, and Trufant forced a Tim Hightower fumble in the second quarter and recovered it.

Marshawn Lynch ran well in the first half, carrying the ball 10 times for more than sixty yards. Justin Forsett has not been a factor.

Brandon Stokely caught a Hasselbeck pass to extend a drive and Deon Butler has two catches as well.

Devastatingly, Russell Okung, coming off a remarkable performance last week against Julius Peppers, left the game and will not return. No word yet on the extent on the injury but he did have that, “my season just ended” look on his face limping off the field.

National bloggers are now questioning the legality of illegal immigrants aiding Murray’s re-election bid, and the influence of former staff now turned lobbyists.

Ouch.

PPP shows the race still tight, and with President Obama’s approval rating sagging in the state — right ahead of his big visit.

Of course, people like the Goracle made a mockery of the whole industry, what with their prolific globe-trotting.

Well, now it’s time for another offset of sorts — as D.C. politicians criss cross the country to rescue their favored incumbents.

With your help, we can offset their impact — and tip the momentum in our candidates’ favor!!!

This week, no less than former President Clinton, Vice President Joe Biden, and President Obama himself will barnstorm Washington State to try and help bail out Patty Murray. First Lady Michelle Obama will be here next week.

Murray, you may know, was rated the most liberal U.S. Senator by National Journal. Of course, before her, that honor belonged to…that’s right Barack Obama.

Now here’s the deal: Patty is hoping for a PR lift from this White House love-fest. Much of it being done on the public dime, no doubt.

And the brilliant side effects: Stuck in traffic? Deal with it. Late to work? Sorry! Can’t get the kids to soccer? Quit whining, it’s the President, baby!

If you’re fed up, and want to show Clinton, Biden, and Obama that they can’t buy this election for Patty Murray and the Democrats, then fight back!

Donate $25, $50 or $100 to Dino Rossi for U.S. Senate, Jaime Herrera and John Koster for U.S. Congress.

We cannot allow the White House to swoop in and hand this election to the Democrats.

And if it’s close, which it likely will be, our candidates are going to need every dime to fight till election day and perhaps even after (2004 ring a bell?).

Give as generously as you’re able. If you do, we can offset their visits and help our candidates sprint to the finish line.

If you don’t, you’re missing a chance to be part of a once-in-a-generation change in government.