The upstart challenge of Dem Darcy Burner (pictured) to U.S. Rep. Dave

The upstart challenge of Dem Darcy Burner (pictured) to U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Auburn, just got another boost: EMILY’s List, the largest political action committee in the country with 100,000 members, endorsed her. That means money will follow since EMILY is an acronym that stands for Early Money Is Like Yeast. Burner, a former Microsoft manager from a blue-collar military family, has never held political office but is attracting national attention in this Democratic-leaning year. Reichert is a rookie incumbent defending his seat in the 8th Congressional District dominated by suburban King County.Reichert made a strategic error last week when he hosted a fund-raising event in Medina with President Bush, who is tremendously unpopular in Washington. Previously, Reichert had stressed his independence from the White House. Clearly Reichert felt he needed the cash to keep Burner at bay. Burner needs plenty of money so she can mail pictures of Bush and Reichert smiling together on the tarmac at Boeing Field to thousands of households on the Eastside, and EMILY’s List’s endorsement will help her fund-raising.