Now wait a minute there, isn’t Esquire magazine the sort of East Coast rag conservatives are fond of calling elitist?

Well in one locally relevant instance, the venerable monthly has gone all red state on us. The current issue includes an endorsement of 4th Congressional District incumbent U.S. Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Pasco.

Hastings said Tuesday morning he was unaware of the magazine’s choice.

Esquire endorsed candidates for every Congressional seat as well as for every state’s governor and for president. Hastings, who is running for re-election against attorney George Fearing, a Democrat from Kennewick, got the nod because of his continued efforts to clean up the Hanford nuclear site, the magazine said.

It wasn’t by any means a sweep for Republicans, however.

Esquire picked Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire over her Republican challenger Dino Rossi. And it picked Barack Obama over John McCain for president.

-- Posted by Pat Muir