It’s tough being a candidate. Pounding signs, pounding pavement, getting pounded by voters and newsies.

Then to find out that you’re not as loved as you hoped must be painful.

How can it get worse still? Running a strong campaign and getting fewer votes than Will Baker, who’s best known for getting arrested after disrupting City Council meetings.

Neighborhood activist Jonathan Phillips, running with three other candidates for at-large Tacoma City Council Position 8, finished fourth with 2,432 votes in the Aug. 21 contest. Baker, one of two challengers to incumbent Julie Anderson for at-large Position 7, finished second in that race with 2,682 votes.

The third-place finisher for Position 7 was Robert “The Traveller” Hill with 909 votes. Mr. Hill is best known for disrupting City Council meetings to promote “World Masturbation Day.” Baker’s campaign slogan – “Not as Nutty as that Other Guy” – seems to have worked in sweeping him into a November runoff.

The result of the council contest had to have been all the more devastating to Mayor Bill Baarsma, who threw the weight of his political machine behind Phillips. Baarsma was spotted in the North End doorbelling to promote his man. Were people on vacation or hiding in the den?

We’re not going to make fun of Saturday’s big celebrity softball benefit game at Cheney Stadium, featuring household names like the plaid guy from “Home Improvement,” the singer formerly known as Mr. Jessica Simpson and suitcase holder No. 9 from “Deal or No Deal.”

To ridicule these entertainers coming out for a good cause would be hypocritical for a newspaper that just recently enlisted readers to stalk Kevin Costner around the South Sound. (Sorry, the boss is a huge “Waterworld” fan.)

But we will point out that the Cheney Stadium crowd seemed less than blinded by all that Star Power. At one point, a hawker’s “Cotton Caaaaandy” echoed throughout the quiet stands.

The lanky guy from “Whose Line is It Anyway?” was up to bat and looked a little irritated.

The game did merit mention on the leading Nick Lachey fan site – www.nickfanatic.com. But it was News Tribune celebrity reporter Brent Champaco who snagged an exclusive interview.

For the record, Nick – we feel like we can call him Nick – would not rule out moving here. Nick diplomatically called ours a “beautiful” part of the country, even as an August downpour rained out batting practice.

Nick confided his post-game plans with honey Vanessa Minnillo. “Tonight, we’re going to go experience everything Tacoma has to offer.”

Let’s see, game ends at 10, bars close at 2 – that sounds about right.

From the Washington Ministry of Irony: Gov. Chris Gregoire is refusing a public records request for the identities of some of the nominees who weren’t picked to serve on the new “Sunshine Committee.” You know, the group charged with reviewing whether government secrecy has run amok.

Rubbing your hands with glee, are you, Tacoma parents, dreaming of the Wednesday start of school? Well, here’s some math to get you thinking.

Kids need suffer only 26 days of teachers (or is it the other way around?) until the first two-day break for students on Oct. 11 and 12 while teachers get training.

After that? A whole 19 days before the Nov. 9-12 four-day holiday weekend for kids.

And then, Turkey Day’s just around the corner. That’s another six days of classes before early release and two more days off. And then, elementary students are off to school another nine days before a three-day weekend. Down to the end-of-year sprint it’s eight days of classes before winter break.

By our count, that’s 69 days of school for elementary students before 2008.

Oh, to be a kid again.