Friends of Seattle, a progressive group focused on the environment and urban transportation, sponsored a mayoral forum Monday night at Spitfire in Belltown. They made a video available in two parts.

Part one

Part two

Candidates Michael McGinn, James Donaldson, Jan Drago and Norman Sigler participated. But it lacked some of the fireworks without Mayor Greg Nickels and Joe Mallahan. They had good excuses. Nickels was in DC hanging out with Obama and therefore was unable to attend. On his behalf, Michael Mann of the city’s Office of Sustainability and Environment gave opening and closing statements.

Mallahan canceled at the last minute, citing a family emergency.

Here’s the local political site Publicola’s take on the event.

In addition, a couple of other observations.

Former Sierra Club president Mike McGinn, who’s been pretty much of a one-trick-I-hate-the-tunnel pony thus far, seemed to be broadening his message, talking about his roots as a neighborhood activist trying to get sidewalks in Greenwood.

Asked afterward if it were a new campaign tactic, he said it wasn’t.

City Councilwoman Jan Drago talked about “tolling the entire system” to pay for sidewalks and other alternative transportation improvements. After the debate, Drago, who spent time in NJ where the highways are tolled, talked about supporting tolls on I-5, I-405, I-90 and SR 520.