Mike Burke, a Northlander and the latest entrant in the 2011 KC mayoral sweepstakes, launched his campaign tonight at the Steamboat Arabia Museum in the River Market.

The ill-fated steamboat was a handy prop for the lawyer who used words like "snags" and "sinking" and "crew" to talk about why he's running.

The money quote: "Meantime, we don't know who's at the wheel -- the captain or the first mate."

That was a reference to incumbent Mayor Mark Funkhouser and his wife, Gloria Squitiro.

And...

"Our ship has hit a snag and we are threatened with sinking. The captain is blaming the crew. The crew is threatening mutiny. And the passengers have signed a petition to throw the captain overboard."

The next mayor has to understand the importance of collaboration and team building, Burke said. The stakes are huge.

"The next election for mayor of Kansas City," Burke said, "will be the most important election of our lifetime."

A moderate-sized crowd of about 70 attended, including Anita Gorman, Councilman Ed Ford and former Councilwoman Joanne Collins.

Oh, there was lots of talk about the need to get in the race early to scare off other potential rivals and begin to close the fund-raising gap with Sly James who's already raised $300,000.