Answering questions from attendees at Mercer Island’s Summer Festival on Saturday, King County Executive candidate Susan Hutchison affirmed that she does indeed oppose the legal right of women to seek an abortion.
Well… she didn’t actually say that, and in fact, she pretty much tried to avoid directly answering the question. But if you read between the lines, her answer was clear.
A friend of mine ran into Hutchison at the festival where she was glad-handing potential voters (she’s apparently older in person than she is on TV), and decided to ask her a few simple questions, the first of which concerning her position on medical marijuana. Hutchison, very much the politician, replied that voters had approved medical marijuana, and that as Executive she would uphold the law of the land.
Notice how she avoided giving her own position on medical marijuana (my friend looks like a bit of a hippy, so she probably figured he was for it), but at least that “upholding the law of the land” bullshit conveniently set the ground rules.
Next my friend asked Hutchison about abortion, which she described as a “controversial” issue on which we need to have “national conversation.”
Again, she avoided answering the actual question, but the thing is, legal abortion is also the law of the land… yet she didn’t mention anything about upholding that.
Medical marijuana… uphold the law of the land. Abortion… we need to have a conversation.
Telling.
Now some might object to me reading into her answers a meaning that might not be there, but since Hutchison refuses to publicly have that conversation she claims we need, what other choice do we have but to parse her words as best we can?
If this post doesn’t epitomize the meaning of grasping at straws, I don’t know what does. Wow. Must have been a slow night on the blogosphere, eh Goldy?
And remind me again, what does abortion have anything to do with the position of King County executive?
Oh right, it doesn’t at all.
Great post, keep up the incredibly mediocre work.
This may come across as trollish, but is asked in all sincerity. What bearing and place does the abortion issue have in a King County Executive race? I ask this question because I want to know specifically what both sides of the debate expect?
Certainly King County is not going to overturn Supreme Court rules? And it is patently absurd for a candidate at this level to suggest a “national discussion”. She is running for a County Executive spot fer chrissakes. Not nominating supreme court justices. A more honest response I could respect would be I have personal feelings about that particular debate but it has no bearing on what I would do as KC Exec. But that would be way too human and reasonable.
Goldy you or whoever asked this question is distraction at best and political hackery at worst. How does participating in this kind of litmus test politics help your readers or the citizens of King County?
As for the knuckle draggers on the other side the issue. Who hell is Hutchison pandering to? I mean seriously, WTF? Does she or her pro-life constituency actually expect a King County Executive to change the law of the land when it comes to abortion?
I ask this question in all perplexed sincerity. Perhaps I am missing something. Maybe the King County Executive can impose draconian anti-choice policies on us. But without specifics it comes off as political nincompoopery all around, her response and your blog post.
Goldy, your blog is useful and more interesting when it deals with local politics that are substantive. Discussions about sales taxes, rapid transit , etc.
Abortion is a very important issue, but unless it is discussed in specific terms of its local implications at the local policy level, it seems silly to bring it up. In other words what the does abortion have to do with a King County Executive race? If you care about the abortion issue at the local level, and there are plenty of reasons to care, why not ask a specific and local policy question about the subject?
Just my two cents.
re 1: What, then, would be a relevant question in your view?
Her specific policies on mass transportation and how she proposes to pay for it? Funding the Sheriff’s Department? The water supply? Sewers? Hospitals
Lowering rich people’s taxes?
I was going to attempt to ask the WTF question about this post, but Gordon beat me to it.
Sorry, Goldy, there’s about 500 other actually-germane-to-KC reasons not to vote for SH, so why bring this up at all?
It’s a real poor journalistic move to put quotes around something that she didn’t say. Quotes are for what people DID say.
re 5: “The underlying message is that Susan Hutchison is a right wing crank who doesn’t have the moral courage to say what she really believes.”
I actually said that.
Piper, while shocked at being called a knuckle dragger Puddy is shocked SHOCKED and amused at the comments above.
Great questions 1, 2, 4, & 5. Puddy is impressed with the direct commentary over a certain person’s narrow minded biases toward Susan.
Puddy commends you four!
“at least that ‘upholding the law of the land’ bullshit conveniently set the ground rules.”
No, unfortunately it doesn’t, because — as we’ve learned over and over, repeatedly, since Nixon’s days — Republicans will talk a good game to get elected but when they actually get their fingers wrapped around power they have no more respect for laws-in-being than Lynnwood drivers have for red lights.
@1 It could have been written better — Goldy’s comment is a bit awkward and wishy-washy — but he’s expressing a powerful idea: That a candidate who won’t tell you what he/she wants to do in office shouldn’t be trusted with your vote.
And for your information, abortion does have something to do with the job of King County executive, and vice-versa. As exec, Hutch could write budgets and make executive decisions that cut off family planning services that exist at the county level.
Let me leave you with this thought: Goldy is smarter, more thoughtful, and better informed than you. Work on your weaknesses in those areas for a while before you try to edit his blog.
@7 “Great questions 1, 2, 4, & 5.”
Not really. Only slightly more erudite than the usual canned troll tripe. What you and all the other posters miss is, Goldy’s not talking about abortion, he’s talking about Hutchison’s deceitfulness.
Public Notice: Roger Rabbit On Business Trip
I’ll be absent from HA for a couple weeks because I’m traveling abroad to find a government or foreign corporation willing to take our trolls off our hands. Process ’em into fertilizer or something. I dislike begging, but our trolls are getting stale, if you know what I mean. I expect to be back in time for the next moon cycle. You boys and girls better be good while Roger Rabbit isn’t here to keep an eye on you, because if you’re not, I’m gonna kick some wingnut asses when I return. What the hell, I think I’ll kick them anyway, just on general principle.
imagine that, a person opposed to killing unborn babies, next thing you know, former national security advisors will be hiding classified documents down their pants and because he will be supported by aipac, he’ll never spend a day in jail and the msm wont say a word. and all the while the sheeple will be giving up all their freedoms to the federal reserve.
As I think about this more. Another problem with asking Hutchison the broad abortion question is that it is really being too easy on her. Why not ask a tougher more specific local policy question related to the matter? Get her on the record. Either she will provide some meaningless gibberish to pander or else reveal a true gem of her policy perspective and agenda.
That kind of stuff is interesting to us as voters. Not how well a country executive candidate can play the pander bear game on a national policy issue in a local county race.
By the way I am fundamentally opposed to the idea of a former talking head running our local government. Unless of course we are talking about David Byrne running for a local arts commissioner or something.
@10 I recognize the larger point Goldy seems to be making but my main gripe is that are plenty of relevant specifically local issues through which to make this point.
Two things:
1. If you think that King County Public Health has nothing to do with family planning and women’s health issues, you need to get out a lot more. (http://www.kingcounty.gov/heal.....mplan.aspx)
2. If you want more specific questions to be asked of Susan Huthison, get off your ass and go ask her one. Goldy is reporting on the experiences and results of a group of activists whose specific goal is exposing her lockstep Evengelical Republican views, because as we all know, they affect governance, and not in a good way.
@14
i’m wondering if calling someone evangelical is as bigoted as calling a politician a jew?
Goldy claims to be a leading journalist, but he doesn’t name his “friend?” Did this interview even happen?
Pelletizer drops this pellet:
Versus a candidate who tells “grandiose stories” to the public to get into office and then breaks quite a few and counting? Another useless pellet.
Another pellet called supposition.
These are Goldy’s followers, not “trolls”. Another useless pellet.
More supposition on posters 1,2,4,&5. Another useless pellet.
Now onto Diddled Luvr:
Golly we’re told over and over and over and over how blue King County is. As soon as Susan tries to perform this it will be all over the news, with many HA Libtardos calling for her impeachment. Also, since abortions are legal, what “legal” right would she have to try this? More supposition and fear mongering from an HA Libtardo.
And those who are secular progressive Dummocrapts can keep their secular progressive Dummocraptic views well hidden becuz these “activists” will NEVER ask the pointed question to flush these Dummocrapts out. We now see how the secular progressives are acting. US Air Force was prohibited after 42 years from a military flyover in Nampa, Idaho where the yearly festival was honoring our men and women in uniform, only because the title of the gathering was “God and Country Festival”
Yep the Dummocraptic HA Libtardos are so balanced in their presentations. Such compassion for others.
@13: Gordon says this about Susan Hutchison:
Pretty funny stuff Gordon….
As to Puddy:
Sorry Puddy, your poorly thought out tripe is so thick that you are tripping all over your own lack of cogent thoughts.
First you say abortion has nothing to do with KC, then when it is pointed out that the KC executive can control the KC health system, you claim that can’t happen because the KC liberals would get upset and impeach her…so which is it – can she control possible abortion policies or not? According to you, she can.
Do you enjoy contradicting yourself?
Fool.
Also, once again you use the false comparison analogy. RR says we should not elect politicans who won’t say what they will do in office. That is an important point and good way to judge politicians.
You fail to counter that argument, but instead link to a biased anti-Obama site that claims he has not kept all of his campaign promises.
So what, no one can keep every promise. The point is that Hutchison won’t even say what she will do – and therefor does not deserve to be elected.
Why can’t you even grasp the simplest arguments?
This maybe an example of why Hutchinson’s beliefs should be an issue.
This sorft of behavior by a Senator is, in my opinion, immoral. Driven by his religious beliefs, Brownback is making decisions that conflict with my moral view of the world. He has the right to do this but I have the right to decide not to vote for anyone with those views.
I think there is a catch 22 in this discussion. If Hutchinson was known to have a gay partner or to bhe reading porn, the religious would attack her character. How uis the practice of a morally offensive (to me) religion any different?
seattle jew, you find the christian religion morally offensive? lollolololol
NutsTooTight, what’s your problem today; Prostate or Cowpers solution in your throat?
First let’s take on “the anti-Obama” site.
Apparently you don’t pay attention to facts do you fool. The St. Petersburg Times have this motto “News Hounds – We watch FOX so you don’t have to.” Bill O’Reilly takes the St Pete Times on all the time. They covered up the prosecutoral mistakes in the Jessica Lunsford murder. Remember John Couey escaped to Georgia and O’Reilly covered it. Wait a minute… you are a real memory moron. You don’t remember it at all. Sorry dude St Pete Times supported “the messiah” fool. If you only did your DD instead of tasting your own fluids you could have a future. Naaaaaaaah!
Moronic twit… Puddy responding to Pelletizer and Diddled Luvr. Puddy realizes reading comprehension isn’t a real NutsTooTight strength. Abortion has nuthin to do with KC. It’s the law of the land. Diddled Luvr postulates Susan could with hold funds. Puddy wrote even if she tried she would be breaking the federal law and the libtardos would go apoplectic over it. So why did you skip over this sentence NutsTooTight?
It explodes your virtual reality fool!
Puddy realizes your a step slow and more than a few dollars short tout le temps!
That should be you’re a step slow…
Question: Did Ron Sims do anything, anything involving abortion when he was King County Executive?
Go ahead and search on Google. I’ll wait…
But OF COURSE, since Susan’s one of those dirty Christians, abortion now becomes a hot-button issue (only for those on the Left, mind you)
As a Conservative Christian (gasp!), I never once worried about Ron Sims’ stance on abortion as KCE because it didn’t matter. It’s a ridiculous non-issue, and we should be focused on the county’s budgetary problems instead.
But go ahead, call me a troll because I disagree with you.
#5 – Sarah:
Goldy made a decent point, but I agree it was a bad headline. I think headlines that intentionally mislead should be avoided.
Still, Goldy isn’t a “journalist”. He’s a liberal blogger. He uses this forum to express his opinion and never tries to pawn it off as objective reporting.
If you want good, objective reporting, go to…hmmm…I can’t actually think of anyplace, but definitely somewhere else.
Did ya notice NutsTooTight had nuthin to say about secular progressive activists NEVER asking the Dummocrapts vying for King County head the tough questions? Must be he knows it’s true so he has nuthin to say!
So sarge, when Goldy rightly went after Mike Brown and his Katrina FEMA stupidity, he wasn’t “pawn it off as objective reporting”? Using your words to make it fit.
Hmmm… Danger Will Robinson Danger…
Thanks sarge for that erudite commentary!
@23 Nick:
Of course he did things involving abortion. Anything he did or didn’t do regarding family planning services has to do with abortion. He expanded such services, reduced them, or left them unchanged. Any of those scenarios is relevant to abortion:
From the King County Website:
sarge @24,
I intentionally used misleading quotes in the headline to highlight the point that Hutchison won’t actually say anything on this and a number of other issues. The headline and the second paragraph are intended to play off each other.
As to the broader question posed here in the thread as to why abortion is relevant: A) King County does indeed provide family planning services, and her support, budgetary or otherwise will have an impact, particularly on low income women; B) Hutchison’s position on abortion and other controversial issues reflects whether she shares important values with voters; and C) It is a disservice to voters to allow a candidate to refuse to answer those questions which may hurt her standing with the same.
A friend of mine—not a blogger, not an activist, just an ordinary voter—asked a candidate some simple blunt questions in an informal setting, and she refused to give a straight answer. I think that’s worth passing on.
@26: I don’t know, was he? I didn’t read it.
Ok, I stand corrected. This is a fair and balanced news source, like Fox News. Shame on Goldy for allowing his personal bias to influence his coverage of the KCE race.
goldstien, do you mean like when a student asked barney frank a question about subprimes and he threw a tantrum? that kind of refusal by an elected official?
@20…DorkofUntruth…
There are some among the HA Happy Hooligans who are immoral bordering on libertine or worse.
But you are the only commentor or blogger who frequents the place who has zero (I wish I could use negative numbes, but mathematically that wouldn’t make sense) redeeming value.
You are the epitome of immorality in your racist, thuggish, hateful, awful, and downright evil comments about Jews. There is no level in hell low enough for someone who both holds and expresses such viewpoints.
The Piper
@28 Goldy.
I already agreed you had a good point to make. You admit the headline was intentionally misleading, which may be good blogging, but Sarah is right, it’s bad journalism.
What is your goal, present news as a journalist, or present opinion via editorial comment?
In other words, who is right, me, puddy, or both?
The abortion issue has everything to do with the King County races, because by electing her, we would be building her resume to move onto other things–like state or national office. That puts all issues on the table.
@27 Sarge:
“Of course he did things involving abortion. Anything he did or didn’t do regarding family planning services has to do with abortion. He expanded such services, reduced them, or left them unchanged. Any of those scenarios is relevant to abortion.”
Incredibly specific, thank you.
– “Things.”
– “Did or didn’t do.”
– “Expanded, reduced, or left them.”
Man, you’re an ardent researcher! All this hysteria about Hutchison is nuts.
@33 at tpn:
Lol! Now we’re really reaching. So let’s not elect Hutchison to KCE and fix the county because she may go onto higher office, and affect abortion policy there.
Or she may not. At all. Whatsoever.
Wow. Liberal thought is stunning sometimes.
sarge @32,
I’m a writer. Sometimes I present straight news, sometimes editorial comment, and sometimes a mix of both. Sometimes I even delve into satire, despite the fact that many of my readers seem incapable of appreciating such. I hope HA is informative, provocative and entertaining, but my goal is merely to write the kinda stuff I want to read.
I understand that it makes some folks uncomfortable not being able to put me and my product in a box, but that’s their problem not mine. For example, Sarah might find it irresponsible to violate the “rules” of journalism, but as a writer, I find it an indispensable tool to do so for effect.
Given the executive’s authority regarding operations of the Seattle/KingCo Department of Public Health and Harborview, the issue of where a candidate stands regarding abortions and other medical services is highly relevant.
Even more important is the future of the Public Health Department in general. Under Ron Sims, the prevailing policy seems to have been to let it slowly wither and die and hope most people won’t notice.
Nick @ 35:
Not liberal. Not conservative. Just the willigness to consider our future more then just what happens before the next election cycle.
tpn @38:
Of course you’re not a Liberal. You’re just concerned that Susan will win, fix the county, run for higher office, win, and then totally….uh, do what exactly to affect current abortion policy?
Piper @ 31
Well-done. Thanks.
@34 Nick:
Research wasn’t necessary to make my point. The County provides family planning services, including adoption and abortion counceling.
Whether or not Sims specifically did anything to change the status quo or not is irrelevant. Even assuming he only maintained the status quo, which I haven’t researched, he would have done something involving abortion by retaining abortion counceling services rather than decreasing or expanding them.
You seem to remain intentionally ignorant about the fact that the County Executive is relevant to the abortion issue at the local level.
@31/@40 I’ll second that.
@31 I’ll take caring libertines over self-righteous prudes any old time, thank you.
@43…AF…
Ah, but the HA Happy Hooligans are self-righteous libertines, which are the worst sort since they care mostly about their appetites.
Caring prudes, on the other had, give you the shirt off their back, but modestly so.
The Piper
@42 & @40…AF & PL…
Don’t think I’m going all squishy – I’m still as hard-right as ever. I just despise the pre-flush that comes from that person.
Evil is evil and must be addressed.
The Piper
Abortion isn’t controversial and we’ve had and finished that discussion.
@31
Thanks!
@ 31
I dunno. There’s bagPIPERS…they are far noisier and noisome
Unfortunately, except for the New York Times, there is no true journalism source left. Thus, we read HA, and I’ve not found you lacking in writing ability, Goldie. I get why you did the quotes in the head, but still — you’re one of our few sources left, and things like that slap our heads around a bit. Especially since I WISH she’d say something like that and we could hang her with it.
@40
But, grudgingly, VERY grudgingly, I concur.
A reminder that the issue of legalized abortion weighs in heavily when deciding on King Co Executive since the County Council presides over all the King County Public Health clinics including the family planning clinics. Susan Hutchison is opposed to providing family planning services to low income women (which includes option for abortion).