I know a lot of Democrats who are pretty pissed off at King County Councilman Larry Phillips for crossing the aisle and joining Republicans in appointing Jan Drago to fill Dow Constantine’s seat, but I’m not one of them. Yeah, I generally hail from the “Democrats are pussies” camp, routinely berating my own party for failing to play political hardball in the face of the nearly intractable, partisan discipline practiced by their Republican opponents, but well, sometimes reality is reality.
The refusal of the four Republicans on the council to honor the will of Eighth District Democrats by appointing state Sen. Joe McDermott to the seat, was breach of protocol and tradition that I hope comes back to bite them in the ass the next time the council is asked to fill a Republican vacancy, but this was political gambit from which they had little incentive to budge. Had McDermott gained the appointment, his incumbency would have made him such an overwhelming favorite in November that it likely would have dissuaded other serious contenders from waging a challenge. But with an open seat up for grabs, the race could attract several sitting elected officials, thus sowing disruption through the Democratic ranks, and spreading their financial resources ever thinner.
For example, if both McDermott and state Rep. Zack Hudgins run for the council, that will leave both of their otherwise safe legislative seats open in November. But more importantly, it would tie up the surpluses in both of their campaign coffers from being transferred to more competitive districts. That’s just smart politics on the part of the Republican council members, if totally irresponsible when comes to actual governance.
Think I’m giving the goopers too much credit? Then explain to me why they briefly offered Hudgins the council appointment, but only if he agreed, like Drago, to serve only as a caretaker. When Hudgins surprised them by accepting these terms, they asked if Hudgins would run again for his vacated House seat in November, and when he said yes, they withdrew the offer.
Maximum disruption of Democratic legislative races, that’s what the Republicans were shooting for, and perhaps, that’s what they’ll get. So why aren’t I pissed at Phillips for caving to their demands, especially considering that the appointment would have fallen to Gov. Gregoire had the council post remained vacant for another 30 days? Because the cost of waiting another month was simply too high.
Had Phillips and the Democrats waited for Gregoire to appoint McDermott, as she surely would have, it would have meant two legislative seats changing hands in the middle of a crucial short session. First McDermott’s seat would have to be filled, and then Sen. Fred Jarrett’s, whose replacement would have almost surely waited until after Democrats had regained their council majority. Now, with Drago in place, McDermott can continue to prepare for the session, while Randy Gordon’s appointment is little more than a formality.
Combine that with the fact that the biggest knock against Drago is that she’s not McDermott, and it just didn’t make sense to drag out this four-four deadlock any longer… at least if your primary concern is governance. We needed to settle this before the start of the session, even if it meant caving to the Republicans’ irresponsible and petty demands. So in my opinion, Phillips probably did the right thing in breaking ranks.
That said, I hope we can count on him for demanding political payback, when payback is ultimately due.
UPDATE:
Apparently, the governor cannot break a deadlock over a nonpartisan seat. So I guess I was wrong. It’s been known to happen.
Thanks for explaining the nitty gritty.
Our council Republicans can pull a stunt like this because they vote as a block, allowing them to punch above their weight. Congrats to them for playing hard ball, successfully.
I just hope our Democratic caucus has a long memory. I’d like them to pay back, in full, plus interest, when the opportunity comes.
Goldy plays political hardball??? Yeah, right. Overly dogmatic sure but, the times you’ve advocated Democratic office holders to have some form of negative consequence for their actions are far and few between. In Mike McGinn’s case, a candidate that would actually play hardball, you were squeamish about endorsing him.
It’s neither wrong nor “hardball” for politicians to have negative consequences for some of their actions. But Goldy, most of your proposals, like saying you’d like to see some candidates face primary challengers while not coming up with actual challengers, ways to recruit challengers, or way to fund challengers fall flat. Same with your recent posts on healthcare reform which would have us supporting Democrats regardless of what they do. It’s like setting the fine for speeding at a million dollars and then firing all the cops. Are people going to worry about getting a ticket?
You’ve advocated and done great work for quite a few cool things with HA, our community is a better place for it, and I thank you for your work. But, when it come to leadership, vision and Democratic office holders facing negative consequences for votes and behaviors that hurt our community you’ve consistently come up short. Please don’t try to claim things that aren’t rightfully yours.
that should actually read “the will of the paid members of the 34th LD District Dems.”
Oh and don’t forget Joe McDermott is openly gay, while Hudgins and Drago are openly straight.
You’re too fucking ignorant for words, Goldy. You have no understanding of the appointment process, and you’re just shooting from the hip, without having actually asked anybody.
No. 1, if this had gone to the Governor, by that late stage of the session, there would have been NO vacancies and NO mid-session appointments. Joe would have held on to his Senate seat till the session ended, and Sharon Nelson — not Fred Jarrett, dummy — he’s from the 41st — would have held on to her House seat — just to AVOID the same kind of mish-mash you mention.
No. 2, there isn’t any serious challenger to Joe for this County Council seat, either in the primary or in the general, nor will there be. Zack Hudgins won’t oppose Joe — Joe would win and Zack would be out of a job in the House. You got nothing here, Goldy, and don’t pretend that you do.
No. 3, there’s no “if” Joe runs for Council. He’s running, period, and AFAIK he has filed already, which you could have verified by checking PDC, if you weren’t so lazy. Sharon Nelson will run for his Senate seat, and we’ll have a wide-open primary for her House seat.
No. 4, “We” needed to settle this before the start of the session? Fuck you, Goldy. You’re not “we.” The Council got hundreds of letters and e-mails from 8th District residents telling them that we we would rather go unrepresented till the Governor appointed Joe, than have someone foisted on us who we hadn’t asked for and wouldn’t vote for. Gossett and Patterson admitted as much in chambers. Too bad you missed it.
In short, Goldy, this is one of the dumbest, least informed, entirely cock-ass backwards posts I have ever read on this blog, and it tells me you’re just mailing it in here, and need to find somethng else to do.
“…comes back to bite them in the ass the next time the council is asked to fill a Republican vacancy”.
No, see it doesn’t work that way. If the Democrats do that, they’re being obstructionist, disobeying Democracy, destroying freedom, and hell, probably part of the lead up to death panels or something nutty. What the Republicans did was childish and petulant, and will come back to bite them…but they had every legal right to do it. They choose to stick together as a politcal group and piss on the Democrats for “fun”. Might be assh*les for doing it, but they have the right…
This justifcation is pretty weak. Sorry, it needs to be said.
“I know a lot of Democrats who are pretty pissed off at King County Councilman Larry Phillips for crossing the aisle and joining Republicans in appointing Jan Drago to fill Dow Constantine’s seat, but I’m not one of them.”
I am. I’m sick of tired of Republicans always winning, even when they’re the minority party, because spineless Democrats roll over for them.
@3 That’s your opinion, and opinions are like assholes, everybody’s got one.
P.S., PCOs are unpaid positions, nitwit. But as you’ve never been one, you wouldn’t know.
@5 “No. 1, if this had gone to the Governor, …”
You just proved you’re as ignorant of the appointment process as Goldy is. Good job.
@ 10:
I know more about it than you do. McDermott’s County Council appointment would have ended up with the Governor because of legislation that will be introduced in the House, with the Speaker’s blessing, in the first days of the session, that would have enabled the Governor to appoint in cases of deadlock for nonpartisan positions in home-rule counties.
There is no requirement that McDermott would have to resign his Senate seat if that were to have happened during session. Tim Sheldon serves as both a State Senator and Mason County Commissioner. Pisses a lot of people off, but it’s legal, and they haven’t voted him out over it yet.
Now tell me what you know about it, smartass.
@9:
one pays a membership fee to belong to the 34th Dems. PCO’s are citizens who wish to represent their precint to that same group and are voted in or appointed.
I used to be a member AND a PCO, both of which I resigned from.
Pay attention yourself, nitwit.
@ 12:
No one is denied membership in the 34th District Democrats due to inability to pay, and PCOs who are elected become members automatically. But you knew that.
ivan @ 13
That’s just so awesome. Go 34th LD Dems!
Um, the dems on the council hsve done this to the Republicans. When Chris Vance resigned the Republicans on the district choose Pam Roach as there first choice. The Dems went with the second choice Les Thomas.
Poor example RennDawg. Although Pam Roach was the first choice, it was by a narrow margin over Les Thomas and Phil Fortunato–not a clear choice of most like Joe McDermott. Plus the D’s had watched the extremely unpleasant Pam Roach draw a $40000 annual paycheck from Councilmember Kent Pullen without ever showing up for work.
I don’t always agree with Ivan, but he is right on this one. The council should respect the wishes of the PCOs.