Well, it looks like we won’t have Rodney Tom to kick around anymore:
Senate Majority Leader Rodney Tom, a titular Democrat who leads a Republican-dominated coalition, announced Monday that he is leaving the Legislature for reasons of health and family.
Yeah, either that or he has some polling that shows how widely hated he is in his own district. Fucking turncoat.
Republicans have thus far failed to field a viable challenger to Tom, because, you know, he’s basically a Republican. So his Eastside seat sure does look like a strong pickup opportunity for the Democrats and former Kirkland mayor Joan McBride. That said, unless Tim Sheldon can be persuaded to caucus with Democrats next session it’s hard to see senate Dems regaining control in November.
UPDATE: I guess it would be remiss of me to let Tom’s retirement pass without mentioning that one of my greatest regrets as a blogger is that perhaps my favorite post of all time was written in the service of supporting his election to the state senate. My bad.
I empathize with him and his father, having had a chronic problem with kidney stones myself and just coincidentally almost getting nailed by some jackass in a pickup truck while walking to the bus stop this morning. (Seems there’s a still a chronic problem in Wedgwood with guys in trucks not watching where they’re going…)
As a bus commuter, on the other hand, I’ll be more than happy to see him out of the political loop.
Good bye and Good riddance!
Not sorry to see a turncoat go out of the Senate, but I do wish him and his family the best with their health problems.
Now maybe, we can restore the Senate to what the majority of people in this state want….progressive democratic policies such as education and jobs.
RE: the update, recalling that it was around that time that I started reading HA, and I was new to political blogs (and their comments) in general then. I remember seeing the headline and doing a triple-take. Heh.
BTW, also not sorry to see Tom go. But reminded that I did support him back in the Esser era–ironic that Tom may have done more for Republicans than Esser ever did.
Where are the places a challenge could work?
http://irenebowling.com/
Give her some money or if you live out on the peninsula get in touch with the campaign and knock some doors. Lets let Sheldon join Tom in the dustbin! (disclosure a good friend of mine works for Irene’s campaign) We have a chance to knock Sheldon out in the primary if we can turn out enough democrats. Its a three way race so Irene has a good chance if we support her.
FYI, You’ve given the Democratic candidate for the seat being vacated by Tom one letter more than required in her last name. At last check, she spells her name, McBride.
http://joanmcbride.com
I’m having a tough time imagining the republicans using Sheldon as their fig leaf democrat.
Who is majority leader?
How much of a coelition is it?
Sheldon just looks like a republican, sad, sad, Tim.
Well, little did you know, Goldy. Anyone can fall victim to fraud. You were fooled by a pro. As a con artist, Tom is right there with Bernie Madoff and the guys in Standard & Poor’s bond rating shop.
Fuck Tom and his health problems. He stopped thousands other people from getting care and help they need for living a better life, or even living. He’s an evil self-serving man.
It will be interesting to see what sinecure job lobbying or whatever, he takes up as his reward for betrayal, and how soon he takes it up.
I was listening to a radio piece last week on the federal government administrative decision not to define cable tv/internet services as a utility, and they interviewed one of the key federal officials involved in the definition process about the process of deciding it wasn’t a utility. Funny though, his current position was as head of the main lobbying entity for national cable companies!!!!