My apologies to King County Councilmember Jane Hague. A few weeks ago I abused her for a fundraising letter in which she warned that her opponent would engage in a the “politics of personal destruction.” Considering the 25-to-1 cash advantage she held over the combined Democratic field (perennial gadfly Richard Pope, and officially anointed write-in candidate Brad Larssen,) I bluntly characterized Hague’s letter as fanciful, unnecessary and dishonest: “Hague is a liar, shamelessly fleecing her fellow Republicans for money that would be better spent elsewhere.”
Well, who knew…?
Metropolitan King County Councilmember Jane Hague faces a Redmond court appearance Aug. 29 on a driving-under-the-influence charge, according to court records.
Neither Hague nor her attorney, William Kirk, could be reached for comment about the July 16 charge.
It’s not so much the politics of “personal destruction” as it is the politics of self-destruction (Mike McGavick style,) but either way it looks like Hague’s eventual opponent will have plenty of ammunition — and justification — to go negative against Hague in November. If only he has the resources to get his message out.
I bet there are some name-brand Dems who are kicking themselves for turning down the opportunity to take down Hague.
So, anyone that has a DUI or has been arrested for one is worthless and uncredible unless they’re liberal and then you yank them out of the spotlight huh? Here in Bellingham/Whatcom County: County Executive Pete Kremen, and Kelly Linville are two to come to my mind. I’m sure there’s others out there. Not to mention, McGavick’s was over a decade ago. Grasping at straws are we Goldy? I’ll be sure to look for arrests from one of you idiots on the way home from one of those “drinking liberally” parties. Matter of time….
Geez – wish we had a candidate …
Thank you to all the dems that wouldn’t take the plunge …
And thank you to the dem party recruiters that didn’t produce a candidate.
I guess I must have missed your post excoriating Julia Patterson following her 2001 incident. Oh wait, you weren’t posting then so THAT’s why you didn’t weigh in. I’m sure you would’ve been just as harsh and indignant had you known and been posting…right? Just like I know you would have laid into habitually drunk groper former governor Mike Lowry?
I seem to recall that when Lowry got into hot water, the only living soul in the state who came to his defense was John Carlson.
So sad for Hague that this article had to show up on primary day, innit?
Heh.
Teddy Kennedy comes to mind — I will care what you say about Jane when you give him equal time. A lady died in Senator Kennedy’s car…
Regardless of the charges, she has been a great leader on the eastside and is the only qualified candidate in the race. Hell, Republicans and many Democrats are supporting her – one of few with true bi-partisan support.
Apparently, Julia Patterson had quite the drinking problem in the mid-1990’s (and, absent any treatment, probably still has quite the drinking problem.)
In 1996, at the district’s election night party on the Tyee High School/Chinook Middle School Campus, Patterson was stinking drunk. There’s no other word for it – she literally smelled of all the wine she had imbibed that evening.
And – here’s the kicker – as the victory party was in a rented room on school grounds and there were minors at the party, no alcoholic beverages were served at the party. Patterson, a couple of legislative staffers, and a few supporters kept nipping out to a mini-van from which a healthy supply of booze was being served (some said it was actually Patterson’s mini-van).
Karen Keiser was also well into her cups that evening, but not to the obvious extent that Patterson was.
Patterson, although clearly impaired, insisted upon driving home, as well.
Here’s one legislative staffer’s eye-witness account of (then state Representative, now King County Councilmember) Julia Patterson’s on-the-job intoxication:
Patterson was so drunk one night, she either spilled drinks or threw up on herself to the point of where she had to change clothes and come back to the floor wearing an over-sized t-shirt in order to finish voting …
It was Sine Die of the 1996 session. Both chambers were in session. There were several members of both parties who were drunk. Julia Patterson and Sandra Romero were drunk as skunks.
High comedy indeed.
Anyway, during all of this, Patterson had completely changed out of her clothes and donned an over-sized, purple/lavender t-shirt. She was almost slobbering drunk.
@9
She’s like the female Boris Yeltsin.
Personally, I’m fond of drunks. They say what’s on their mind and tend to be fun to be around. Too bad Bush quit drinking. The world would be a better place if he had never gone dry.
yep. Julian Kempf is crazy. remember this one
Former King County Elections Superintendent Julie Anne Kempf was booked into jail Tuesday, July 19, on investigation of forgery, theft, criminal impersonation, and assault on a police officer, Seattle Weekly has learned.
The probe that led to her arrest is related to events that occurred after she left her county job in December 2002, but it involves recent incidents connected to the elections office.
No formal charges have been filed, and details are sketchy. But sources say Kempf, 40, allegedly sent current King County Elections Director Dean Logan an e-mail, pretending to be someone else. She is also suspected of inserting false documents into a file of public records while she was reviewing them, allegedly constituting forgery. Sources also say she stopped payment on a check that she had used to pay for the documents and, during an investigative interview attempt last week, allegedly tried to hit a sheriff’s detective with her car.
Julian Kempf trotts out this story about julia patterson every 6 months. it is completely made up. julian kempf can’t forget when julia turned her in for forging pdc documents when she was with the 33rd district dems.
julian kempf is crazy
Julia Patterson is a drunk and has a nasty temper. She “goes off” on people all the time.
At least Jane is nice and friedly to be around. She works hard and should be re-elected.
Julia Patterson should be sent packing until she learns to treat people with dignity and respect. I can deal with her drinking, but not her upity, rude behavior. Down with Julia Patterson!!!
here is your “source” for Patterson info. Julie anne is nuts
[Deleted and replaced with link—Darryl. See comment policy.]
http://seattletimes.nwsource.c.....pf21m.html
Bill and Stan,
So are you saying Julia isn’t a heavy drinker and has never driven drunk…? It would seem that rather than addressing the charge you raise the red herring of one messenger in a trail of incidents clinging to the hope that somehow that means none of the rest of it is true. I know its tempting as it would be so much easier if only her substance abuse problems could be dismissed along with Julian Kempf.
You don’t think Pope could actually win this thing do you?
Jane Hague has a DUI charge against her. Julia Patterson has a clean record. Nuf said Julie Anne. Go get a job. Stop lying. And stop messing with cops.
I agree — Julia Patterson has a very bad temper. She can be soo rude. I have not seen her drunk, but I try to stay away so she does not bite by head off…so I would not be around her in a setting when she would be drinking.
Bill,
Ummm I’d check again on that clean record; January 2, 2001 Renton Municipal Court on a criminal traffic charge. Last time I checked Jane, unlike Julia, has been found guilty of nothing.
Bill’s radio silence is deafening and…satisfying. :)
Vote for Richard Pope. He’s a Democrat and a smart enough Democrat to get himself on the ballot in time.
“Pope”…. A name you can trust — and spell.
David, Richard Pope is now what you call a “name-brand Dem.” This morning, David, you kinda, sorta, indirectly, in a roundabout way, endorsed Pope. If he wins the primary, it’s time for you to endorse him directly. He’s the Horsesass mascot, for Christ’s sake.
Jane has a history,
1) Only King County Council in history member who was found to have violated the County Ethics Code. (That cost the taxpayers over $100,000)
2) Hit a metro bus and claimed it was a conspiracy to get her when the passangers stated she threatened to get the driver fired.
3) Fails to license her dog in violation of county ordinances and lets the damned thing bite people a number of times.
A Country Club Republican with a Clubhouse holyer than thou attitude. Bottom line is she is just a stinking drunk.
Grandgadfly,
You must be reassured that the Democratic nominee is such a straight shooter with no skeletons in his closet or public reprimands of any kind — I don’t doubt he’ll be well positioned to exploit all the weighty policy matters you discuss above.
Go Richard!
You have to admit, Richard is bipartisan.
The dearth of candidates is not restricted to this position. The Seattle City Council is beginning to look like the Seattle School Board, a very uinimpressive crew .. yet the choices for replacing them are either not there or are absurd.
Nationally, we dems have a wonderful handful of candidates for Prexy, but nobody I would want running a Latte stand seems interested in Reprican side.
There is a scary precedent for this sort of thing … the WA state leg. I do not know the numbers but I do know that a number of the legislators are not much different than lobbyists for companies or unions willing to go support these folks
full timeregular jobs.This suggests something very frightening … are we headed for a Soviet rather than a Parliamentary system? The soviets were brillinat invention, I beliwve by Stalin, of an apparently representative system that was rigged to be complinat with the powers to be.
The same thing may be happening here …instead of the Senator form Everett, that Senator will be from Boieng. Another lady will represent the teamsters while her best buddy will rep, the UW faculty. Of course the gigilliuonaires, will all have their personal legislators.
Ain’t democracy gtand?
So, why is it this story didn’t break until after the primary? Also, why aren’t the Seattle papers reporting the same details as the Bellingham Herald:
“In court documents, the deputy said he watched Hague drive erratically on Highway 520. He described her as “sarcastic and condescending” during her arrest.”
also:
“In court papers, Cougan said Hague called her arrest “ridiculous” and used foul language. Cougan also reported that Hague asked him, “Don’t you have rapists to take off the street?”
At the bottom of the on-line version of this story is this rather strange parenthetical: (The Seattle Times; not for online use in the Seattle area)
What’s up with that? Why on earth is this information “not for online use in the Seattle area”?
Goldy – can you unlock this mystery?