As has been widely reported at Publicola, the P-I and elsewhere, the putatively nonpartisan King County Council deadlocked last night along partisan lines as they struggled to name a replacement to fill Dow Constantine’s vacated seat through the end of 2010.
Which raises a question. Were the Municipal League, the Seattle Times and other so-called civic “leaders” naive, stupid or just plain cynical in endorsing last year’s charter amendment that made all county offices nonpartisan? I mean, honestly… what the fuck did they think would happen in situations such as this?
It also raises the question of exactly what Republicans on the council are trying to achieve by blocking the appointment of State Sen. Joe McDermott, the obvious favorite of District 9 Democratic PCO’s. Are they hoping that an interim appointment would attract multiple legislators to the race (Rep. Zack Hudgins, for instance), thus creating additional headaches for Dems as they attempt not to lose too many seats next November? Surely they don’t believe a Republican has a shot at the seat?
Either way they may end up regretting their gambit and the hard feelings it is creating. When Rob McKenna vacated his seat after winning the AG’s race, Reagan Dunn was appointed unanimously. As prominent Republican Toby Nixon points out in the P-I’s comment thread, next time around, Democrats might not be so gracious:
The Republicans need to keep in mind that the time may come when Kathy Lambert or Reagan Dunn (just a couple of examples) are elected to higher office and the council will be choosing their successor — and the Democrats on the council will remember well what is happening right now.
So how’s that charter amendment working out for you, Toby?
appoint a green party member who supports public campaign finance. coke and pepsi are both poison.
Notaboomer… Any green party member is really a Democratic in green clothing… Think Ralph Nader types.
It might be noted that the closest they came to reaching an agreement was when Pete Von Reichbauer called Charley Royer on the phone and asked him if he’d be willing to serve.
It’s like this. If it’s a 4/4 split, the only reasonable alternative, in GOP-land, is to elect a “placeholder”. If the Dem’s refuse, they can cry foul, and accuse them of not being “bi-partisan”.
It’s always the Dem’s job to capitulate and give into the Republican demands, even when they have zero leverage. Anything less is obstructionism, and downright un-American.
We’ll get Joe sooner or later if the Dem’s don’t cave, even if we have to wait for the Governor do it.
But don’t be surprised if the Dem’s back off on Joe and let the Republicans win. It’s what we’re good at.
@4 got it right (if sarcastically). State law says it goes to the Governor after 60 days. The Gov will almost certainly conduct a brief process, then appoint whomever the Dem PCOs wanted in the first place (McDermott).
It happened that way here in Thurston County recently (though that was because the two Democratic county commissioners couldn’t agree on a third – yeah, we need a new county charter, but that’s a different issue).
A few things, Goldy:
1. It’s the 8th District, not the 9th.
2. Publicola didn’t “report” shit. ECB stayed home and watched her TV. The real reporting was here, at West Seattle Blog, because Tracy came early and stayed through the whole thing.
3. So did Keith Ervin of the Seattle Times, a true professional and one of the best people left there.
So if you want to be considered a credible media critic, (1) give credit to the Times on the rare occasions when credit is due, and (2) quit pimping your buddies, who are mailing it in.
You are correct to cite the Dunn appointment — no more Mr. Nice Guy next time — and to quote Toby Nixon, who has the integrity to say what most of us who were there for the duration were thinking.
The Republicans need to be listening to Toby this time. We’ll see if they have the brains to do that.
If the Democrats got behind Richard Pope, when Jane Hague was vulnerable, this might be a moot point.
Republicans start so many wars because weak kneed Democrats have given them the impression that all they have to do is bluster and threaten to get their way.
I thought it was pretty funny that they took an extra long break to call a legislator to see if he would be a “caretaker” and then balked when they found out that the guy would run again for his old legislative seat.
WTF do they think the guy was going to do, end his fureaking life at the end of the term.
The Republicans chocked, they shoulda, coulda, supported a caretaker Dem (pick one), and then ran people to contest all the seats that the domino effect would create in an election. So, if McDermot is appointed, then the music starts, chairs are filled by appointment, music stops, and Republican face incumbants in all of the seats vacated and filled by appontment.
Though this presumes that they would have viable candidates, which is a much bigger problem.
I agree with ivan, Eric repeating what is on tv, while I’m watching it, is not a highlight for Publicola.
re 7 — Good point. But conventional wisdom got in the way, as it often does.
Goldy, you are wrong. As is being proved in DC right now. Democrats have no back bone. Just say, “You’re being a meany!” and 1/3 of us instantly cave. Republicans play the odds on this kind of stuff and come out ahead over time.
I like your spunk though. It’s very 2008.
for 60 days there is no longer a five to four majority, right? so everything else is bottled up also?
Wow, obviously you did not watch it. The Republicans waited around at the desk while the Democrats ran back and forth trying to figure out what to do. Didn’t they know for a month that Dow had left? So who was in charge – oh, Bob. The Republicans ran several names all off the list that applied that Van Reichbauer held up and then made calls to a few more. Since all the names were Democrats on the list, how could the Republicans be holding out for a Republican???? Looked like the Democrats did not have their shit or story together.
I think the other 38 counties should have nonpartisan county councils, too. All the counties should be the same.
@2 The worst Democratic is better than the best Republicon.
You seem to forget, Goldy — I opposed Initiative 26. The reasoning I expressed at the time was similar to what I commented on the P-I thread — that it would enable the majority on the council to expand its numbers whenever a member of the minority needed to be replaced. I made this point to every Republican I could (even though I knew it would piss off Pete and those who funded I-26). I didn’t comment on the possible deadlock situation that could result if the vacancy left a tie behind, because I didn’t think of it at the time, but it’s definitely another result.
I still prefer not having party labels directly on the ballot, though. Can’t we all be a little schizo from time to time?
I should also say that if the council meeting really went down the way its described on West Seattle Blog, it very likely was one gigantic violation of the Open Public Meetings Act. RCW 42.30.110(1)(h) permits executive sessions “[t]o evaluate the qualifications of a candidate for appointment to elective office”, but it sure doesn’t sound to me like all the “closed door meetings” held on Monday were for the purpose of “evaluating qualifications”. Any other discussions should have been held in public.
Toby @ 17:
I was there from beginning to end, and it went down exactly as Tracy at WSB describes it, but she might have left out that the running back and forth in and out of Council chambers was in an attempt to COMPLY with the Open Public Meeting Act.
Council staff were constantly monitoring how many members were in chambers at any one time, and that was the rule that they cited.
I have no way to judge if they were successful, and TV would not have picked up all the movement, so we might never know. But I can say with some authority that they at least put on a good show of going through the motions of compliance.
few people fail to realize that political science is a philosophy and wise social solutions are built upon logic and reason.
and everybody else is either a democrat or a republican.
Ivan @ 17:
So you’re saying they intentionally made sure there were never more than four councilmembers in any one secret meeting at a time? And executed shuttle diplomacy to try to circumvent the intent of the Open Public Meetings Act that such discussions be held in full view of the public? It sounds like a “serial meeting” to me, which the courts have said are inconsistent with the spirit of the OPMA.
“The legislature finds and declares that all public commissions, boards, councils, committees, subcommittees, departments, divisions, offices, and all other public agencies of this state and subdivisions thereof exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business. It is the intent of this chapter that their actions be taken openly and that their deliberations be conducted openly.” (RCW 42.30.010)
Well, Toby, whereas neither you or I know what went on behind those closed doors, but can only guess, I’d say your guess is as good as mine.
So the Democrats firmly plant on Joe under pressure of the Democrat party and the Republicans say yes to five people who applied that are all Democrats. Seems like the Republicans were more accomodating and the Democrats were strong arming. Did not look professional to me. Glad I could have a beer, watch several televison programs and flip back to see the crazy meeting still going on and on.