Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon have decided to caucus with the Republicans even though they’re still claiming to be Democrats. I don’t know what it means to be a Democrat when you caucus with the Republicans and vote for their shitty budgets.
It isn’t a surprise, still with Tom, it’s a little bit of a sting. One of the best pieces on this blog was written in defense of him . And while he was never embraced fully by the party (because a lot of his policies were still shit) he was never primaried in that Democratic leaning district. Obviously, that’s probably going to happen now.
In the piece linked to in the first paragraph, Goldy wonders if there’s any way to salvage a Democratic majority. I guess the only way I can see would be to get one of them a job outside the legislature so they’ll have to resign. There would be a tie until their replacement was picked, and since they ran as Democrats, the Democrats would pick that replacement.
Of course something like that would be rewarding them for being assholes. Still, it’s less awful than the budgets and the hateful legislation we’re likely to see out of the state senate if the GOP is in charge. Inslee has a lot of positions to fill, and maybe there are some lobbying groups that they’ve been good on their issues, but would like to see a Democratic majority.
I wouldn’t worry about things, Carl. The Dems will still be in control of everything in WA, especially Western WA.
Call out the traitors. Turncoat Tim Sheldon 360-786-7668, Turncoat Rodney Tom 360-786-7694 Do it today and let them know recall is on your agenda.
Just switch, baby.
I’m not Ted Nugent, so I won’t suggest assassinating them, but I’ll go with recall. And, for good measure, let’s cut off the flow of money from Western Washington to Eastern Washington. Those Republicans over there take pride in self-sufficiency, so let’s give them a chance to try it.
I’m not Ted Nugent… well, thank god for that. Although for a while there your talk of ‘liberals must’ arm had me worried. But I’ve come around to the belief that the idea has great merit.
Those monthly meetings at the 48th Dems must be, er, interesting.
@5 Some idiot over on (u)SP posted tonight, “The only thing I think that separates Liberals and Conservatives … is who would actual [sic] step over the line and kill a fellow group of humans on a mass scale. That is settled…Liberals do.” To which someone else pithily replied, “Anders Brievik is one of yours.”
It’s pretty questionable whether that guy is capable of thinking; but, in any case, I’m less concerned about arming liberals than I used to be, because it has become abundantly clear that the Ted Nugents of the world couldn’t shoot their way out of a lunch sack.
It’s probably just as well he dodged the draft. I wouldn’t want him in my foxhole. I’d be gassed by hot air before the enemy showed up.
@5 Okay, but let me ask you this, Ass. Why were you worried about my talk of arming liberals, but you’re not worried about the guns actually in possession of the assorted nutjobs making up the far right? Or, putting it another way, if you had to be in a field with someone armed with a shotgun, would you rather be with Dick Cheney or me?
Bob Morton’s retiring from the state senate, let’s replace him with a Democrat.
I am just as outraged about this, but a recall might not get passed the judge, BUT I do think it is worth a try. Seattle recalled 2 mayors, and almost recalled a third. Hiram Gill, who let saloons and brothels run rampant, ran afoul of a very new constiutency at the time over that, women. Women were granted the right to vote in 1910, Gill’s recall election was in February 1911.
http://www.historylink.org/ind.....le_id=2755
8)That’s a start. Although the Democratic parts of Spokane County is the Downtown part. It could be a good chance it would be another moderate Democrat that gets elected there. Then again, not challenging this open seat is worse than not winning it.
Exactly.
There’s about zero chance that Bob Morton will get replaced with a Democrat, but we should raise a fuss, try anyway, and let everyone know that we’re doing it because of their antics with Tom and Sheldon.
@2 recall is not an option. It is only available in this state as a result of malfeasance or misfeasance. So, Basically it has to be an impeachable offense. We can’t just get rid of people because we don’t like their decisions unless its an election. This is not Wisconsin.
@12, actually any violation of the law will do, but as you note it would need to get past a Judge. Even worse, those signatures would have to come from their District. I think that public humiliation is a better option.
@4 Please, Mr. Rabbit sir, don’t cut us off over here in EastWash. There are bunnies here as well who would suffer and hares too, your cousins.
Having dealt, in other western states, with flaky D’s who wander along the middle of the road with the yellow stripe and dead armadillos I say let ’em do it without a big public fuss. Shun them certainly and lock them out of the caucus but let them have all the hanging rope they need. The R’s don’t trust them. A turncoat is a turncoat is a turncoat. Build the foundation now to beat them in the next primary and ruin whatever hope of a career they ever had. Or get BO to appoint them to Mauritania or someplace.
Typical weaselly bastards. They run as Democrats so they can get elected (pretend not to support Republican positions) then switch to support the Republicans when they get in. Scum. If you want to be Republicans, RUN as Republicans. Try to get elected as Republicans. If they have to lie and essentially TRICK folks into electing them, then you’re PROVING that folks don’t want Republicans or Republican ideas, you can only get them through by tricks and lying.
Be honest! Run as what you are! Tell folks you WILL support and join the Republicans when you get in…when you fun for election, not after. What jerks.
Imaging if some one did the opposite in Eastern Washington? Run as a Republican, tell folks you’re a Republican, then get elected and join the Democrats in the Senate to vote with them. You think they’d mind? LOL
Talk about eating your own. I mean really where’s all the kumbaya?
Wow. Certain people are up in arms opposing a lot of shit.. Let’s see:
By 47-37, the oppose letting the Obama payroll tax cut expire.
By 68-26, they oppose cutting spending for Medicare.
By 61-33, they oppose cutting spending for Medicaid.
By 66-28, they oppose eliminating the tax deduction for home mortgage interest.
By 72-25, they oppose eliminating the charitable tax deduction.
By 56-44, they oppose raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67.
Who are these people?
Republican voters, that’s who!
I believe that an appropriate sanction for Tom and Sheldon is removal of their testicles (if they still possess them) without benefit of anesthesia, then feed them their testicles, uncooked.
Wow! It’s usually Repubs eating their own. I’m not sure I’m happy or turned off by this.
I am happy some people in the Senate have stones enough to try something new and if they agree on nothing, but a more realistic budget….then good for the Senate!
It isn’t that “some people in the Senate have stones” to try any damned thing different. It is about being promised more power in the Republican caucus. Sheldon runs as a Democrat but no Democrat thinks of him as a Democrat. He never votes with the Democrats and is well-known for his conservative positions. There is no surprise there. The Ds don’t put money into his campaign because of this.
The other yahoo, apparently did adjust his viewpoints to run as a D and was financially supported by the party.
I’m not sure what a “more realistic” budget is either. The Dems did a fine job of gutting the shit out of the last few budgets without the help of the Republicans, who seem to prefer being completely and utterly blind for a realistic look at the way revenue is collected and what changes must be made.
“…let’s cut off the flow of money from Western Washington to Eastern Washington. Those Republicans over there take pride in self-sufficiency, so let’s give them a chance to try it.”
But then you’d have two more Republican Senators in the US Senate, and the current House seats from Eastern WA would go to the newly-created state. That wold be a slight gain for the Republican Party, overall.
@21 Politically Incorrect,
Why would cutting the flow of state money raised (taxed) in the west to Eastern Washington create a new state? How would that work?
@22,
I made the assumption that cutting Eastern WA loose would mean the creation of a new state.
@23 Politically Incorrect,
That’s one very large assumption.
Even assuming a secession of the state were possible such a thing has only happened once in US history when West Virginia seceded from the state of Virginia after it attempted to secede from the US of A.
In the end becoming a state requires approval by the US Congress.
Bottom line, the probability of Eastern Washington becoming its own state for any reason is somewhere between zero and none.
West Virginia is an anomily, created in wartime to cover the areas which were primary Union in loyalty and occupied by Union armies in any event. By creating a seperate state, Lincoln could count it as one of the “Union Loyal” states for the upcoming elections.
He also had a “reconstruction policy” which said that if he could have 10% of the population voting in the last election sign an oath of loyalty to the Union, then that state would be considered Union for the purposes of the electoral college in the 1864 election. While only white men could vote, those signing the oath of loyalty were presumed to be supporters of Lincoln, and their votes did in fact go that way in the subsequent Constitutional Convention and Nomination process. Detractors blamed this political intrigue for the Red River and Florida campaigns of 1864, but there were other reaons (not exactly good ones).
Now, if a portion of a state were to seperate with the blessing of the rest of the state, that creates an entirely different scenario. I presume the Republicans would love this because it gives them another two Senators and one Representative, and three electoral votes. Which is a good enough reason for Democrats to avoid it.
@25 rhp6033, there’s no scenario imaginable where the citizens of Eastern Washington (whatever boundary you’d draw) would secede to form their own state, nor any scenario where the citizens of Western Washington would go along if they did, nor any scenario where the other 50 (or 51 if you include Puerto Rico or DC) states would go along if somehow Eastern and Western WA wanted a new state.
Of course, the finances of a state of Eastern Washington would pale in comparison with the west. It’a hard to see how they would survive without significant federal assistance.
Michigan’s unions losing (big) today, and WA under greater GOP influence now after the caucus shift.
That’s two blue states moving right.
Fewer than half of the states will create their own insurance exchanges. I think I read that only 17 will do so.
Maybe the blue wave is less than some here might believe.
Sorry about that.
No, thats two states where a minority of people have managed to, temporarily, usurp power from the majority.
The idea that Michigan, where Obama got 57.4% of the vote, is suddenly moving to the right is laughable. Same with Washington where we just legalized gay marriage and pot, turned down a GOPer for governor, and voted for Obama by 56% to 41%.
@25
My West Virginia ancestors fought for the north. They actually fought with regiments from Ohio, although it looks like there wasn’t a shortage of regiments from WV.
Or, putting it another way, if you had to be in a field with someone armed with a shotgun, would you rather be with Dick Cheney or me?
Tough choice. You could get the drop on me, and I’d have to listen to your stock market blather, entertaining as it is.
With Dickkkky I would get a chance to accidentally discharge some despicable fascist scum from the face of the earth.
Could go either way I guess.
@ 29
Good evening, Michael.
What’s the minority of people usurping power from the majority in MI? Or, more accurately, what is the majority in MI of which you speak?
BTW Obama won MI 52.2 – 44.7 over Romney, or about a 9.5 percent advantage.
His 2008 win in MI over McCain was 57.35% – 40.90%, or about 16.45%.
Both of those results from Wiki.
A 2012 margin of victory nearly 7 points lower than in 2008 isn’t exactly a move to the left. Neither was the result of the union constitutional amendment proposition.
29) Good point.
We have had paper thin margins between parties before in Olympia, the period where the State House was tied 49-49, for three years. Plus, about the exchanges Also, about the Healthcare exchanges, if the GOP Governors were not playing politics, they would have had input, instead, they just deferred to the Federal Government that they love to rail against.
@24,
Well, it seemed to me that that was what we were talking about: the separation of Western WA and Eastern WA into 2 states. It’s very unlikely, but I thought that was what we were talking about in the thread.