Slog - Comments on Cross Purposes http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes Over at Crosscut Austin Jenkins has a post about Democratic House Speaker Frank Chopp. The piece lays out the basic explanation for Chopp's "One Washington" strategy: Chopp wants to protect his big majority by tacking centrist. Josh Feit wrote about Chopp's centrist "One Washington" in a long piece the Stranger last week—and asked a pertinent question: What's the use of Dems having a supermajority if they're afraid to use it? Josh detailed how the Dem leadership in Olympia has gutted, tabled or thwarted a number of no-brainer legislative items: comprehensive family leave, a cap on payday-loan interest rates, a bill... Copyright 2008 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 14:34:33 -0800 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:28:21 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by elswinger Can they get rid of Chopp as House Speaker or do they need to wait for the next election?

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695554 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695554 Media Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:14:13 -0800 Comment by cressona I realize Chopp's only interest is in cementing a Democratic majority. But even by that narrow standard, much of his split-the-difference, triangulating, don't-rock-the-boat, foe-appeasing centrism is self-defeating. Well, at least in the long term.

Just take the viaduct and light rail. As The Stranger pointed out in its fantastic Urban Archipelago story, there's a clear pattern of urban voters voting Democratic. In 2006, a good number of suburban and exurban and rural voters may have swung Democratic, but the Democratic core is still in urban areas. Take someone who lives in a condo or townhouse and walks or rides transit a fair amount -- chances are overwhelming you've got a Democratic voter.

Without getting overly overt about it, shouldn't Democrats be doing all they can to make urban living more desirable and attract more urban dwellers? That is, shouldn't Washington Democrats be trying to make Washington skew more Democratic? Trying to build a massive, new elevated freeway in the worst possible place for an elevated freeway -- or trying to shackle a popular light rail project with a Republican-designed roads package that doesn't have the guts to commit to tolling -- these are the sorts of concessions that seem to say, "We're perfectly happy with the rules of the game, even though the rules of the game currently favor our opponents."

]]> cressona http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695582 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695582 Media Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:42:11 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle What's the point of having Dems in control?

What? You did notice about what the Supreme Court did today, didn't you?

It makes a LOT of difference.

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695660 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695660 Media Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:42:33 -0800 Comment by Dan Savage We want Dems in control. And we want them to govern like they're in control.

]]> Dan Savage http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695688 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695688 Media Wed, 18 Apr 2007 17:05:03 -0800 Comment by J in Seattle That's exactly right, Dan.

Effective governance isn't by intentions, it's by actions.

]]> J in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695863 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695863 Media Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:22:47 -0800 Comment by Will in Seattle Lots of action in the State Legislature this year.

Sheesh. Get a life.

At least they don't talk about being green like Greg N and then try to spend lots of money on an underwater tunnel, thereby subsidizing cars, while requiring global warming creating fans to run 24/7 ...

]]> Will in Seattle http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695902 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c695902 Media Wed, 18 Apr 2007 23:51:29 -0800 Comment by Steve It's pathetic that Chopp is more concerned with keeping the D next to people's names than with what the hell that D means. Who gives a shit if Democrats are in the majority if the democratic party is completely unrecognizable. The loyalty ought to be to the ideas, the reasons you chose the democratic party in the first place, not to the name.

]]> Steve http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696037 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696037 Media Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:03:13 -0800 Comment by Trey Will @3: The day the Washington State legislature starts confirming U.S. Supreme Court justices is the day your argument will start making any sense.

]]> Trey http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696065 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696065 Media Thu, 19 Apr 2007 07:53:44 -0800 Comment by Michael Dante Have to disagree with you Trey. With the Supreme Court ruling, Choice will now be under attack at the state level and a Democratic majority is the only thing protecting it.

]]> Michael Dante http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696104 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696104 Media Thu, 19 Apr 2007 09:02:55 -0800 Comment by elswinger #3 When the Dems took control it didn't mean they could undo Bush's Supreme Court picks. We are stuck with these assholes until they die. Basically we are fucked for at least another 20 or 30 years.

]]> elswinger http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696360 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696360 Media Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:13:16 -0800 Comment by Dan, you're supposed to be an editor, not a flak for Josh Thank god for the main stream press.

http://blog.seattletimes.nwsource.com/davidpostman/archives/2007/04/chopp_cant_be_blamed_alone_for_failure_of_liberal_agenda.html

]]> Dan, you're supposed to be an editor, not a flak for Josh http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696376 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/04/cross_purposes#c696376 Media Thu, 19 Apr 2007 14:28:21 -0800