Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« A Little Depression to Kick Off You… | Human Machine Orbits the World of M… »

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Politics Rob McKenna to Keynote Tea Party Event

Posted by Goldy on Wed, Mar 30, 2011 at 8:08 AM

Of course, Republican state Attorney General (and presumed gubernatorial nominee) Rob McKenna is a different kind of Republican. A moderate, pragmatic, bring-all-sides-to-the-table kinda Republican who would never embrace his party's most wing-nut extreme in pursuit of his own political ambitions.

Which I suppose explains why McKenna will be the keynote speaker at an upcoming "Tax Day Tea Party":

On Friday, April 15th at 11:00 am, fiscally conservative activists will gather peacefully at the Bellevue City Hall lawn to support Attorney General Rob McKenna's fight for free enterprise, public safety, and innovation. Rob will be our Keynote Speaker along with 8-10 other Speakers.

Shocking turns of events have forced countless hard-working Americans to lose their jobs and homes. They watch helplessly as special interest groups hold America hostage in narrow and self-dealing promotions.

And when teabaggers rage against "special interest groups hold[ing] America hostage," who are they talking about? I'll give you a hint: part of the day's program includes a "special salute" to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker. But don't you worry. Even though McKenna is caught on video calling the unionization of public employees "dangerous," and even though he's clearly chosen to embrace the virulently anti-union/Walker-loving Tea Party, he'd never do anything to undo collective bargaining rights. And we know that, because that's what he told a Seattle Times reporter in his effort reassure his paramours in the press that he's a different kind of Republican.

FacebookShare

Comments (20) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

And we thought Dino Rossi sucked. The Republican solution to losing is to pick somebody worse. Oh, and by the way, it was the Republicans that gave us the collapse of the housing market in the first place.

Posted by Vince on March 30, 2011 at 8:13 AM

We may want to pay attention to what Matthew Schauenburg is doing in Wisconsin right now... (Google him, he is on hunger strike because of Scott Walker)

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on March 30, 2011 at 8:17 AM

He tipped his hand when he signed on to the anti-Health Care lawsuit w/ all the other batshit crazy State AGs.

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on March 30, 2011 at 8:23 AM

The teabagger "party" is dying. They used up all their steam getting a bunch of republicans-as-usual elected. I don't see them rallying again for the next election.

The corporations who made them will find a different foil next time.

Posted by Urgutha Forka on March 30, 2011 at 8:31 AM

@3: I haven't been following this closely, but is the lawsuit anti-health-care or anti-handout-to-health-care-insurance-companies? I'm all for universal, single-payer, health care. But I don't want to be forced to do business with insurance companies.

Posted by Phil M

on March 30, 2011 at 8:41 AM

@5,

His lawsuit seeks to toss out the entire Affordable Care Act as unconstitutional. Pre-existing conditions, extending insurance to children, everything.

Posted by Goldy on March 30, 2011 at 8:44 AM

jesus fucking fuck that is scary

get this douchebag out of office asap

holmes too

Posted by Swearengen on March 30, 2011 at 8:47 AM

@5: Goldy, would it be possible for him to instead toss out only the parts that require everyone to do business with private insurers?

Posted by Phil M

on March 30, 2011 at 9:03 AM

er, @6

Posted by Phil M

on March 30, 2011 at 9:04 AM

@8,

No. The other reforms don't work without the mandate. Otherwise, nobody would buy insurance until they're sick.

Posted by Goldy on March 30, 2011 at 9:12 AM

@8,

But let's be clear. You don't have to buy the insurance. The ACA provides a tax credit for those who do buy the insurance. If you don't buy insurance, you end up paying a little more in federal taxes.

Posted by Goldy on March 30, 2011 at 9:15 AM

McKenna used to be a moderate, pragmatic, kind of republican. He's clearly taken a hard turn to the right over the last few years in order to appeal to the fanatical base of the party. Ten years or so ago, I had some amount of respect for him, and could see working with him, even if he wasn't my first choice. Now I can't tell if he is truly more conservative, or is merely pandering to the far-right fringe. He's now become completely unpredictable, which is dangerous. I've lost what little respect I ever had for him.

Posted by Reverse Polarity on March 30, 2011 at 9:43 AM

Despite their public bluster, the Republicans(the party and office holders) do not actually oppose insurance mandates, it's a mandatory wealth transfer to a corporate entity. Every proposed Republican/conservative health plan contains mandates to pay a private insurance company. (Compare Obama's reform with the Heritage Foundation's proposals of the 1990s.)

What they truly oppose from the health insurance reform law is the
1. Removing pre-existing condition clauses
2. Spending 80% of premiums on healthcare
3. Subsidizing premiums
4. Allowing young adults on parents' policies
etc...
Those are the points Republicans are targeting in the congress and lawsuits. The HHS(Obama and Sebelius) are handing out waivers left and right for 1 & 2. #3 won't survive our deficit mania. Enjoy #4 while you can!

Posted by SoSea Resident on March 30, 2011 at 10:00 AM

If McKenna is aligning himself with tea baggers and union busters he might as well cancel his campaign now.

Posted by Kal-El2000 on March 30, 2011 at 10:30 AM

Dang you're good, Goldy.

Posted by SandraV on March 30, 2011 at 11:12 AM

Dang you are good, Goldy! Thanks for the kickass reporting.

Posted by SandraV on March 30, 2011 at 11:16 AM

Oh, I'm sure that 'Tax Day Tea Party' gathering on the Eastside will be brainstorming ways to get GE to pony up their fair share of corporate taxes.... I am just sure of it....

http://tinyurl.com/4hgu8xh

Posted by merry on March 30, 2011 at 11:35 AM

I assume someone from the Stranger will be at the rally with a video camera in hand, making sure we can quote his own words back to him when he "moderates his positions" later on while running in the general.

Posted by Timrrr on March 30, 2011 at 11:50 AM

You would think that if there were actually such a thing as a "moderate Republican", Washington State would be a perfect place to try to establish a foothold for them. Moronic fringe aside, I believe there are many Republican (or Republican-leaning) Washingtonians who would actually flock to someone who didn't cater to the idiot fringe. But then again, I really don't see how anyone with even a minimum of self-respect can identify with the GOP anymore.

Oh well. Like I have many times said, Republicans are dreadful people. Let their "leader" tag along behind their most loutish and clean up after them. Better him than me.

Posted by Catalina Vel-DuRay