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Thursday, January 17, 2013

Olympia When Is a "Democrat" Not a Democrat?

Posted by Goldy on Thu, Jan 17, 2013 at 11:38 AM

When the Democrats kick you out of their caucus, that's when:

Looks like Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon arent welcome round these parts anymore.

Washington Senate Democratic Caucus
Looks like Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon aren't welcome 'round these parts anymore.

I stumbled on this while collecting biographical data on our state lawmakers: The official web pages for Senators Rodney Tom and Tim Sheldon are no longer being served from the web site of the Washington Senate Democratic Caucus. Instead, the two have a new Majority Coalition Caucus web site to themselves, while the other 23 members of their "coalition"—Republicans all—continue to have their web pages served from the Washington State Senate Republican Caucus web site.

I suppose one could make a semantic argument for identifying Tom and Sheldon as "Independents" (although we all know that they are really Republicans), but when the Democratic caucus denies that you are a Democrat, you're not, simple as that. And our media is doing the public a disservice by continuing to misidentify Tom and Sheldon as such.

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When is a Democrat not a Democrat? When they no longer caucus with Democrats, when their party censures them, and when they no longer have access to party resources (volunteers, party money and VoteBuilder). On February 2nd, this will be complete and we will begin to pressure the media to correct their mis-identification. I smell a lawsuit.
--Sarajane Siegfriedt, King County Democrats Legislative Action Chair

Posted by Sarajane46th

on January 17, 2013 at 1:50 PM

Doesn't our election system allow candidates to list whatever party they want under their name on the ballot though?

Posted by decidedlyodd on January 17, 2013 at 3:12 PM

Okey-doke, #1. I wonder what you'll be saying in a few years when Tom and Sheldon are joined by another five or six Democrats from west of the mountains in an independent caucus, and along with five or 10 House Democrats. Maybe you and the rest of the "progressives" won't be quite as insufferably arrogant then.

Posted by Mister G on January 17, 2013 at 3:31 PM

lol, 3, why is it in this fantasy scenario of yours it's the Democrats who leave their party to become "independent"?

We all know the answer, so don't fall over your shorts trying to rationalize: Republicans are the only "true way," and everyone else is wrong. Obviously, only Democrats would leave their party because it's "wrong," and being independent is "half-wrong."

Republicans: America's #1 cult.

Posted by Some Old Nobodaddy Logged In on January 17, 2013 at 5:26 PM

#4, I have an answer for you: I-1185. It passed in every single county, including King. The voters of this state have said "fuck you." The "progressives" don't want to hear it? Fine. Just wait.

Posted by Mister G on January 17, 2013 at 11:41 PM