Mike Seely is guest mossbacking at The Seattle Weekly. Smack in the middle of a column asking liberal Democrats to stop criticizing Senator Maria Cantwell for her vote in support of the Iraq war comes this:
Cantwell is far from perfect. In fact, she ranks high among the most difficult people I've ever worked for or with. The seven months I spent in her charge felt like seven years. The campaign, larded with her RealNetworks stock windfall, spent more money on Red Vines than most candidates spend on direct mail. And conspicuous consumption during happy hour became all but a necessity, as it was invariably better to be half in the bag when Cantwell, a paranoid hellcat of a boss who rolls through staff like toilet paper, would make her daily sweep through the office, berating everyone in sight.On the trail, Cantwell often handled small groups of constituents in closed settings well. But she was not what you would call warm—a trait that should be preternatural for politicians of her stature. Her stump speeches were uninspiring and her grace with would-be donors flaccid at best. Most of the people who helped guide her to victory were motivated almost exclusively by their disdain for her opponent. Had a dead squirrel been the Democratic nominee for Senate that year, we would have busted our butts for the dead squirrel. Hell, we may have worked harder, because squirrels can't talk— especially dead ones.
Essentially, we worked for Maria in spite of Maria. Yet if you were to ask Cantwell, the only person responsible for her victory over Gorton was the person who stared back at her in the bathroom mirror each morning. Her lack of gratitude and common human decency were simply repulsive. When the campaign ended, virtually nobody sought to accompany her to D.C. in even the cushiest of capacities. Good night and good luck, Senator, was the collective adieu.
Personally (as a left-leaning moderate) I find the Seattle Times's editorial critique of Cantwell today to be far more relevant than her staff's not liking her.
Posted by: Bruce on May 25, 2006 10:46 AMI get a real kick out of you LEFTIST PINHEADED KLOWNS always trying to convince others that you are somehow "moderate". "Moderate" compared to whom????????
LENIN
MARX
Michael Moore
Bruce you make me laugh.....that's about it.
Posted by: Mr. Cynical on May 25, 2006 10:51 AMEthiopian cabdrivers face fine for election donations
By Bob Young
Seattle Times staff reporter
A group of Ethiopian cabdrivers has agreed to pay a fine for violating Seattle election laws when they contributed $5,000 last year to the City Council campaign of Dwight Pelz, now chairman of the state Democratic Party.
A taxi association formed by the drivers wrote checks to seven of its members, who then wrote $650 checks to Pelz last October. Such a transaction concealed the source of the contributions, and, in effect, skirted the city's $650 limit on campaign contributions from individuals and organizations, said Wayne Barnett, executive director of the Seattle Ethics and Elections Commission.
Drivers say they funded the American Taxi Association with their own money in 2003 in order to get more cab licenses, and the association was merely giving them some of their own money to give to Pelz, who was then a member of the King County Council.
Still, the association of 25 Ethiopian drivers has agreed to pay a $4,550 fine.
The ethics commission will consider the proposed settlement Thursday.
The contributions to Pelz were not the largest made last year by the Ethiopian drivers. They gave $14,000 to King County Executive Ron Sims and $5,750 to King County Councilman Pete von Reichbauer for their re-election campaigns. They also paid $5,000 to Sims' former aide Tim Hatley to lobby the County Council last year.
Those donations are out of the Seattle Ethics Commission's jurisdiction.
The council and Sims laid out a process last year for issuing more county cab licenses, something the Ethiopian drivers wanted. The drivers hired Hatley and lobbied the County Council after they failed to force the city of Seattle to issue more licenses through a lawsuit.
Sims denied that the drivers' contributions or Hatley's lobbying influenced any of his actions. "There is no linkage, no connection at all in any way," he said.
Sims said he proposed a process for issuing more licenses — which the council approved unanimously last October — because the council requested it.
And, when the county awarded eight new licenses on Wednesday to serve passengers in wheelchairs, the American Taxi Association did not get any of the licenses doled out through a competitive process.
Pelz said he met with drivers last year but that their contributions did not influence his support for issuing more licenses.
"I thought they made a good case for changing the current system," he said.
The ethics commission did not implicate Pelz in any wrongdoing.
Tigabie Tekeba, president of the American Taxi Association, said his group contributed to Pelz, Sims and von Reichbauer not to gain cab licenses but because they liked the three politicians and found them sympathetic on issues important to immigrants.
Tekeba insisted that no one suggested his group contribute to the three politicians or hire Hatley. Tekeba said he did not expect his group's contributions would buy any political favors, in part because the competition for new licenses is so intense that no group could get away with such a scheme.
"Never did anybody promise us anything," said Tekeba, who fled Ethiopia's communist regime in 1989, after he and other student protesters narrowly escaped being shot by troops.
"We didn't like the one-party system. We were for free-market economics," he added. "We came here for opportunity. Hopefully for some people the American Dream is a reality."
Upon arriving in Seattle, Tekeba drove a cab while he earned two degrees at the University of Washington, he said.
Now a full-time employee at the Seattle Housing Authority and a part-time driver, Tekeba is determined to improve taxi-driving opportunities for other Ethiopian immigrants who have few other job options when they first come to Seattle.
The current taxi system is unfair, he maintains. Most drivers don't own licenses and instead lease them from those who hold the 831 licenses that allow drivers to pick up fares in Seattle and King County.
The city and county have capped the number of available licenses in an effort to promote reliable service and good wages. Too many cabs on the streets might lead to lower wages, poorer service and less-safe cars, according to city and county regulators.
Tekeba says most drivers pay about $192 a day, on average, to lease and operate a cab and must work long hours to make minimum wage. They receive no health-care or retirement benefits, no vacation time and no job protection, he said.
"The current system exploits new immigrants. All we're asking for is open competition," he said.
NOW THIS IS FUNNY STUFF!!
Pick almost any really prominent hard line Democrats, and you could find similar stories about the way they treat those around them. Stories like this were common during the Kerry campaign in 2004 with regards to his staffers. Also common for Hillary, etc. Not all, but many fit this profile.
And if you think about it, it makes sense. In order to hold the views and needs of the collective above those of the individual, one has to have a certain willingness to trample anyone who stands in their way. And one has to abandon a lot of personal integrity, if the ends justify the means. That's how Kerry was able to produce the shameful Winter Solider lies and use that to promote his antiwar views and a long Senate career. And that's how Ted Kennedy was able to justify leaving the scene of homicide for the sake of protecting his political world for himself and those with similar views.
Only in a laissez faire individualist does one find the live and let live spirit that makes capitalism and the politics and philosophy of mutual rational benefit possible.
What's truly disgusting and amazing is the absolute selflessness required by the sycophants that enable people like Cantwell. People like Mike Seely who are willing to sacrifice themselves and their own personal integrity and the way they are treated, simply to advance a Destroyer like Cantwell. To those caught up in this co-dependent world of parasite and power-seeker, the ends of seeing the power-seeker in a position to control others justifies their own abasement and their own suffering and loss.
Posted by: Jeff B. on May 25, 2006 11:21 AMCan't the Democrats find someone with those qualities [esp the 'brilliant' part]and just leave it at that! Based on her gas-price pandering and ANWR hysteria, she's actually quite a dolt. Posted by: cp on May 25, 2006 11:36 AM
It's interesting that you appear to dismiss the reported character flaws of Cantwell as irrelevent. How effective do you think Cantwell is as a leader if she alienates the people around her? How successful do you think she's going to be at winning over her colleagues for the benefit of the State of Washington if she is rude and unapproachable?
I would think it's a pretty universal agreement among both the left and the right that one of the most important qualities, if not the most important quality, in a senator is to be a strong leader. The behaviors described are not indicative of a strong leader.
I agree.
Posted by: swatter on May 25, 2006 12:10 PM"I am amused that you are so concerned about character flaws."
Do you read what you write before you hit 'Post'? She's ineffective and her staff hates her, but that's not important to you, huh?
Personally, I'll be voting for Mike McGavick - a great leader in private industry, the CEO of a large corporation (not just a get-rich quick RealNetworks executive), AND a person of great character.
Posted by: Larry on May 25, 2006 12:34 PMNo. A senator is our representative in the legislative branch. This is different from the executive branch, which is responsible for leadership. Of course leadership and good interpersonal skills help people be more effective in the legislature too, but these traits are much less important than policy positions.
For mayor of Seattle, I'd probably take Rudy Giuliani over Jim McDermott, or Dave Reichert over Darcy Burner, or maybe even Mike McGavick over Maria Cantwell (though I'm not at all sure about that). For Congress, I'd take the opposite.
Posted by: Bruce on May 25, 2006 01:20 PMShe is a Democrat and she is a utero-American.
Posted by: Huey on May 25, 2006 01:25 PMSo you don't think it's important for a U.S. Senator to be a leader? That's probably why you could swallow the nomination of Senator John Kerry for President - which was an unmitigated disaster, in case you weren't aware.
The fact that you mention Rudy Giuliani and Dave Reichert in the same sentence as Jim McDermott and Darcy Burner just shows how removed from the reality of moderate politics you really are. Giuliani and Reichert are leaders and moderates. McDermott is a felonious idiot, and Burner is a ghost.
Posted by: Larry on May 25, 2006 01:30 PM'Progressives' and mean-spirited people have been one-in-the-same for 30 years. Jimmy and Roslyn Carter were notoriously bitter people who openly chastised and berated their staff. It was a breath of fresh air when a kind-hearted Conservative like Reagan was elected into the White House.
The same goes for the Clintons - they'd throw their Chief-of-Staff under a bus to get higher poll ratings. John Kerry, Howard Dean, Maria Cantwell, Ted Kennedy, Jim McDermott...the list goes on and on...are all famously elite and unforgiving of us serfs.
Posted by: Larry on May 25, 2006 03:26 PM I don't know what your definition of great character
is but if you were to ask the majority of the
small business owners that operate auto body
repair shops in this state. They would not use
that to term describe Mike McGavick.For Timothy
Goddard this includes Mark Hulst.Who has to
this point in time refused to support Mike
McGavick.
To this day we still have but a vague idea of
what Mike McGavick stands for.The one thing he
is good at is taking non position positions
on the majority of issues.One of the few things
he supports is McCain-Feingold. In fact his
only problem with it is he believes the loop hole
should be closed on 527 organizations.
We know he supports the president in the war
on terror and on Anwar as well as immigration.
Beyond those issues depending on who McGavick
is talking to he says different things about
each issue.In other words he tells them what
they want to hear.We are still waiting for the
real Mike McGavick to stand up.
Did I mention Susan Hutchison at all in that
previous posting?you guys just can't help
yourselves. So you just continue to take shots
at Susan.Look no one is stopping you from
supporting McGavick.I just wish instead of
lapping up whatever he says at any given time
that you start challenging McGavick on some
of the things he says.
We should be able to expect honesty and
integrity from those seeking public office.
What troubles me most is that McGavick wont
say for the most part where he stands on
anything.Far to many people are willing to
just take whatever he says to them at face
value instead of finding out for themselves
what McGavick really believes.
Posted by: phil spackman on May 25, 2006 04:51 PM
That is completely unfair to McGavick. We know what he stands for--no Iran in the World Cup! by God, that's leadership. I'm voting for Mr. SAFECO.
Posted by: Steven Donegal on May 25, 2006 05:16 PMCan anyone name something positive that Maria Cantwell has done while in the position of Senator?
Is there any piece of legislation or change in policy that she has been instrumental in pushing through?
Has she helped to bring dollars to Washingtons state for important projects?
About the only answer I ever get is that she opposed ANWAR.
I guess that caring more about caribou in the frozen north than in working Americans that need to get to work is a position, of sorts, but I don't think it justifies returning her to office.
Maria Cantwell is worthless as a senator.
Obviously you don't like McGavick, and despite the volume of information available under the "Issues" and "News" section at his campaign website you continue to whine about not knowing what he stands for. Short of putting out a magnum opus (aka ammunition for the other side) on federal policy, or addressing in specific the apparent subset of issues you feel still needs to be addressed, I don't see how he ever is going to make you happy…thus making your ongoing posts on the subject interminable at best.
So, again, could you just clarify for all of us who you would prefer in the Senate, McGavick or Cantwell?
But what I would really like to know about is why she worked for Jerry Springer -- yes, that Jerry Springer. Or even why she worked for Alan Cranston. And what she learned from those two.
As for her brilliance, I can't decide whether she is ignorant of basic economics -- or just willing to demogogue on energy issues
Posted by: Jim Miller on May 25, 2006 07:24 PMAndy, you're assuming she has those qualities. Facts not in evidence, as the lawyers would say. That late gushing by Seely about Cantwell's brilliance and conviction, after just ripping her every which way from Sunday, has the sound of a bad effort at CYA. Why even bother at that point?
Posted by: stu on May 25, 2006 08:00 PMSo take a "shrill pill" and lets move on.
CANTWELL IS TRAITOR ,AND MURRAY IS IDIOT ALL THIS PEOPLES MEXICANS LOVER , THEY REJECT ENGLISH BE NATIONAL ENGLISH AND REJECT SECURE AND GIVE 20 MILLION AMNESTY AND OUR GENERATION WILL PAY TH EPRICE BECAUSE ALL EVIL SENATE ,THEY REJECT BORDER AND REJECT ENGLISH BE OFFICIAL ENGLISH..U BOTH VICENTE FOX WHORE...
WE PAY U NOT FOR ILLEGALS U DONT DESERVE IN GOVERMENT U GO OUT ...U ARE VERY DANGEROUS.
SENATE SUPPORT AMNESTY MUST BE GO TO THE JAIL , THEY BROKEN LAW AND ABUSING AMERICAN WILL ,REVOKE ANCHOR BABIES ....POLITIC PLAY DIRTY AND THEY NEED VOTES FROM ANCHOR BABIES THEY NOT belong here
This Is the List of Senators that Voted 62 to 36 on 5/25/2006 to give all Illegals Amnesty, Those Senators Betrayed the American People they are sell outs, They voted to give Illegal aliens More rights that native born Americans and all Legal Immigrants, Here are some points:
All Illegals will Get US Citizenship while Staying and working in the USA while Hundreds of thousands of People are waiting for Up to 15 years to Immigrate to this country Legally is that fair?
Illegal immigrants will have up to 8 years to pay the $2000 penalty and they can pay it in Installments
Illegal immigrants will pay back taxes only on 3 past years and The IRS is supposed to figure out how much they owe, How can that be done if they worked Illegally under the table all these years.
Illegal immigrants will bring almost 100 million family members to the USA after becoming citizens.
THE USA HAS TO CONSULT WITH MEXICO ON BUILDING THE BORDER FENCE...IS THAT THEIR BUSINESS??????
Here is a list of the traitors:
Akaka (D-HI)
Baucus (D-MT)
Bayh (D-IN)
Bennett (R-UT)
Biden (D-DE)
Bingaman (D-NM)
Boxer (D-CA)
Brownback (R-KS)
Cantwell (D-WA)
Carper (D-DE)
Chafee (R-RI)
Clinton (D-NY)
Coleman (R-MN)
Collins (R-ME)
Conrad (D-ND)
Craig (R-ID)
Dayton (D-MN)
DeWine (R-OH)
Dodd (D-CT)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durbin (D-IL)
Feingold (D-WI)
Feinstein (D-CA)
Frist (R-TN)
Graham (R-SC)
Gregg (R-NH)
Hagel (R-NE)
Harkin (D-IA)
Inouye (D-HI)
Jeffords (I-VT)
Johnson (D-SD)
Kennedy (D-MA)
Kerry (D-MA)
Kohl (D-WI)
Landrieu (D-LA)
Lautenberg (D-NJ)
Leahy (D-VT)
Levin (D-MI)
Lieberman (D-CT)
Lincoln (D-AR)
Lugar (R-IN)
Martinez (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Menendez (D-NJ)
Mikulski (D-MD)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Murray (D-WA)
Nelson (D-FL)
Obama (D-IL)
Pryor (D-AR)
Reed (D-RI)
Reid (D-NV)
Sarbanes (D-MD)
Schumer (D-NY)
Smith (R-OR)
Snowe (R-ME)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Voinovich (R-OH)
Warner (R-VA)
Wyden (D-OR)
You want an answer I will give you one.
I am supporting Brad Klippert because
he isn't afraid to say where he stands
on any issue.Sure he may not have much
chance of winning but at least he is not
a phony.
Fine McGavick does talk about some issues
on his website.The problem is he offers no
solutions or ideas to any of them.Taking the
position of not supporting the immigration
plank of the state gop platform will not do
him any favors.Saying that he understands why
they feel that way is nothing more than a
bill clinton maneuver.Its just plain foolish.