Filing week follies.
It's the last day of filing week in the upper left and the various contests seem to be firming up. Not a lot of noteworthy changes in the last couple of days. Dino Rossi has finally filed, taking a firm stand against redundancy by eschewing his "Prefers GOP Party" designation for "Prefers Republican Party." The whole "prefers" thing is still driving me crazy. A good example of the mess the anti-partisans have made of our primary system, though, is right here at home in the 32nd Legislative District.
Republican Gary Gagliardi filed to lose to incumbent Democratic State Rep. Ruth Kagi early, but it took a couple days for perennial candidate Stan Lippmann, who has apparently moved to Lake Forest Park since his run for mayor of Seattle, has filed with the designation "prefers Democratic Party." One wonders since when, since, according to the Shoreline Area News...
Lippmann has run in the past for Congress, attorney general, Seattle mayor and other offices under a variety of party labels. He is currently a Republican precinct committee officer in Lake Forest Park.Given the state of election law in our state, it's apparently fine for an officer holder in one political party to file for election as a "preferer" of another political party. Sounds like fraud to me, but without partisan registration or partisan primaries, it's just the kind of mischief our laws not only allow, but seem to encourage.
With the top two primary in place, "Democrat" Stan Lippmann could well end up facing Democrat Ruth Kagi in November. I kind of doubt it, but it could happen. That's just wrong.
Labels: 2010 Primary, 32nd LD, Candidates, Dino Rossi, i, Ruth Washington State, Stan Lippmann, State House, Washington State
posted by Shaun at
1:34 PM
2 Comments:
Stan Lippman is a political opportunist of the highest or lowest order, depending upon your point of view. Some have questioned whether or not he might indeed be what is now called Bi-polar (and used to be more commonly called Manic-Depressive). While the latter is for the doctors to decide - and maybe they have - the former is known to be true by those of us who have followed his antics over the years.
It's pathetic that the Republican party has accepted him as a PCO (precinct committee officer). Is it fraud that he is running as someone who prefers the Democratic party? Maybe not. He is, after all, someone who prefers whatever party he thinks, by affiliating himself with, will allow him to win an election. He's also an attorney and so, while perhaps mentally ill, he is also capable of figuring out how to game the election.
Grammatical correction: Third complete sentence in last 'graph, last post: should read, "He (Lippmann is, after all, someone who prefers what party he thinks, by affiliation, will allow him to win an election.
Spelling correction: Lippmann
I wouldn't want people to be confused as to whom to vote against.
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