A Picture Says a Thousand Words

By Erik Smith

Staff writer/ Washington State Wire

OLYMPIA, Aug. 19.—The Washington State Labor Council has posted a response to House Majority Leader Lynn Kessler’s comments about its efforts to unseat centrist Democrats in this year’s primary election.

            Kessler, one of the leaders of this year’s “Roadkill Caucus” faction in the state Legislature, said attacks by labor leaders and activist groups on moderate Democrats this year were “tearing people to shreds.” And she said she planned to put fund-raising efforts for moderates on a professional footing. First things first – the effort needed a new name.

            The term “Roadkill” was a play on a familiar line in politics – the only things in the middle of the road are yellow stripes and roadkill. But a serious effort needed a more serious name. And so the “Roadkill Political Action Committee” henceforward will be known as the Jackson Legacy Fund.

            The state Labor Council offered its visual response in today’s edition of its online newsletter:
 

            For the record, Kessler said she was thinking of a different Jackson -- the late Henry M., a centrist Democrat who in his career as U.S. Senator frequently antagonized the left with his support for Cold War military spending.

         ‘Chamber Democrats’

The online newsletter goes on to say:

“Wait... is labor tearing the party apart, or is labor the party's GOTV [get out the vote] program? Self-proclaimed ‘moderate Democrats’ – let’s call them Chamber Democrats – side with corporate interests like big banks and oil companies over working families, and then they whine that they are victimized for refusing to walk in lockstep with unions. Meanwhile, labor dares target its support only to legislators who support our interests, and we stand accused of being political bullies. WTF?