Jay Inslee recently announced he was done questioning Democrat State Auditor Troy Kelley. Yesterday, Inslee proved he would not change his mind by indicating he would rather engage in a physical fight than switch his position on Kelley.
During Inslee’s weekly press conference, members of the Capitol Press Crops seized the opportunity to press him on how serious he was taking the scandal surrounding his fellow Democrat statewide elected official. Particularly, they inquired whether or not he would join Republicans in calling on Kelley to step aside. One reporter even asked if Inslee’s tepid response to the scandal was “weak.”
That line of questioning was too much for an old high school jock like Inslee, who suggested that perhaps he and the reporter should “go out in the alleyway and decide who is weak on this.”
Of course, Inslee could have shown some strength by actually doing something about having a state auditor who has been under federal investigation for nearly two years. Instead, after Kelley provided flippant responses to a letter Inslee sent him, Inslee decided that was enough involvement for him.
Republicans, on the other hand, have introduced legislation that would require statewide officials – and candidates – to provide full disclosure concerning any criminal investigations of which they are aware.
Evidently, Inslee would rather fight reporters asking serious questions than fight for integrity in government. Especially when championing integrity involves challenging a fellow Democrat.
