The Seattle Times editorial board has endorsed self-proclaimed socialist Seattle City Councilmember Kshama Sawant’s opponent in the race for City Council District No. 3. The editorial board writes,
“A slate of strong candidates are eager to guide District 3 through this period of transformation, but the best choice is Pamela Banks. A longtime resident of the district, Banks made a career of advocating for underserved residents before she was named president and chief executive of the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle in 2012.”
The editorial board goes on to bitingly conclude of that the job for representing District 3 does not call for an ideologue, which Sawant has proven herself to be. Rather, the district needs a “collaborative leader to work with other districts and balance resources and investment.” The Seattle Times,
“The District 3 seat is more than a podium. It must be filled by an effective, experienced representative who would primarily serve the district — all of its residents and businesses — while working constructively to lead the entire city.”
Shift has reported on how, for Sawant, the City Council position is about much more than representing the district. It’s become clear that Sawant craves attention. And, she gets the attention she seeks through outrageous publicity stunts meant to drum-up media coverage—from her strange outbursts to her provocative statements—and raise her profile as a public figure.
For Sawant, it really is all about Sawant.
On a side note, the Seattle Times editorial board chose not to endorse any candidate for Seattle City Council District No. 6. The Times writes that three “flawed candidates are challenging incumbent Mike O’Brien, who has his own set of problems as a council member.” And, they could not endorse any of them.
O’Brien’s “set of problems” are similar to those of Sawant. The far-left councilmember pulls ridiculous stunts—including joining the “kayaktivists” protesting Royal Dutch Shell’s deep-sea oil drilling rig headed for Alaska’s Chukchi Sea… on city time. According to the editorial board, O’Brien has “chosen to represent only the farthest-left corner of the electorate.” That invalidates him as a councilmember.
