Now that Jay Inslee’s presidential campaign has come and gone, those of us at Shift admit we were often entertained by the Governor’s lackluster effort on the national stage. We will miss his antics, but we will always have the memories. We have collected our ten favorite moments.
10) Made policy announcements while riding a scooter.
9) Called President Trump a “white nationalist” and a “racist” while forgetting that 70k was contributed to assist his 2012 campaign by JZ Knight who Inslee knew spewed hateful comments about Hispanics and gays. (Money they returned ONLY after Seattle media disclosed the racist source of the money.)
8) Proudly proclaimed on campaign trail that he had done away with the death penalty in Washington state yet failed to mention that his Department of Corrections is currently under investigation for the deaths (due to poor medical administration) of seven prisoners. Thus his administration may have caused more prisoners’ deaths than if the state had carried out the death sentences.
7) Declared on national television that Washington’s largest private employer was “blackmailing” (a felony) the state simply because Boeing negotiated with him over its tax bill. (Will Boeing want to invest in future jobs in Washington knowing the governor called their legal actions a felony to a national audience?)
6) Said it is time to give the country “adequate mental health care” during the second debate but forgetting that his administration caused the costly ($53 million) federal decertification of Western State Mental Hospital.
5) When his campaign was grinding down to a slow death, his friends in the media could find nothing good to say about Inslee or his campaign, so they stated he is a good “doodler.”
4) In an attempt to attract national environmental money, Inslee reversed his previous support for a natural gas facility in Tacoma and a methanol plant in Cowlitz County. Thus, sacrificing hundreds of Washington state jobs in his attempt to obtain a job for himself.
3) After he boasted he had done more than any other candidate to protect “reproductive rights,” Senator Amy Klobuchar drew loud applause and laughter at the first presidential debate by reminding Inslee, “I just want to say there’s three women up here that have fought pretty hard for a women’s right to choose.”
2) Attempted to steal some of the limelight the U.S. Woman’s Soccer Team earned from winning the World Cup by announcing he would select Megan Rapinoe as his Secretary of State.
1) Continued to state he is “just following the law” for refusing to reimburse Washington taxpayers for paying for his campaign’s security. As the chief lawmaker in the state for the past six years he had plenty of opportunity to change the law that forces WA taxpayers to subsidize any governor’s political ambitions. Inslee also could have supported any of the GOP efforts to improve the law.
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