Another Shoe Drops

After the 2006 election debacle, where the Washington State GOP handed the legislature over to the Democrats, I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And the shoes they have been a dropping. Here they are as outlined by David Postman of the Seattle Times:

Former Rep. Richard Curtis quit suddenly after a sex scandal. Rep. Jim Dunn was reprimanded and kicked off all his committees after making an inappropriate sexual remark to a female staffer. Rep. Shirley Hankins agreed to pay a record settlement with the Legislative Ethics Board for violations related to her work promoting her daughter's business. And Rising star Rep. Chris Strow quit last week for a new job with the Puget Sound Regional Council.

News now is that the pro-abortion Fred Jarrett (R) has switched sides and become a Democrat. Not surprising really, or as one blogger put it -- "It's kind of like Richard Simmons coming out."

The really surprising thing was that apparently the "tipping point" was a comment from a Republican senator that if Jarrett was endorsed by NARAL Pro-Choice Washington "it'd be a problem in the caucus."

If this story is true, is it because there was a fear that a NARAL endorsement would pull the mask off the GOP and finally reveal their abortion industry sympathies, or was it because it really would be a problem as the remaining GOP legislators try to regroup and pull themselves out of the grip of the Mainstreamers? Rob McKenna received a mixed-choice endorsement from NARAL and Dan Satterberg received a 100% rating from NARAL. I can't imagine they were told that kind of support from the abortion lobby would be a problem.

The GOP here has never been pro-life. The platform may have kissed-up to pro-lifers in the party and provided cover to pro-choice politicians who wanted the pro-life votes but the GOP simply put doesn't know what to do with the abortion issue. They flounder in the status quo, crying over the lost glory years of Dan Evans, talking of pragmatism while totally blind to the fact that the situation on the ground has changed.

The sweetest words however, came from Alex Hayes, Executive Director of the Washington Mainstream Republicans, who said Jarrett's party-switch will be felt hard there.

He's a friend. Of all the House Republicans, he's my closest friend and he was the only guy we had who was my ally to think big things about advancing the cause of moderate Republicanism. It's really personal. It's sad for me.

Finally Alex has uttered something we can all agree upon -- the definition of a "moderate Republicanism" is Fred Jarrett.

If the GOP wants to be the pro-choice party and they think that's how they'll win then they need to be the pro-choice party. Start taking the money and endorsements from NARAL and Planned Parenthood. Promise them the moon.

I never understood how being in favor of pulling the arms and legs off of tiny children was "moderate" but you'll have to ask Alex.