Back in November, before his senate coup was a fait accompli, Senator Rodney Tom chatted with me for a few minutes about what he and his coconspirators hoped to accomplish in the coming session. "I'm looking at it from more of a philosophic standpoint than a caucus standpoint," Tom insisted.

"I think you can lead the senate in a more nonpartisan manner," Tom explained. "We would like to see the senate run a little more moderate."

A couple weeks later, upon making the coup official, Tom told the Seattle Times:

“What we’re doing here today is making sure that we have a Senate that functions,” said Tom, who called the move unprecedented. “The public out there is hungry for us to come together, to work together in a collaborative manner.”

To say the least, I was skeptical.

Tomorrow, legislators will start their second special session still miles apart on a budget deal, a mere 19 days away from Washington State's first government shutdown ever. Congratulations, Rodney.