Besides some of the obvious bigots in the group Shin, Hatfield, etc. most of the members have been pretty good on gay rights. It’s interesting how just about every Dem in every swing district is listed. I think this move is more about political survival then anything else so I wouldn’t worry about it.
Hobbs points out “one thing Roadkill doesn't do is launch purity tests or openly attack our peers. We may disagree on policy with others on the spectrum but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t stand up for what THEY believe in.”

Funny how Democrats Tim Sheldon and Jim Hargrove are not members because they are so damn conservative.

Health Care somehow has become a bad word even with moderates because Federal Dems lacked a backbone. Republicans made laws with 49 Senators and Dems couldn’t do it with 60. They would have made more fans if they called the Repubs bluff even it was brought up to vote in the middle of the night.

Hobbs points out “one thing Roadkill doesn't do is launch purity tests or openly attack our peers.....

Yeah because they are going to let their "fans" attack their peers for them. At least if history is any guide, AWB, WSFB, Enterprise Wa etc... constantly crow about beating Democrats in swing districts.

And EFF? When have they EVER cared about anything that is supposed to be the core principles of the Democratic party? Oh yeah thats right, never. If these right wing organizations support these "democrats" then we'll only have right-wing "democrats" in the legislature.

This hits even a new low for SLOG errors and reporting and you should be ashamed. Where are your "fact checkers" or do you just make this shit up as you go along. Blumgart, you don't know squat about legislative issues or even the Legislature itself. Aside from screwing up SENATOR Rodney Tom with REPRESENTATIVE Ross Hunter, both of whom are in the 48th district you mixed it up with the 41st District which WAS held by Senator Fred Jarrett, who SWITCHED parties to run as a Democrat after being the Republican Representative for that district in the House. The 41st became Democrat when a Democrat named Brian Wienstien beat Jim Horn back in 2004, and when Wienstien did not run in 2008, Fred ran as a Dem. Rodney Tom represents the 48th District, he also was a Republican as well but switched parties to run as a Democrat and beat Sen. Luke Esser who is now the state Republican party chair. Further, Denny Eliason does not represent the "Washington Business Association", hell there is no such organization at all. If you mean the Association of Washington Business (AWB) they are the chamber of commerce, but Eliason doesn't represent them either! Mr. Eliason represents the Washington Bankers Association (WBA).

You guys once again proved that the Stranger doesn't know shit about the legislature or politics in general, let alone how to report things accurately.

Denny Eliason is an active member of AWB and serves on several AWB committees.

Funny how you (HMRBEAR) take no issue with the premis of the post - that RKC members are being cheered by oprganizations who actively work AGAINST their caucus collegues... Their organization have in the past, and assume they will in the future.

Unless a "deal" was made during the legislative session.... but that would be illegal. Trading campaign support for support of legisaltion. Not to mention these "fans" have already seen publically supportign the opponents of Dem Caucus members.

@3, awesome.

@post, I don't know if you can call Steve Hobbes corporate. He's corporate in the same way an assistant manager at Starbucks is corporate, in sort of a generic sense. He's not corporate in any sort of awesome, powerful Steve Ballmer like sense of the word. Corporate implies a sort of competence that Hobbs hasn't yet demonstrated. (I'll grant that Mallahan did a lot to challenge the association of competence and corporate, but the association should still remain.)

@4 so the premise of the article is fine to hell with the facts in the article, since the ends justify the means -- bad facts, but good premise means the article is worth believing. yeah right...typical loony left claptrap. The fact that the author doesn't even have basic facts straight makes the entire article and it's premise not worth the electrons on the monitor. Take issue with moderate Ds if you want, but organizations that have traditionally supported Rs can and do support Ds if they demonstrate support for the causes those organizations believe in or stand for, including WBA and AWB. While Mr. Eliason does serve on AWB committees he does not represent them -- they have a number of lobbyists of their own.

The point is the "cheerleaders" of RKC have (and will ) actively work to undermine their power in Olympia by supporting Republicans against their Democratic collegues.

If I was a members of the Dem caucus, I would be alarmed at this. Maybe even pissed.

It isnt an issue if business and right-wing interests will be represented in Olympia (they apparently are very well represented), but how this new caucus is working against and being supported/encouraged by those interestes who will untilately work agaist their own caucus members.

@HMRBEAR - Using an inflammatory term like "looney left" does a disservice to your argument and gives a right wing partisan taint to an otherwise straightforward rebuttal. That's a shame, beause otherwise your collective points were well made.

@8 - well put Donolectic... I sometimes let my emotions get the best of me, but so often on this blog we find writers and commenters who blindly take a "progressive" position without thinking it through and making sloppy arguments that may make a good point, but by playing fast and lose with the facts, destroy it. I am somewhat guilty of that in mine by using the term "looney left", which is what I refer to anyone guilty of the sins of sloppy reporting and fact checking, right or left leaning....

@9 Speaking of sloppy arguments, you haven't written a single thing to support yours. Most people who read this site are proudly progressive, and still want to see Hobbs go down in flames. Dunshee is one of the best friends of the environment in the legislature. GO HANS!