Incendiary, Divisive Rhetoric Returns to the City Council

Also, it was patently false.

Making up Stories to Attack Your Colleague ≠ Moderate

In a surprise bit of grandstanding in council chambers, former Judge Cathy Moore accused Tammy Morales of “vilifying” her with false attacks against her and her colleagues in the media. 

But so far it appears to have been a straightforwardly false accusation--a vilification, if you will–although this time from the dais, in an official speech.

Reporters from the Seattle Times, Publicola, Urbanist and Stranger have not been able to uncover any statement made by Morales in the media or public that implies anything like what Moore accuses her of. 

None of these outlets seem to be able to get a comment from Moore’s office either.

Cringe

Here is the short viral video (you do not need a twitter account to view it) the speech. 

My Genuine Surprise

Although my politics are different from Cathy’s, I have to be honest, I had much higher hopes for her at the beginning of January. 

On the campaign trail, I found her civil, thoughtful, and admired her ethical boundaries when she returned a check from Tim Ceis. In a forum we both spoke at, she seemed to be the most pro-housing of the centrist lot. In fact, she is someone I have considered an actual moderate, distinct from conservative populists like Sara Nelson.

But so far I have been deeply disappointed by Moore’s early performance.

Whether her call for city hall protestors to be arrested, her plan to recriminalize loitering for prostitution (the bill decriminalizing it was supported even by Jenny Durkan and Alex Pedersen), or her vote against this affordable housing bill a day after vilifying her colleague with the false attack above–I’m genuinely surprised and disheartened by the behavior I’m seeing.

Bullhorns for Me, but Not for Thee

One more bit of irony: After all that righteous anger for all those years directed at Kshama Sawant for performative grandstanding and divisiveness, all I’m hearing from the right wing right now is crickets. 

Are the people who work so hard to brand themselves as moderates opposed to false accusations and demonization of colleagues on the city council, or are they not? 

Or is that just when it is the other team?

No to Affordable Housing

And speaking of disappointing–the bill to cut red tape for affordable housing, supported by affordable housing developers, unions, housing advocates, environmental groups, and people affected by scarce affordable housing–went down in flames. 

Only Morales and Dan Strauss voted for it.