News

Today, the Washington State Democratic Party released “288,000,” a web video detailing Republican Rob McKenna’s callous response to a young woman who had the courage to ask a question about his position on a piece of legislation. His response of “Why don’t you go get a job,” was an insulting stereotype of Kendra Obom, while also suggesting that someone without a job should not be spending their time asking questions of their elected officials.

“Republican Rob McKenna’s response to Kendra Obom shows a complete disregard for those who are unemployed and looking to the gubernatorial candidates for a real plan to create jobs in Washington State,” said Benton Strong, communications director for the Washington State Democrats. “With more than 288,000 Washingtonians out of work, including construction workers, manufacturers, educators, and transportation workers, McKenna’s stereotype about the jobless in Washington was both insulting and flat out wrong. Kendra Obom has a job.

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When Republican Rob McKenna turned his ire toward a young woman for asking his position on the Reproductive Parity Act last week, his response sounded very familiar to those who have been following similar attacks on women across the country. Today, the Washington State Democrats are releasing “Losing It,” a web video showing how McKenna has joined the Republican chorus of attacks on women across the country, who are standing up for their reproductive health rights.

Last week, McKenna responded to Kendra Obom’s question by telling her she wasn’t being honest with him and that she should “go get a job.” Instead of answering a perfectly legitimate question from a voter, McKenna incorrectly assumed Obom was not employed, suggesting she wasn’t qualified to ask McKenna a question. He doubled down on that disdain yesterday, refusing to acknowledge that his treatment of Obom was demeaning.

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During one week in April, Washington State voters got their best look yet at Republican Rob McKenna’s views on his job as a public official, Washingtonians without jobs, and women’s reproductive health. The question now: “Is Rob McKenna the guy you think you know?”

On Tuesday, The Stranger broke a story detailing the many papers in Rob McKenna’s King County Council files that shouldn’t be there, in “The McKenna Files.” Amongst boxes of official files are documents that “suggest that there was a risky disregard for the state prohibition on using government resources for campaign purposes inside McKenna’s office.” Today on KUOW’s Weekday, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Eli Sanders said this questions the “squeaky clean, good government image that McKenna has cultivated.”

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Highlighting Republican Rob McKenna’s silence on efforts to ensure women in Washington State maintain their right to choose, the Washington State Democrats released “Silence” today. The video details both the McKenna campaign’s claims that he should be commenting on issues in Olympia, and his noticeable silence on the Reproductive Parity Act.

By contrast, Jay Inslee immediately supported the Reproductive Parity Act, legislation necessary to maintain the access to abortion coverage Washington women have now. As we implement the Affordable Care Act some women, who as a result of voter approved Initiative 120 currently have access to abortion coverage, are at risk of losing that access without this bill. The Reproductive Parity Act will safeguard that access regardless of what other choices we make as we implement the health care exchange.

“Women should not be forced to make health care decisions based on what is covered by their insurance plan,” said Valerie Brady Rongey, vice chair of the Washington State Democrats. “Women in Washington State have been guaranteed their right to choose for more than 40 years, with that commitment reaffirmed in 1991. The Reproductive Parity Act will preserve and strengthen that basic commitment, making Rob McKenna’s silence on the issue that much more stunning.”

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The Washington State Democrats are releasing “Fraud,” a video showing the dangers of Rob McKenna’s plan to privatize workers’ compensation insurance. In 2010, nearly 60 percent of voters in Washington State rejected an initiative which would have allowed private insurance companies like AIG to reap profits from the state’s workers comp program. Rob McKenna’s plan would do the same, leaving workers at the mercy of his friends in the insurance industry.

“We rejected this idea two years ago because it hurts small business like the one I started with my partner 10 years ago,” said Deb Schaack, Business Manager of Central Physical Therapy and Fitness, in Seattle. “The current workers’ comp program in Washington stresses getting people back to work quickly and prioritizes health over profit, something we value strongly. When private insurance companies prioritize profit, businesses and injured workers lose out.”

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While the Republicans spend today trying to change the subject from their past month of obstructionism, Washingtonians are still waiting for Republican leadership in Olympia to come to the table and pass a budget that doesn’t cut education. The month of March (and now early April) has been an eye-opening look at just what happens — or doesn’t happen — when Republicans taste power in Olympia.

It started with a budget coup, when the Senate Republicans hijacked the Senate floor to pass a budget that would have slashed education funding and continued giving millions in tax breaks to Wall Street banks. That move led to a special session that could cost taxpayers more than half a million dollars. It wasn’t until recently that we learned how they got that 25th vote — by cutting a back room deal with a member of their own party, who had once been kicked out of the caucus for “creating a hostile work environment.” That deal now has the state staring at a $1.75 million lawsuit, brought on by a staffer in their own caucus.

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State Attorney General Rob McKenna has long said he isn’t trying to overturn the entire federal health-care law by joining a lawsuit against it. But those statements are at odds with the legal arguments plaintiffs in the case have made in McKenna’s name.

Ever since he joined the multistate lawsuit challenging President Obama’s health-care overhaul, state Attorney General Rob McKenna has taken pains to say his goal is not to kill the entire law.

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At a meeting of the Eastside Transportation Association yesterday, Republican gubernatorial candidate and current state attorney general Rob McKenna declared himself a “deep, deep skeptic” of the light rail line between Seattle and Bellevue and suggested that “the only way out” of the voter-approved plan would be another public vote.

As a Sound Transit board member, then-King County Council member McKenna repeatedly took votes against moving the project forward. For example, he consistently pushed the principle of subarea equity, which restricts spending in each of several geographical areas to funds raised in those areas.

However, since then, voters in Bellevue approved Sound Transit 2—the I-90 rail crossing—58-42 percent. On other issues, such as domestic partnerships and abortion, McKenna has said he supports the will of the voters or existing law.

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Fourteen days ago, Olympia Republicans fought to pass a state budget that slashed millions from education funding and forced our already cash-strapped state into a special session that is costing about $20,000 per day.

After weeks of public outcry and media scrutiny, today those same Republicans were embarrassed into reversing course by restoring funding to education. Rob McKenna’s response continues to suggest his support for the Republican-passed budget that cut millions from our schools and colleges, despite campaigning on the need to increase funding for education.

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McKenna praises, then refuses to take a stand on his party’s devastating cuts to K-12 and higher education

What does Rob McKenna, the supposed ‘education’ candidate, really think about his party’s attempt to hijack the state budget to pass $74 million in devastating cuts to K-12 and higher education?

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