Senator Murray just wants to be loved, is that so wrong?
Almost missed this in Publicola’s Zarelli puff-piece yesterday:
Calling Zarelli an “honest broker,” [Ed] Murray says, “Zarelli has chosen to be a player. We’re playing in each other’s sandboxes. He gets his cuts, which is part of his agenda, and I get to preserve some programs, which is part of my agenda.”
Murray credits Zarelli’s team work with saving the Basic Health Plan and the Disability Lifeline—albeit, at reduced levels—during the supplemental budget talks. Both programs had initially been cut by the governor.
Zarelli returns Murray’s compliment, saying, “He worked really hard and made a lot of cuts he didn’t agree with. In the senate, we realize the only way we’re going to get things done is if we work together as much as we can.”
I give Zarelli credit for finding the ideal pathway to leverage over Murray: compliments that indulge his debilitating narcissism. This exchange explains exactly the dynamic of the Washington State Legislature right now. There’s a werewolf, a vampire, and a zombie taking turns in the drivers’ seat, and the narcissists and others in the Democratic caucus don’t mind as long as this alliance of ghouls offer a vial to catch some of the spilt blood and a compliment for making the tough choice that it actually the easiest choice possible. The tough choice would be to do something different than mauling.
As a final note, if “preserving some programs” is part of Murray’s agenda as budget lead, what’s the rest of his agenda? Preserving a strong sense of self-regard?
As long as masses of humans don’t rise up for events like the March 17th rally, this will be how it goes the rest of the session.
