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Friday, April 06, 2007

The Dan Roach Crazy Train arrives in Olympia

Rep. Dan Roach, R-Bonney Lake, made a fool of himself and a mockery of the House yesterday when he threw decorum to the wind over an insurance bill. From the AP via The Olympian:
House Republicans lambasted trial lawyers during raucous debate Thursday but when one lawmaker singled out the Democratic House majority leader's husband for scorn, the place erupted in shouts.

An eventual apology was angrily rejected.

The presiding officer, who tried in vain to keep the peace, called it the worst breach of decorum he'd ever seen in the Legislature.

The dustup involved two of the most powerful lobbies in Olympia - trial lawyers, who often support Democrats, and the insurance industry, which often backs Republicans.

The debate was over the proposed Insurance Fair Conduct Act, which would prohibit the practice of delaying or denying a claim without proper cause. It would allow the policyholder to collect triple damages if the insurance company unreasonably denied a claim or violated unfair practice rules.
It figures the GOP would start experiencing "head explosion syndrome" on behalf of insurance companies. One day Republicans (with the help of Speaker Frank Chopp, to be fair) can object to a bill designed to protect homeowners because it would supposedly raise insurance prices, and a few days later they can go nuts on behalf of the insurance industry.

David Postman, too, recounts some of the action at Postman on Politics: It seems Rep. Dan Roach, son of state Senator Pam Roach, R-Wingerville, went off about a Democraic leader's husband. From Postman on Politics:
Roach was arguing against an insurance bill this morning and claiming that the only people behind it were trial attorneys. He said he asked for evidence of the insurance problems the attorneys say would be fixed by the bill, Senate Bill 5726, but never saw any.

Roach said the chairman of the committee joked to him that the bill was being "railroaded."

"I know, Mr. Speaker, this is not for the consumer. It hurts consumers. ... It is a sad day because this is something that has been run through the system."

House Speaker Pro Tem John Lovick gaveled Roach down and warned him to follow House rules that do not allow impugning fellow members.

Roach continued:

"Look out guys, the train is coming through. The Keith Kessler train is coming through and you better get out of the way."

Then Roach made a blowing-the-whistle motion with his arm, pumping it up and down, and made the sound effects, too: "Whoo, whoo!"
(Roach's reference to Keith Kessler was a swipe at Democratic Majority Leader Lynn Kesler, D-Hoquiam, whose husband is an attorney. Roach's outburst seems to be a clear violation of House rules about attacking the family of other members.)

Goodness. Someone needs a juice box and a nap.

It would be convenient to blame such an ignominious outburst on temper and a poor upbringing, as Dan Roach is the son of the equally foul-tempered state Senator Pam Roach, R-Wingerville, but according to Postman, Dan Roach said his eruption was deliberate:
It was not, though, something done in the heat of the moment. Roach told me:

"It was premeditated on my part. I actually wrote some remarks during the amendment part of the debate. I did plan on putting that out there."

He said he did it because he has grown frustrated with how little impact Republicans have had in the House this year.
A planned temper tantrum, how charming.

It's no secret that Republicans have it in for lawyers. Well, they have it in for some lawyers, namely those who represent consumers against powerful corporations. It's an object lesson for Roach, should he be capable of learning any lessons, about believing your own baloney. The national and state GOP has so villified "trial lawyers" that they somehow seem to think it is acceptable to attack one in a personal manner from the floor of the House.

I've long wondered why Democrats in Olympia always seem to forgive (or at least not punish) Republicans for their transgressions.

Part of it is likely expediency, as grinning for the cameras and mouthing platitudes has long been a part of politics. Part of it is that good public policy can come from listening to and working with the other side.

But it has to be a two-way street, and it never is with the GOP. If they don't get their way, be it in a close election or in the Legislature, their first instinct is to accuse their opponents of the most nefarious of motives and actions.

It is, in a word, childish.

I don't know what the House should do about Rep. Dan Roach. Clearly he needs to be disciplined under House rules and have the Playstation 3 taken away.

Normally one would go tell his mother about his bad behavior, but well, that seems pointless in this instance. Beyond that, we have a massive majority and maybe we should all thank Rep. Roach for reminding Democrats in Olympia who the true opposition is and the lengths they will go to.

When Democrats side with the common citizen against entrenched interests, we win, and the opposition is left with nothing but foolish histrionics. As for Roach, as OlyScoop says - we think it's time for him to resign.

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