Ron Sims has a funny shaped head

King County Executive Sims seems like a really nice guy. I like him (although his exuberant cheerfulness whenever I meet him is pretty fake - he routinely shakes my hand several times with the same "how are you?", as though he hasn't seen me before...which I think he probably hasn't, if you get my drift). I have a hard time supporting him, unfortunately, and that's too bad, because he's got a tight race brewin'.

Here's the deal. He allowed the elections division to be screwed up time after time after time. It's not nefarious or sneaky; it's just screwed up. He just didn't pay it the attention that a good leader should have paid it. This allowed the nightmare of the gubernatorial election last year. He screwed up the handling of the tent city, which should be a no-brainer - he's a Democrat helping poor people get back on their feet! But his handling of it now cast it as a dictatorial executive putting homeless people in folks backyards with no notice. The CAO became a political nightmare on his watch. He's mishandled the nonsense about Southwest and Alaska moving their flights to Boeing Field. And now, after spending $75 38 million to have KPMG fail to upgrade and integrate the county's computer systems, he's signed ANOTHER agreement with a consulting firm to do for millions of dollars what a well-staffed and well-led IT department could do, if only governments would pay attention to this part of their business.

I just can't abide the waste. It drives me freaking nuts, and to keep making the mistake, when the solution is simple, compounds the issue. I can't abide the continuing inability to communicate with the populace and let us know when something is coming down the pike, so it isn't always a big (politically damaging) nightmare. Damn it.

Anyway, he stopped by Drinking Liberally last night, and what I listened to (politicians bore me) was standard Ron: very well-informed, good with an audience, made really good points about the Democrats failing to pick and stay with a firm decision on getting out of Iraq. I just wish he could do his job the way he manages personal appearances.

Also of note at DL: Al Runte, gadfly candidate for Mayor against Greg Nickels. I can't say I was impressed with Al's ability to engage with someone trying to make conversation, but he did do a very funny scandinavian accent.

Finally, my two remaining readers already know, but I should report for occasional visitors, that I am no longer running Democracy for Washington. Yes, the end of the greatest era of Democratic leaning PAC leadership in American history has finally come, and I have turned the asylum over to the lunatics. Sheesh, they'll probably keep me around because, let's face it, no way anyone can ever replace the sheer magnitude of my greatness. Any group formerly led by me is destined to collapse once I've turned my back on them - who could ever fill my shoes?
/snark