As Sen. Brian Weinstein stuggles to get his home buyer's bill of rights through the House of Representatives, Seattle blogger David Goldstein recently floated an interesting theory about what might be going on behind the scenes.

After an interpersonal meltdown last year over homeowners legislation, Weinstein's been trying to make nice with House Speaker Frank Chopp. If that fails, however, Goldstein notes that Weinstein might have a hole card.

Sen. Weinstein, a Mercer Island Democrat, last year said he plans to not run again. State Rep. Fred Jarrett, a Mercer Island Republican, then switched parties and filed paperwork to run for Weinstein's Senate seat.

But what if Weinstein were to change his mind? It wouldn't be easy for Jarrett -- who said the GOP has become too anti-government and narrow-minded for him to stay -- to change course now. And Weinstein could certainly make a case for staying on to fight for his bill.

Asked about this yesterday, Weinstein said the talk is speculation -- mostly.

A lawyer, he said he's been stunned to see how few of the people making the law are attorneys. And no one, he feels, is standing up for consumer rights in Olympia.

Still, he said it's highly unlikely that he'd run again. Last year, he said, there was a "zero percent" chance that he'd run again. Now, he said, it's maybe a 10 percent chance.

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