The Hot Seat Our Weekly Look At Who’s In Trouble

Lowry celebrates a hollow victory

Mike Lowry has jubilantly emerged from the grey area between what can legally be proved as sexual harassment and what is just plain creepy behavior. His wife Mary distributed a statement to reporters claiming her husband was completely vindicated. Joking with reporters, the Guv happily agreed. Meanwhile, Susanne Albright, the recipient of Lowry’s latest advances, quietly recovers from a suicide attempt.

Jim West: a red meat eater and proud of it.

Rep. Jim West blew a fuse over the Lowry report. A dense cloud formed over his common sense. He sprang to his feet and blurted out a call for impeachment proceedings. Fellow Republicans cocked their heads like dogs hearing weird noises. Impeach someone who is hell-bent on selfdestruction? Why bother? The indifference of his cronies really hacked him off. So, he tried baiting them, claiming the Republican leadership was a bunch of sissies. They aren’t “red meat eaters,” West said. Smart Democrats will encourage West to work like a beaver on this impeachment business. Get all worked up and study it to death. Distracting West from his zero tolerance budget cutting may be the best thing to happen to Eastern Washington.

Biting the hands that feed them

Homeless people in Seattle are whining at the city for hosting the NCAA college basketball tourney. An advocacy group organized a march this week that ended with 18 arrests and removal of hastily erected tent shelters. The group claims the city cares more about sporting events than about the homeless. Seattle is expected to bring in $30.8 million for hosting the tournament. This, in a city that will spend $7.4 million on services for the homeless this year, an increase of 84 percent since 1989. Where’s the beef?

MEMO: The Hot Seat is a feature of the Sunday Opinion page. To nominate someone for The Hot Seat call Scott Sines at 459-5405.