West Apologizes For Threat Gop Senator Asks Forgiveness, But Opponents Ask, ‘Why Now?’

Thu., Aug. 13, 1998

By Jonathan Martin jonathanm@spokesman.com

State Sen. Jim West blanketed Spokane this week with a letter apologizing for telling a lobbyist, “You’re dead.”

The message left on building industry lobbyist Tom McCabe’s answering machine in March referred to political - not physical - death, West wrote to voters in the 6th Legislative District.

West, chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee, called the threat “a very serious error in judgment” and asked for voters’ forgiveness.

“I’m apologizing because it was the wrong thing to do,” wrote West, a Republican who is seeking reelection this fall. “More importantly, I’m apologizing for the bad example I set for young people in our community.

“In the years I have served as your state senator, I have been in many tense and stress-filled situations. Until this incident, I have never allowed those pressures to drive me to make such a serious error in judgment.”

But this time was different, West said. He explained his outburst as a reaction against what he called a “cowardly” act by McCabe’s group, the Building Industry Association of Washington.

The group had run ads mentioning West’s opposition to a bill funding school construction.

“Every lobbyist who wants a special favor from government tries to get me to help them,” West wrote. “This lobbyist was no different.”

West’s Democratic opponents also received the mailing.

“My question is: Why now, six months after the event?” candidate Keith Johnson asked. “Is it that he is feeling a lot of public pressure to make an apology and get it behind him, or is it because the political season is upon us?”

Candidate Judy Personett said the mailing has energized her. “He said he lost his temper because of the stress of the job. It sounds like he needs a permanent vacation.”

West included with the mailing copies of a pair of Spokesman-Review editorials, one of which criticized Olympia authorities for prosecuting the senator.

He faces an Aug. 26 hearing on a misdemeanor charge of making an intimidating phone call.

Attempts to reach West on Wednesday were unsuccessful.

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