Gov. Inslee’s Press Secretary Bullies Journalists Over Inslee Campain Flip Flops

Yet another example of what's really going on in Olympia, but you don't hear about it on the 5 o'clock news.

When running for Governor,  Jay Inslee campaigned on a platform of creating jobs for Washington state,  improving educational accountability, and other popular ideas that helped him him.  It's interesting that his Building A Working Washington campaign website is still up, and fully operational.  Not unlike his 'mentor' in the White House, who mysteriously is still criss-crossing the country fund raising.

But less than two months after taking office, he began back-peddling faster than Richard Sherman in a 2-deep zone.

Inslee's first move was to try to make several Gregoire-era temporary taxes permanent, including reinstating the controversial one on bottled water and soda.   Inslee tried to spin it as they weren't "new" taxes because they were already in place.   Even the state's own budget office said in effect, they are, because the taxes were set to expire in mid-summer. Many businesses were basing their budgets and strategies on the taxes going away.  So, they would have the same effect as "new" taxes.

He also pushed publicly for an A-through-F letter grade system for evaluating teachers and the educational system.   But fearing reprisal from the WEA (Washington Educational Association), the teachers union, he quickly abandoned that idea. They poured a huge amount of money into his campaign, because Inslee is pro-union, and has caved to them on numerous occasions.

David Postman, a former writer for the Seattle Times, is Inslee's Director of Communications.  We at Newstalk 870 receive his emails on a daily basis, detailing Inslee's itineraries, positions on issues and other governmental information.

Postman is fast becoming known, however, as The Spin Doctor.   Shift Washington, a conservative political investigative group, has uncovered numerous e-mails from Postman reportedly attempting to "bully" or convince Seattle-based journalists to stop taking Inslee to task by showing how he's broken numerous campaign promises.

According to emails, and other information uncovered by Shift Washington,  Postman just last week spent time editing a blog post written by former Times writer Brian Rosenthal.   The writer pointed out Inslee went back on his A-F educational promise.    In March 2013,  Postman did the same with Associated Press writer Mike Baker, who wrote an article called "Gov. Inslee Tax Plans Stretch Campaign Promises."

Postman was angry because he claims both writers didn't allow him to see the stories before they were published, and accused the journalists of not giving him or Inslee a chance to respond.   What he was really upset about was that the writers, using quotes from Inslee during the campaign, were simply pointing out what many of us knew from nearly Day One:   Gov. Inslee hasn't lived up to the promises he made when he ran.

Postman has quickly built a reputation as being quick to jump on, criticize, and even verbally bully writers who dare to stand up to Inslee, challenge his ideas, or point out he's broken numerous campaign promises.

Throw in his controversial dealings with rich environmentalists, and his plans to jack up gas prices into the stratosphere,  and you have Obama-West Coast style.  As more and more broken promises and controversial back-room policies are uncovered,  it appears Postman will be very busy chasing down writers who dare to expose the truth.