Observations in political leadership from guest blogger Matt Loschen:

There I sat, listening to a speech that some would argue only gets delivered by radicals or rubes.

He said that in some ways we followed Rahm Emanuel’s advice and “didn’t let the crisis go to waste” this session (when it came to transportation). But he said the legislature blew it when it came to tax reform. He said we needed to ditch the current system and quit screwing the little guy. He said we should start taxing the wealthy to pay for healthcare and education, third rail be damned. He said that we had to stop hiding behind lame excuses, and get the job done. Most of his cohorts in the room nodded and applauded enthusiastically.

All except the woman seated next to him, who remained oddly silent.

Nope, not another Drinking Liberally meeting or a clutch of campus radicals. This was Sen. Ed Murray speaking at the Washington State Democrats Business Luncheon, held May 13th in that pinko enclave, the Washington Athletic Club. Eating our excellent lunches were revolutionaries in ties, from Boeing, Microsoft, etc. — none of whom appeared to be making a dash for the border to protect their wealth. On the contrary, they seemed to get the necessity of tax reform, and appreciated someone with the decisiveness to pull it off.

Then Sen Murray introduced Governor Gregoire.