SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Should AG Bob Ferguson and Gov. Jay Inslee be suing the government?
Jun 25, 2018, 1:38 PM
Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson announce Washington is suing the Trump administration over its practice of separating children from families at the US-Mexico border. (Washington Governor's Office)
(Washington Governor's Office)
If it feels like Attorney General Bob Ferguson is launching a lawsuit against the Trump administration every other week, you wouldn’t be far off. On Thursday, Ferguson announced that Washington state is spearheading a coalition of states in suing the Trump administration over the policy of separating children from parents at the US-Mexico border.
RELATED: Washington leads lawsuit against Trump over family separation policy
This will be Washington’s 27th lawsuit against the Trump administration. The question is: Do we really need to be suing the government?
“The Washington state Attorney General and the Washington state Governor are jumping out in front of cameras to sue Donald Trump’s administration,” said KIRO Radio’s Don O’Neil. “They’re making themselves a self-appointed watchdog.”
Trump signed an executive order Wednesday ending the family separation practice, though stressed that the zero tolerance policy for illegal border crossings will remain in place.
“I try to stay in my lane in most things,” added Don. “And there’s a huge part of me that thinks that this is just not staying in the lane for Washington state. At the same time, you could argue that the check and balances system of our government doesn’t seem to be working.”
But the system of checks and balances doesn’t appear to be working in Seattle, either. So the relentless press conferences on national issues can sometimes give the impression of attention seeking when there are other more pressing issues at home like homelessness and housing affordability.
Local politicians may be vying for major offices
Though these moves can come off as stunts in the short term, they may be a sign that the politicians are playing the long-term political game, all in an effort to position themselves within the national consciousness and vie for future major offices.
“To make a sports analaogy,” added Don, “it’s part of game that people play sometimes where they look passed the opponent you have right now and look at the next opponent.”
Whether it works for hopeful candidates remains to be seen. But the seemingly bi-weekly press conferences will likely continue as long as people like Bob Ferguson keep receiving national media coverage.
