SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES

Dori: How dare Jay Inslee Tweet during Deputy Ryan Thompson’s funeral?

Mar 30, 2019, 6:05 AM

Jay Inslee, campaign song...

(AP)

(AP)

We found out Thursday afternoon that Governor Jay Inslee was specifically dis-invited to the memorial for Kittitas County Deputy Ryan Thompson.

As I said last week, when this cop was killed by an illegal immigrant, Jay Inslee had to accept some responsibility. He has declared many times that Washington is a sanctuary state. He encourages as many illegal immigrants as possible to come into our state. And so, when an illegal immigrant kills a cop — as has happened multiple times here in Washington — he has to take ownership of the consequences of his policy.

I am now assuming that Deputy Thompson’s family feels the same way, and that for that reason, they asked the governor not to attend the funeral. I can think of no other reason why they would have asked him not to come.

RELATED: Jay Inslee owes us an explanation, apology for deputy’s murder

After I talked about this on-air, a listener who was at the memorial reached out to me on Twitter and wrote this.

I sat next to a mom of a deputy at today’s service. Jay Inslee was Tweeting in the middle of the service. To see the pain in my son’s eyes, the pain in all the officers’ eyes, and the pain in the eyes of Ryan Thompson’s family, was absolutely heartbreaking.

I couldn’t just take that at face value. I thought that seemed impossible. There’s no way he would be campaign-Tweeting right as the memorial service was getting going. I would think he would pause his presidential aspirations for 90 minutes as Ryan Thompson’s family, friends, and colleagues were honoring him and laying him to rest. Surely Jay Inslee would respect that.

I went to Jay Inslee’s Twitter account. The memorial service started at 2 p.m. At 2:24 p.m., he sent the following Tweet.

I couldn’t believe my eyes. As Ryan Thompson was being laid to rest, Jay Inslee was Tweeting for his desperate presidential campaign.

After I commented on this on Twitter, the mom who had reached out to me sent me another Tweet.

It was horrible and heartbreaking. It made a sad day more sad. Both of our sons had been on calls with Deputy Ryan Thompson. He was a great guy.

I know that politics tends to remove the humanity from people. But, as big a critic as I’ve been of Jay Inslee and of his politics, his lying about taxes, his presidential campaign — in which he polls at less than a percent — that is costing our tax dollars as State Patrol troopers fly around the country on the campaign trail to protect him, I couldn’t believe this latest one.

This was a tone-deaf, callous new low he sank to that I found just sickening. You know me — usually I’m in a rage over a story like this. But I’m not furious. I’m sick and I’m sad. I’m depressed that this guy is our governor. I’m heartbroken that his presidential aspirations were more important than respect for a fallen cop in his state, and that he would campaign-Tweet just 24 minutes after the memorial service started.

Everything that day should have been focused, like a laser beam, on honoring the fallen trooper. And I found Inslee’s self-serving behavior sickening.

Associated Press

Indiana governor is urged to let death sentence proceed against man who killed 2 kids in fire

A death sentence for an Indiana man who killed his girlfriend’s two children in a house fire should remain in place, the state parole board recommended Wednesday, just days before a Nov. 5 execution by lethal injection. Jeffrey Weisheit has a right under Indiana law to seek clemency and ask for a life sentence for […]

26 minutes ago

‘I think, I think it’s actually collusion on the part of judges’: Stevens takes aim at Washin...

John Curley Show

‘It’s actually collusion’: WA Supreme Court candidate David Stevens takes aim at fellow judges

Washington Supreme Court candidate Judge David Stevens highlighted a lack of transparency about how judges shield one another.

32 minutes ago

Light Rail collision...

MyNorthwest Staff

Light rail train collides with vehicle making illegal turn

A scary moment for Light Rail passengers after a train collided with a vehicle Wednesday morning.

59 minutes ago

Associated Press

Suspects in alleged school shooting plot in Georgia had floor plan, had chosen a date, warrants show

ATLANTA (AP) — Three people arrested over an alleged plot to carry out a shooting at a Georgia high school had gotten a floor plan of the school and chosen a date to carry it out early next school year, according to arrest warrants. Shane Keith Taylor, 17, and Michael Brandon Terry, 21, had reached […]

1 hour ago

black bear cub...

Jake Skorheim, Co-hot of The Jake and Spike Show

Jake: Wildlife officials put down a bear cub near Index. Why?

This blog post discusses the controversial decision by WDFW to euthanize two black bears after an incident involving an older woman.

2 hours ago

Supporters of Salim Said, who was found guilty in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, leave after ...

Associated Press

Judge orders 30-year prison sentence for key figure in Minnesota food fraud

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A man who played a major role in defrauding a federal food program in Minnesota was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison, the latest punishment in a sprawling scheme to collect millions of dollars during the COVID-19 pandemic by claiming to have fed needy children. The depth of fraud in Minnesota […]

2 hours ago

Dori: How dare Jay Inslee Tweet during Deputy Ryan Thompson’s funeral?