Meet the new rep...

I see State Representative Rodney Tom has bolted the Republican party to run against Luke Esser for the Senate. Tom currently represents the 48th district, which is basically comprised of the really expensive real estate east of Lake Washington. (For those of you who aren't in the Northwest, Tom represents Bill Gates' neighborhood.) Henceforth, he'll be a Kleptocrat.

"I realized the far right has complete control of the party and for me to be effective for my constituents I need to be a Democrat," Tom said today.

He said being a Democrat is not only a better fit for the changing political demographic of the Eastside's 48th Legislative District, but a more comfortable fit for his ideology, which includes support for legal abortion, gay rights and higher taxes for transportation.

Rodney Tom is one of only two Republicans endorsed by Planned Barrenhood, one of four endorsed by the Log Cabin Republicans, and one of five with positive ratings from NARAL. He serves a wealthy clientele constituency (a district that voted overwhelmingly for Kerry in 2004), and he favors unrestricted abortion and higher taxes. So it looks like the only thing that'll be changing is the letter after his name.