Over the years, D.W. "Brownie" Brown has driven 'em all - one top dignitary or another - in Tacoma's annual (Daffodil Festival) Grand Floral parade, in the backseat of his snazzy 1948 Jaguar convertible. The vigorous 81-year-old was scheduled to drive Mrs. Gregoire in the parade last weekend. But, as the Tacoma News Tribune reports today, after submitting his drivers license, he was eighty-sixed on the basis of his age, and ended up way back in the pack, driving Tacoma's deputy mayor.
Gregoire's office is referring questions to the state patrol, which says it was a safety issue. Maybe she was concerned the car would contain "talk show radios." Here's a great idea for Christine's next parade gig, one with real Big "D" populist appeal: she can drive herself.
And didn't Gregoire fawn over the leader of a tyrannical country earlier in the week?
Posted by: Jeff B. on April 25, 2006 08:21 AMWhy was the birthdate required? Do other dignitaries riding in the parade also ask for birthdates? It doesn't appear the Daffodil Festival has an age requirement, so why does the governor? Why wasn't race, creed or color asked? Sexual orientation?
I also find it interesting that a governor's staffer handled this on the front end, and then they punt to the State Patrol to provide cover ... as if the State Patrol is responsible for age discrimination.
Posted by: jimg on April 25, 2006 09:13 AMWhy not? Like most of the other 'Rats, he's already got his nose up her bum.
(Sorry for the nasty image, I couldn't help it.)
Posted by: Interested Observer on April 25, 2006 09:33 AMI looked at his DL and did a double take on the birth-date.
He was born in in 1912. Driving big rig at 87 years of age. He told me he got bored with retirement and started driving truck he had been driving for 30 years.
He was spry, sharp as a tack and could easily pass for 60.
Unless D.W. Brown is shown to be a safety hazard, Queen G should be accused of ageism
Posted by: JCM on April 25, 2006 09:44 AMIts even money, dat “Browne” is a Republican and Ms. Gregforhire is allergenic to all’s of dem.
Forgetaboutit
I think he ought to fix Chistine's wagon by filing an age discrimination suit against her.
After all, she has already admitted to doing it. (It was not like he was going to be driving her at SIR). Obviously, he demonstrated that he can drive 10 MPH in a parade (since he was in the same parade).
Ought to be a slam dunk.
Posted by: Mike P on April 25, 2006 12:11 PMReally now. Let's be honest.
If this was a Republican Governor and she or he had done this,
well you would need a Steam Shovel. Just to keep up with the
reporting on how insensitive she or he was by their actions.
Like I said before, a slam dunk case of age discrimination.
To be glossed over by a press indentured to the Democratic Party.
Posted by: Mike P on April 25, 2006 02:58 PMDone deal.
But no, a licensed driver that no one is claiming as a hazard gets axed because of the age on his DL.
Where is the ACLU, the AARP, the Ragin' Grannies.
Let a R even make a crack about someone's age and those groups would be have 3 press conferences a day until the R resigned.
Posted by: JCM on April 25, 2006 03:52 PMDon't get me wrong, I'm no fan of Gregoire.
You're probably right about how this horrible case of injustice, apartheid, agism and discrimination would play out if it were Dino who did this.
But just because my colleagues in the press do something wrong or because they lack perspective in covering an issue doesn't mean that I'll be cheering for the same thing to happen when the shoe is on the other foot.
There are certain parts of the political battlefield where engagements need to be fought and others where any sort of conflict needs to be avoided at all costs.
It's a mildly humorous anecdote but I don't really see too much to be gained here other than being a somewhat entertaining subject of a blog post.
Post Script: With my puckish sense of humor, I kind of like using the word battle axe in the same sentence as "Chris" Gregoire.
Posted by: Reporterward on April 25, 2006 05:00 PMCompare the immediate uproar over the state lawmaker who used the old "in a woodpile" expression versus the response to the BCC math professor in the papers. Only when the local press realized this had grabbed the national stage did they finally write up the BCC incident and even then they tried to minimize situation. Gosh, guess who's the conservative--the lawmaker or the professor?
Posted by: Burdabee on April 25, 2006 05:33 PMDon't do as she does, do as she says. That is real leadership, the Queen's way!
Posted by: Gs on April 25, 2006 06:25 PMI always like the little poem about the nail. Kind of cute, but in 99.9 percent of situations, the want of a nail usually means that only a horseshoe gets lost. Especially when you have grapeshot, canister and musketballs flying around, people usually have better things to worry about, like ducking, then checking their horses hooves.
Good blog fodder but I'll be keeping my powder dry for the bigger battles. (Battle axe - Christine Gregoire)
One thing did strike me though. Upon rereading the TNT story, the real issue here is why the State Patrol is being made to run flak duty on this?