McCabe shows danger of extremes

I thank John Koster for his public service. And, I agree he crossed a line while serving as county ombudsman when he signed a fundraising letter for the self-described, right-wing Freedom Foundation. Some of us in the general public likely had sympathy for Koster — I did — as he was removed from the ombudsman job, and again, due to that fine public service record. But sadly, sometimes who defends us matters. Writing in Koster’s defense, Tom McCabe, Freedom Foundation CEO, wrote in Wednesday’s Herald, that he, in defending Koster, is “proud to stand on the right side of the issues and the right side of history,” and, “To the Left, what they believe isn’t opinion at all. It’s the revealed word.”

McCabe, in defending Koster, exactly makes the case why a nonpartisan ombudsman must be distinct from views like these, even if one holding this position, in his/her private view, he/she may concur one way or the other with unique political viewpoints. In such a nonpartisan position, putting one’s signature on anything so stridently Left or Right diminishes the ability to be known publicly as nonpartisan, and yes, that sabotages the job. It’s not rocket science but common sense.

Bill Kirlin-Hackett

Lynnwood