Sycophant of the Month: June 2009

Total number of ProvGov press releases issued in June: 174 (-6 from May)

Total number with the phrase "Williams Government": 14 (no change from May)

Sycophancy index: 8.0% (+0.2 % from May)

June looked a lot like a re-match of May, and not just in terms of the final score.

It got off to a great start, with defending champ Trevor Taylor first out of the gate. Darin King and Susan Sullivan answered him later the same day, but before the day was even half over, Trevor, assisted by John Hickey, responded with another.

It would be a week before he'd take a slight lead, ending a seven-day drought on the 8th, assisted, for the second time, by Hickey. And no, this wasn't a case of re-announcing the same money over and over again, because that would be, that's just misleading. Tom Hedderson got on the board on the 11th, but Trevor, again with the help of Hickey and also Jerome Kennedy, answered that one nicely. Yet again, this was just letting The People know after; wouldn't want to mislead The People or anything.

But Tom Hedderson is made of stronger stuff than he's often given credit for. He was celebrating on the 16th, and willing on the 17th; his third for the month, putting him back in the game just one back of Trevor.

Doc King added to his single on the 18th, and Patty Pottle went on the big board on the 19th, making it an exciting four consecutive days. But some of the oxygen may have been sucked out of the room, as there was again a week-long gap in the scoring. Trevor roared back ito the game to end the lull on the 26th, followed in short order by Shawn Skinner with his first of the month, which was entirely substantial and not at all puffery. Upstart Hedderson ended the month on a high note, and like Skinner was full of substance; pages and pages of substance.

Hedderson came within one point of tying Trevor Taylor, but when the buzzer came down on the scoring, at a quarter to five (please do not shoot anyone), it was all academic: your June Sycophant of the Month, now a three-peater, is Trevor Taylor. Congratulations Trevor, and to all on an exciting month!