Analysis · Floor speech · beta

Michael Baumgartner

Republican on Retirement of Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald 2026-09-15

214 words · 12 sentences · 15 clauses

Statement grade

A–

Average 89 / 100

A score under 50 is red. Choose a measurement to see where it lost points and why; choose it again to clear.

Greeting 9%Claims 71%Positioning 4%The ask 12%Procedure 4%

This view breaks the statement into its steps and names what each one does.

Mr. Speaker, Greeting · 20 wordstoday I rise to honor Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald on his upcoming retirement after a lifetime defined by service.⁵Greeting Claims · 21 wordsOftentimes, county clerks and other local and government officials get overlooked, but they shouldn’t be. Having a good county clerk matters, Positioning · 8 wordsand Tim Fitzgerald was a great county clerk.Positioning Claims · 130 wordsTim served as a vital nexus for the Spokane VET Court and Spokane Veterans Forum. By focusing on treatment, VA integration, and peer mentorship, he created a program that has graduated over 500 veterans and reduced the local veteran recidivism rate to 5 percent.¹ This statistic represents real lives transformed and peace restored to hundreds of military families. Tim Fitzgerald’s devotion to duty began long ago. He dedicated three decades to the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a colonel after crucial leadership deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.² He brought that same elite leadership to county government, earning recognition as Washington State’s Clerk of the Year in both 2017 and 2022.³ A true gentleman and proud graduate of the Virginia Military Institute, Tim embodies the highest traditions of public service.⁴ Mr. Speaker, The ask · 26 wordsI ask my colleagues to join me in thanking Tim and wishing him and his wife, Tracy, the best in the next chapter of their lives. Procedure · 9 wordsRecognizing Ferris High School’s Football Head Coach Billy NewmanProcedure

At a glance

Lost points for

Switch Claims on to list the checkable claims here.

What the tags mean

Signal · 81

3 of 3 deductions are Signal

Signal checks whether every part makes a point, gives a reason, or asks for action. A low score means the speaker filled time with fluff, pleasantries, or attacks.

Greetings and pleasantries.What the tags mean “today I rise to honor Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald on his upcoming retirement after a lifetime defined by service.”A greeting: no claim, reason or ask.
Praise, blame or attack with no claim, reason or ask in it.What the tags mean “and Tim Fitzgerald was a great county clerk.”Positioning: praise, blame or attack. No claim, reason or ask.
Throat-clearing: announcing what you are about to say, or the House’s routine business.What the tags mean “Recognizing Ferris High School’s Football Head Coach Billy Newman”Procedure or throat-clearing: no claim, reason or ask.

Relevance · no score

Not applicable: nothing to answer. Excluded from the average.

Relevance checks whether the speaker stays on topic and answers the question asked. A low score means the speaker dodged the issue.

Reasoning · 87

0 of 3 deductions are Reasoning

Reasoning checks for sound logic and solid support for any conclusion. A low score means the speaker made unsupported leaps or used weak arguments.

Nothing lost points.

Conclusions found · 1

Conclusion“and Tim Fitzgerald was a great county clerk.”

Because“Tim served as a vital nexus for the Spokane VET Court and Spokane Veterans Forum.”

“and peer mentorship, he created a program that has graduated over 500 veterans and reduced the local veteran recidivism rate to 5 percent.”

“He brought that same elite leadership to county government, earning recognition as Washington State’s Clerk of the Year in both 2017 and 2022.”

Reason given

Respect · no score

Not checked: graded before this measurement existed. Excluded from the average.

Respect checks whether the speaker argued with people’s positions and records rather than attacking the people: insults, mockery, or bad motives assigned to them. Criticism of what someone did, however strong, is not marked.

Clarity · 100

0 of 3 deductions are Clarity

Clarity checks for plain speaking, clear ownership of actions, and honest limits on certainty. A low score means vague promises or evasive language.

Nothing lost points.

Claims · 5

This list shows the factual statements you can check for yourself: the words as said, and the claim restated to stand on its own.

1“has graduated over 500 veterans and reduced the local veteran recidivism rate to 5 percent”The Spokane VET Court program created by Tim Fitzgerald has graduated over 500 veterans and reduced the local veteran recidivism rate to 5 percent.search
2“dedicated three decades to the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a colonel after crucial leadership deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan”Tim Fitzgerald served about three decades in the United States Marine Corps, retiring as a colonel after deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.search
3“earning recognition as Washington State’s Clerk of the Year in both 2017 and 2022”Tim Fitzgerald was named Washington State’s Clerk of the Year in 2017 and in 2022.search
4“proud graduate of the Virginia Military Institute”Tim Fitzgerald is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute.search
5“honor Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald on his upcoming retirement”Spokane County Clerk Tim Fitzgerald is retiring.search

Analyzed on 2026-09-17