Is Rawles trying to make nice?

Councilman Tom Rawles has announced that he will stand for the Pledge of Allegance, even though he will not recite the words or put his hand over his heart. As he heads into the end of his four years on the council, you have to wonder if he is trying to make a little bit of nice before he goes back into private life. Either that, or he is going to get his name back in the news one more time before he steps down.

You have to hand it to the guy, he sticks to his guns and does what he believes. He seems like the kind of guy where you always know where you stand.

Should he be on a city council representing one of the more liberal parts of the city in a place where the City does a lot beyond his view of "core city services?" I don't know the answer to that, but I do know that I have always liked to have a "devil's advocate" around to help make sure my thinking is clear.