Former Kitsap County Commissioner Tim Botkin’s dismissal as head of the Port of Bremerton’s Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) project was a no-brainer, and not just because we think the whole idea is an expensive mistake in the first place.

In an effort to keep the controversial project alive, Botkin last week sent out an e-mail urging supporters to put pressure on Port Commissioner Cheryl Kincer, who appears to be SEED’s swing vote on the board. Problem was, Botkin’s e-mail also implied Kincer simply didn’t understand the complexities of the issue.

It’s bad enough the port’s paid consultant is going over a commissioner’s head directly to the voters, but questioning that same commissioner’s intelligence — deliberately or not — was a poor decision tactically, and we’re guessing it contributed to his losing the $10,000-a-month contract.