Eliot Spitzer urges Washingtonians to stand behind Governor Gregoire in 2008
Governor Christine Gregoire's reelection campaign kicked off today with a midday luncheon at the Washington State Convention & Trade Center, featuring the executives of the Evergreen and Empire States.
Gregoire spoke first, outlining the combined accomplishments of the Democratic legislature and her office in the most recent sessions. She spoke about education, transportation, and healthcare. She spoke of cleaning up Puget Sound, fighting global warming, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and helping bring warring sides to the table for malpractice reform.
Gregoire received strong applause when she affirmed her support for equality, emphatically stating "We are a state that says we will not discriminate."
She spoke of the future... and strongly warned against the mistake of abandoning the next generation, leaving our descendants to fend for themselves.
"Working together we can leave a legacy to our children that is second to none," Gregoire declared, adding that she believes in "laying out that hope and opportunity" that will inspire Washingtonians to have faith in government.
She offered a kind and eloquent introduction for Governor Eliot Spitzer, who was warmly and enthusiastically received by the audience.
Spitzer went to great lengths to praise grassroots activism, saying, "Those of us in government who have put time and energy into environmental enforcement...every one of us here understand that we stand on the shoulders of the grassroots environmentalists who have led the way" ...following that up again minutes later with "those of us in government merely follow."
He sparked laughter when he described once flipping through the pages of CFO Weekly, and seeing a headline that read "Eliot Spitzer is on line one", with the subsequent subheading: "Words you never want to hear".
He moved on to Democratic values, attesting that "we believe in the mission of government" and condemning the right wing's effort to starve government of revenue, with a forceful challenge that was loudly lauded: "I say to those who have [denigrated government]: Your day has come and gone."
He noted that both he and Gregoire served previously as attorneys general, and assessed the current sorry state of affairs in the corporate sector, stating: "It becomes so predictable and easy to live by a set of standards so low that nobody thought simple, ethical rules would be enforced."
Here's a final sampling of remarks from Spitzer's speech:
Gregoire was equally vibrant and cheerful - and she had good reason to be. The huge ballroom was packed and it was hard to spot a table that had empty seats. It wasn't an on the edge of your seat rally, but it was an enjoyable event...and an indicator that Gregoire will be a much stronger candidate than she was in 2004.
Gregoire spoke first, outlining the combined accomplishments of the Democratic legislature and her office in the most recent sessions. She spoke about education, transportation, and healthcare. She spoke of cleaning up Puget Sound, fighting global warming, ensuring fiscal responsibility, and helping bring warring sides to the table for malpractice reform.
Gregoire received strong applause when she affirmed her support for equality, emphatically stating "We are a state that says we will not discriminate."
She spoke of the future... and strongly warned against the mistake of abandoning the next generation, leaving our descendants to fend for themselves.
"Working together we can leave a legacy to our children that is second to none," Gregoire declared, adding that she believes in "laying out that hope and opportunity" that will inspire Washingtonians to have faith in government.
She offered a kind and eloquent introduction for Governor Eliot Spitzer, who was warmly and enthusiastically received by the audience.
Spitzer went to great lengths to praise grassroots activism, saying, "Those of us in government who have put time and energy into environmental enforcement...every one of us here understand that we stand on the shoulders of the grassroots environmentalists who have led the way" ...following that up again minutes later with "those of us in government merely follow."
He sparked laughter when he described once flipping through the pages of CFO Weekly, and seeing a headline that read "Eliot Spitzer is on line one", with the subsequent subheading: "Words you never want to hear".
He moved on to Democratic values, attesting that "we believe in the mission of government" and condemning the right wing's effort to starve government of revenue, with a forceful challenge that was loudly lauded: "I say to those who have [denigrated government]: Your day has come and gone."
He noted that both he and Gregoire served previously as attorneys general, and assessed the current sorry state of affairs in the corporate sector, stating: "It becomes so predictable and easy to live by a set of standards so low that nobody thought simple, ethical rules would be enforced."
Here's a final sampling of remarks from Spitzer's speech:
"We say to people on Wall Street 'Don't defraud investors by lying'".Spitzer ended by urging the luncheon's attendees to do everything they could to reelect the Governor and keep Washington on track. He received standing ovations as he entered and left the stage, and he appeared to be relaxed, jovial, and comfortable as he talked.
"You here in Washington are ahead of the curve."
"We as a nation need to invest."
"Nobody wants to live in a state where it's impossible to get healthcare for our children."
"We're here to say: We're back. We're going to enforce the law."
"This is the leadership that we need. There has been an overwhelming abdication at the federal level."
"I can promise you that with Chris Gregoire in the vanguard, states will push ahead... [but] not this White House. They ignore facts, they ignore science, they ignore the law."
"Can we get an Attorney General who understands how to enforce the law?"
Gregoire was equally vibrant and cheerful - and she had good reason to be. The huge ballroom was packed and it was hard to spot a table that had empty seats. It wasn't an on the edge of your seat rally, but it was an enjoyable event...and an indicator that Gregoire will be a much stronger candidate than she was in 2004.
