Dinobuilding Industry Association of Rossi increasingly desperate in gubernatorial bid
With the Republican brand in decay, the Republican legislative caucuses bereft of wise leadership, and no high profile right wing lawyers willing or available to run for state Supreme Court, the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) has found itself stuck in a precarious position this year.
The electoral map looks bad, with virtually no opportunities to stack the courts or decrease Democratic majorities in the Legislature.
So the state's most powerful right wing lobby, wanting to net at least one breakthrough in 2008, is gambling heavily on the candidacy of Dino Rossi, hoping that voters will turn a blind eye to the impressive record of the state's most effective governor in recent history - Chris Gregoire.
The BIAW and Rossi have always been close, but with filing period over and done with, it seems they're all each other has this year.
The BIAW needs Rossi to win to score a major victory in a tough political year, and Dino Rossi needs a special interest with deep pockets to falsify his opponent's reputation. The BIAW has thus become a division of Rossi's campaign, and Rossi has become a symbol of the BIAW.
They're inseparable - part of the same beast (video).
And that beast has realized the only way it can take down Chris Gregoire is to deceive the people of Washington State. Their goal is to cunningly portray the governor as a weak, do-nothing politician who answers to bureaucrats (or "Olympia insiders"). So far, the Dinobuilding Industry Association of Rossi's campaign of deception has included:
No doubt that's true, but it doesn't mean an apology from the BIAW for its outrageous comments is any more likely. (The Anti-Defamation League has insisted that the BIAW apologize).
Rossi can't actually run on the strength of his ideas or beliefs, because that means trying to sell Washingtonians the same failed right wing agenda espoused by George W. Bush. Rossi is thus reduced to selling himself, which is what he's best at anyway, but he doesn't look impressive compared to Governor Gregoire.
To get around that problem, Dino and the BIAW are throwing as much mud as they can at Gregoire. But it doesn't seem to be sticking very well, so they're throwing more. They're increasingly desperate because so much is at stake.
A second Gregoire term promises better public schools, more environmental protection, greater access to healthcare, new consumer safeguards, and a truly multimodal transportation system.
And they can't stand the thought of that. They want to halt Gregoire's investments into our common good and common wealth.
Fortunately, we have the power to stop them in their tracks - and we will.
The electoral map looks bad, with virtually no opportunities to stack the courts or decrease Democratic majorities in the Legislature.
So the state's most powerful right wing lobby, wanting to net at least one breakthrough in 2008, is gambling heavily on the candidacy of Dino Rossi, hoping that voters will turn a blind eye to the impressive record of the state's most effective governor in recent history - Chris Gregoire.
The BIAW and Rossi have always been close, but with filing period over and done with, it seems they're all each other has this year.
The BIAW needs Rossi to win to score a major victory in a tough political year, and Dino Rossi needs a special interest with deep pockets to falsify his opponent's reputation. The BIAW has thus become a division of Rossi's campaign, and Rossi has become a symbol of the BIAW.
They're inseparable - part of the same beast (video).
And that beast has realized the only way it can take down Chris Gregoire is to deceive the people of Washington State. Their goal is to cunningly portray the governor as a weak, do-nothing politician who answers to bureaucrats (or "Olympia insiders"). So far, the Dinobuilding Industry Association of Rossi's campaign of deception has included:
- Massive ad buys that ignore Gregoire's accomplishments and blame her for unsolved problems that Rossi helped create with his shortsighted, irresponsible 2003 budget,
- Self-identifying as a member of the "GOP Party" (which stands for Graveyard of Progress Party) to avoid the tarnished Bush Republican brand - a move that has actually offended the Republican Noise Machine,
- Web videos that level bogus accusations against the governor, pitched to the traditional media and right wing bloggers.
"Make no mistake, today Washington state is a safer place to live because of the leadership of Gov. Gregoire," said Ray Moss, vice president of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association. "We have the lowest crime rate in 14 years because Gov. Gregoire has made public safety her number one priorities.”While Gregoire works to better our state and collect public input from Washingtonians, Rossi has been hanging out with his Holocaust-trivializing pals. Rossi was the centerpiece of the BIAW's recent annual gathering at Skamania Lodge, where he was was welcomed by President Brad Spears as "a candidate who believes as BIAW believes."
"These are sleazy attack ads by BIAW and unlike in politics, in law enforcement it is all about integrity. We are not allowed to lie," said Bill Hanson, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police. "Gov. Gregoire has spent over a decade making it easier for law enforcement to keep communities safe and harder for criminals to evade the law."
"We are with Gov. Gregoire not because of her words, but because of her action and record protecting Washington state,” said Lee Reeves with the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs.
Gov. Gregoire has been endorsed by every major organization in the law enforcement and firefighting community including:“We have hit rock bottom in this campaign and it is only June,” said Gov. Gregoire.
- Washington Council of Police & Sheriffs (WACOPS)
- Washington State Fraternal Order of Police
- WFSE/AFSCME Local 308 (which represents Community Corrections Officers)
- Law Enforcement Administrators of Washington (LAW)
- Washington State Patrol Lieutenants Association
- Washington State Patrol Troopers Association
- Washington State Association of Fire Chiefs
- Washington State Council of Firefighters
No doubt that's true, but it doesn't mean an apology from the BIAW for its outrageous comments is any more likely. (The Anti-Defamation League has insisted that the BIAW apologize).
Rossi can't actually run on the strength of his ideas or beliefs, because that means trying to sell Washingtonians the same failed right wing agenda espoused by George W. Bush. Rossi is thus reduced to selling himself, which is what he's best at anyway, but he doesn't look impressive compared to Governor Gregoire.
To get around that problem, Dino and the BIAW are throwing as much mud as they can at Gregoire. But it doesn't seem to be sticking very well, so they're throwing more. They're increasingly desperate because so much is at stake.
A second Gregoire term promises better public schools, more environmental protection, greater access to healthcare, new consumer safeguards, and a truly multimodal transportation system.
And they can't stand the thought of that. They want to halt Gregoire's investments into our common good and common wealth.
Fortunately, we have the power to stop them in their tracks - and we will.
# Posted by Andrew : 4:42 PM
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