While the Obama campaign is doing everything it can to fault Republican rule for the recent economic collapse, it may actually be hurting Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire. As News Tribune reporter Joe Turner discovered today, state Senate Democrats have been sent explicit instructions to duck questions about the state's projected $3.2 billion deficit and proposed budget cuts.
Sound familiar?
The McCain campaign is doing something similar, making a last-ditch effort to sway the focus of the election away from the economy to avoid a Democratic landslide. How ironic, then, that Gregoire — a Democratic incumbent running in a Democratic year — is having to run a don't-ask, don't-talk-about-the-budget-deficit campaign. Good luck with riding those Obama coattails, Chris. Better hope all those middle-class, budget-conscious workers whom "that one" worked so hard to win-over are still on your team. ...
Gregoire and her opponent, Republican challenger Dino Rossi, debated this morning in Spokane, but as Associated Press reporter Nicholas K. Geranios reports, the two candidates spent "most of the hour-long session battering each other with familiar attacks."
Hot lunch: Republican U.S. Rep. Dave Reichert and Democratic challenger Darcy Burner also debated yesterday, and reportedly the two actually managed to focus on issues. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer has a full roundup, while Horse's Ass and Sound Politics offer partisan analysis.
Hot seat: The Seattle Times reports, not surprisingly, that Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi doesn't want to testify in court about the Buildergate allegations before the Nov. 4 election. ...
Tough call: The editorial board at the Seattle Post-Intelligencer endorses Democratic challenger Peter Goldmark to unseat incumbent Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland, saying Goldmark would be "much more open to stricter conservation practices, extensive marketing of timber as green-certified to the highest standard and moving rapidly in new directions." ...
Tough times: The Columbian is reporting they are in deep financial trouble (surprise!) and may seek temporary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from creditors. (Update: It seems the link is bad, so here's a summary from Horse's Ass.) ...
Smooth operator: Ralph Thomas at The Seattle Times explains why a social conservative like Rossi is in position to "close the deal" in liberal Washington. ...
Bumpy ride? And finally, is Air Force Obama actually a smelly airplane? That's what CBS News reporter Dean Reynolds says. ...
