Governor Dino. Ah, dat's amore.

I haven't paid much attention, but surely the national Republican party has written off Washington? In that case aren't we in an inevitable California-style death spiral?

The national Republicans have definitely not written off Washington State.

See this article from earlier in the week:

Republicans have high hopes of recapturing the governor's mansion and a Democratic-held Senate seat, as well as carrying this battleground state for George W. Bush, GOP National Chairman Ed Gillespie says.

He was in the state Wednesday for a rally to rev up grassroots volunteers.

"There is no more important state politically," Gillespie said in an interview. "We're looking at a close presidential race here in a battleground state with 11 electoral votes, a very competitive Senate race and one of our best shots at an open governor's seat."

The last time the GOP won the governorship was in 1976. Grow up. It is not going to happen.

The last time the GOP won the governor's office was in 1980, not 1976. Democrat Dixie Lee Ray won in '76. Republican Spellman won in 1980.

I suggest getting your facts straight before giving advice to others, kay?

Note, Joystick Jake doesn't care where Rossi stands on the issue, doesn't care that the democrat is apparently an incompetent hack who has already done the state considerable damage... he just doesn't want Rossi to win because of that R-word. Quite completely mindless.

I bet a lot of people were saying the same thing about Maryland and Hawaii in 2002. The democrats owned these states by Divine Right. No way would they go Republican. And the Dems put a Kennedy on the ticket in MD, that should have sown it up.

Both states have Republican governors today.

Dino Rossi's on the side of ordinary people, provided that those ordinary people aren't poor, don't believe in employee protections, or consumer protections. Here are some of the ways Dino Rossi has helped the common family:

January, 2001: Dino Rossi joined 14 others in voting against HB1144. HB 1144 exempted participation in WorkFirst activities for up to a year for needy families with a child under the age of one year. "Once the infant reaches 3 months of age, a parent exercising this exemption is required to participate for up to 20 hours per week in parenting classes, pre-employment or job-readiness training, or course study leading to a high school diploma or GED."

Gov. Gary Locke signed the bill into law in May, 2002.

February, 2002: Sen. Dino Rossi and nine others stood against SB 6426. The bill would allow an employee to use sick leave or other paid time off to care for a spouse, child, parent, parent-in-law, or grandparent with a health condition requiring treatment or supervision, or for emergency purposes. Current law only allows for the use of such leave to care for children under 18. The bill also declares that employers may not discharge, threaten to discharge, demote, suspend, discipline or discriminate against employees who exercise their rights to family leave under this law.

Governor Locke signed the bill into law in March, 2002.

March, 2002: Dino Rossi voted with 10 others in opposing HB 2544, which prohibited insurers from canceling or refusing to renew a personal insurance policy based on personal credit history. The bill became law in April, 2002.

And then there's the issue of the 2003 budget.

Services for the poor were cut. College tuitions are up, state workers aren't getting pay raises and are paying higher health care premiums. Low income families are also paying higher premiums for health care. Voter-approved education spending got dropped. 26,000 workers who provide in-home health care - some of the most difficult and humiliating work available - didn't get the negotiated $2 per hour raise; instead, they got a 75-cent boost to $8.43/hour.

Yes, this all points to someone who's fighting for the common family in Washington state.

How is the common family helped by all of the new taxes that would be levied to fund all of your desires Kayne? The ability of Washington to grow it's economy, attract business and investment and create jobs is put at serious risk if the State continues down a path of ever higher tax burdens and ever more regulatory control over what should be the private decisions between a business and it's employees. This climate extracts it's highest toll on the "common man" with a weak job market because investment is directed elesewhere. The ability of employers to offer higher salaries is crowded out to the demands of funding higher taxes and paying the costs of more regulations.

The best tonic to improve the life of the "common man" is a robust economy. Higher tax burdens and greater helpings of regulatory burdens will be serious obsticles.

I think Dino Rossi understands.

I'm one of five full-time Bush-Cheney staff members working in Washington State. Trust me, we're taking WA seriously and President Bush and Dino Rossi are going to carry the state.

And what candidate will set dental hygienists free to provide preventive oral health care to
Washington citizens?

Rossi is pretty much a shoe in for the governorship. He has no real challenger (Locke stepping down). I'm a Democrat and I'll probably vote for Rossi (I think we need a change), but as for Bush carrying WA? No way that happens. Kerry will take this state pretty easily I think.