The Times predictable November endorsements

The Seattle Times has endorsed Christine Gregoire for governor. No surprise here. Last Monday the paper papered over Gregoire's incompetent defense of her tenure as the president of a segregated sorority, even praising her for her lame claim that she spoke out against the sorority's policies years after graduation.

Last Sunday Joni Balter had a long column assessing the three leading candidates, with the punch lines that

Rossi is moderate in tone, but his social policies are conservative.

and

Sims is running to the left of Gregoire and much of the state

while

Gregoire's Washington would be competently managed with her no-nonsense approach and fast legal mind.

Balter even spun as a positive Gregoire's claim that if she had been governor

she would have intervened more aggressively in the ridiculously long Marysville school strike

Of course she could have intervened as Attorney General, too. But she didn't! Gee, I wonder who the Times will endorse in November? Please, no wagering.

N.B. The Times endorsement of Gregoire also signals that it will endorse I-884 in November

Gregoire's Democratic opponent, King County Executive Ron Sims, has run a more spirited campaign. He has been clear about changes he would seek in state tax policy. And Sims supports Initiative 884, the education trust fund, which would boost education funding at all levels. Gregoire does not.

An interesting straddle. You really would have to be confirmed Kool-aid-drinking I-884 supporter to describe it as an "education trust fund" without mentioning that it would also increase the state sales tax by a billion dollars a year.

Be sure to read the Times in the weeks ahead for more hard-hitting reportage and editorials on both the gubernatorial race and I-884.

Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at September 06, 2004 05:04 PM | Email This