The Seattle Times has endorsed Dino Rossi for Governor. Not that I look to the Seattle Times Editorial Board for voting advice. But when even the state's leading liberal newspaper abandons Mrs. Gregoire, it's a pretty good sign she's in trouble.
And as commenter Glenno points out, Rossi today also picked up the endorsements of the Yakima Herald, the Walla Walla Union Bulletin and the Tri-City Herald, the latter two having endorsed Gregoire in 2004.
Watch out for exploding heads. Dying regimes tend to get ugly.
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at October 17, 2008 04:27 PM | Email This
Yakima Herald - Endorsed Rossi in 2004
Governor: Budget concerns give Rossi the edge
Link: http://www.yakimaherald.com/stories/2008/10/16/governor-budget-concerns-give-rossi-the-edge
Tri-City Herald - Endorsed Gregoire 2004 and every time before
Governor: Dino Rossi
Link: http://www.tri-cityherald.com/962/story/352730.html
BTW, the Times demanded Clinton's resignation over Monica. Please tell us again about how well they represent liberals.
I know a lot of people who plan to vote for Obama and Rossi. An interesting question is, how will Obama govern. Will he be a Gregoire and push the envelope too hard, or will he be a Gary Locke, who was pragmatic & smart enough to win two terms.
Posted by: russell garrard on October 17, 2008 05:58 PM1) Increased forum usage (phpbbs powered...go Linux! Go OSS!)
2) One of the best "webpapers". They recognize that their audience will soon be 100 percent web.
3) Participation with readers/writers...putting emails on every article.
4) Blog format for columnists.
5) Little censorship of views.
6) Appeal to "Joe the Plummer" type comment writers.
The Seattle Times is trying to be a Washington newspaper and I think they could succeed.
Any normal, non-prejudiced, non-biased, person walking the halls of the Seattle Times offices would immediately see the extreme left leaning soul of the Seattle Times. The Times doesn't deny it, so why do you?
The fact that jaded people such as yourselves exist really troubles me for the future of this country.
It's our old friend, the invisible hand (the market), that is responsible here. Be honest, do you think this is their "actual" choice? Hell no. But they (whose financial lives depend on the Times survival) have read the tea leaves. It is an economic calculation, but economic calculation is what America is all about. Satisfy your market or perish, and the market is definitely Rossi.
The papers can move the market, but only to an extent. The papers cannot weather the storm of public opinion here. Ergo the smart ones are defying their ideology. Perhaps this will effect their bias too with potential new hires not being ideologically screened. That is all I hope for.
Posted by: JDH on October 17, 2008 08:03 PM"An interesting question is, how will Obama govern. " should be "An interesting question is, how *would* Obama govern."
He's not going to be President.
Posted by: Jorge Curioso on October 17, 2008 11:04 PMThe Seattle Times endorsed Rossi in 2004 and again in 2008. How exactly does this amount to "abandoning" Governor Gregoire? You can only abandon someone who you once supported.
Also, the Times is "liberal" only in your with-us-or-against-us mentality. They endorsed Bush in 2000, Rossi in 2004, McGavick and Reichert in 2006, Reichert and Rossi in 2008. Sure, they endorse some Democrats too, but the Rossi endorsement is consistent with their ideology.
I agree that their Rossi endorsement hurts Gregoire, and she is in trouble. But your spin on it is contrary to the facts -- either wishful thinking or an outright lie.
Posted by: Bruce on October 17, 2008 11:40 PM"Any normal, non-prejudiced, non-biased, person walking the halls of the Seattle Times offices would immediately see the extreme left leaning soul of the Seattle Times."
No, reality has a well-known liberal bias. The fact-free zone of the Times' editorial board can endorse Rossi, with exactly the same effect as their endorsement of Mike!!$$$$!! in 2006. After all, they will be fired if they don't snap to the party line Mr. Blethen decrees.
Perhaps learn a skill of value, then study Help Wanted Ads. This might be the beginning of the end of public funding. Maybe one of those college remedial courses I've read about might be helpful if you can get accepted somewhere. Your analytical ability needs some work.
I work in the private sector. The word "analysis" is in my job title. My boss recently gave me a very large pay increase, explaining how he needed to match the value I create for our employer. So, your attempted ad hominem attack was just eviscerated by reality. You are therefore wasting your time commenting at Sound Politics; you deserve to post here daily. Yes, your ability to get everything wrong all of the time will arouse the hate-filled envy of your fellow posters, but once you remember their utter impotence, you'll do just fine.
Posted by: tensor on October 18, 2008 12:58 AMOh, please. Mr. President 23% Approval Rating will merely pardon anyone who can testify against him. Nothing to worry about, unless you believe in law and order.
Posted by: tensor on October 18, 2008 01:15 AMYou do know that Mr. Rossi's transportation 'plan', if implemented, will involve spending many tax dollars here in King County, right? An eight-lane SR-520 bridge might actually require so much money that Eastern Washington would get only as much tax money as they send to Olympia; after years on our public dole, how would they adjust? It's not like they work at Microsoft, Paccar, Boeing, Perkins Coie, etc.
By all means, keep voting based on how you feel. We liberals all know how touchy-feely you righties can get, and how loudly you howl when we ask you to consider facts -- actual facts -- in your decisions.
Posted by: tensor on October 18, 2008 01:24 AMIn the 2004 Governor's race:
More than 55,000 ballots were "enhanced" by election workers.
More ballots were counted than were cast.
Newly "discovered" ballots were illegally added to the count.
Felons, dead people and those without a legal residence voted.
3,500 duplicate absentee ballots were sent out in King County.
Military ballots were sent out too late.
The election was improperly certified.
The election was stolen by Mrs. G & the Democrats....AND THAT'S A FACT!!
Posted by: Susu on October 18, 2008 03:30 AMRossi made the right move in focusing on the Budget Fiasco Gregoire created by increasing spending 33% or $8 BILLION in the face of a recession. This $3.2 BILLION Deficit did not just happen, it was because of a series of Gregoire decisions. The Times gave this example:
"the proportion of health insurance paid by the employee. In the private sector, the employee's share differs, but averages more than a third. At the state, the employee's share is 12 percent.
A few months ago, Gregoire agreed to keep it at 12 percent. She could try to take back this gift, but it would be difficult. For Rossi, it would not be so difficult. He would probably say that in the midst of an economic crisis, it was unfair to save an employee's benefit by raising taxes on other employees who don't have that benefit."
IN OTHER WORDS, GREGOIRE PAID OFF THE STATE EMPLOYEES UNION TO THE DETRIMENT OF 'WE THE PEOPLE', while KNOWING we were facing a massive deficit.
What the Times failed to do...and Rossi now MUST do is connect the dots and that is:
Gregoire failed to address State Employee benefits & gave raises IN EXCHANGE FOR MASSIVE CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS OF BOTH MONEY & TIME BY THE UNION AND IT'S MEMBERS.
It was brought up here the huge conflict Gregoire had "negotiating" with the State Employees Union while taking their money & help from "foot-soldiers".
This is what she did.
Taxpayers should be outraged.
Connect the dots quickly Dino...launch all torpedo's now...and the Governor's Mansion is your new home.
The $5.1 BILLION UNDERFUNDED was as of 6/30/07. The State Retirement Fund has $38 BILLION invested in Equity Markets which have dropped 20% or so since 6/30/07. They also have BILLIONS invested in real estate. My guess is the State Retirement Fund is now UNDERFUNDED by $8-9 BILLION!!
We haven't heard a peep about the current financial status of the State Retirement Fund. You can be absolutely certain Gregoire is keeping this number under lock & key until AFTER the Election.
It's very surprising the Seattle Times, with all the coverage they have provided about the Stock Market collapse, has not connected the dots and asked the simple Question:
HOW HAS THE STOCK MARKET COLLAPSE IMPACTED THE STATE RETIREMENT FUND??
Obviously 3-1/2+ months after the 6/30/08 Retirement Fund year-end, SOME preliminary numbers are available.
Come on Seattle Times, what are you waiting for!!
Connect the dots. We are in big trouble now.
How big?? You tell us.
Watch Seattle Times, you will be given the Gregoire-bureaucratic run-around that numbers are not available and it is their "policy" to release them later. BULLSH*T!
We deserve to get them NOW!
It's "We the People" who sooner or later must pay this monstrous Retirement Bill.
Rainy Day Fund--My A$$!
Seems mighty shallow Richard.
Goldstein and his ilk laugh and poke fun at you.
Fence-jumpers in politics don't normally fare too well. People rightfully question what they stand for and conclude they will say or do anything to win an election.
Posted by: Pope? on October 18, 2008 08:48 AMThe big news related to the Governor's race this year are the newspapers that have flipped. The News Tribune in Pierce County is for Gregoire this time after backing Rossi in 04. Same flip for the Columbian in Clark County, which backs Gregoire this year.
What will the Herald do in Snohomish County this year after backing Rossi in 04?
The Tri-City Herald has sour grapes and backs Rossi over Gregoire this time. But it hardly matters because voters in Benton and Franklin counties are already locked in the Rossi column and have been for four years.
Posted by: Jan on October 18, 2008 09:02 AMI laugh out loud when this is the best you can come up with.
Posted by: jimg on October 18, 2008 09:34 AMLiberal ought not be throwing around accusations of misogyny, lest Hillary Clinton and Sarah Palin remind you of your vicious misogynistics attacks on them both!
Posted by: Libs are Misogynists on October 18, 2008 06:55 PMActually it is the wrath of the 10% approval congress I fear most.
Posted by: pbj on October 18, 2008 07:02 PMI don't share too many values with the Gov, but she isn't as bad as she is painted. She is true to her own values - which I respect. I have seen her hold people in her "inner circle" highly accountable. She is extremely bright and has impeccably high standards.
Of course I am voting for Rossi. If I ever vote for a D - you can just slip me into a white jacket and call it done - but my point is - it shouldn't have to get this ugly.
D's want more Gov - they think they are smarter and can run the world from their thrones.
R's want less gov. They think people need to be smart and make good decisions or live with the consequences.
I think the truly corrupt souls are all running msm.
Posted by: Jo Lee on October 18, 2008 10:56 PMThe thought that immediately popped into my head was, if Gregoire wins, there won't be any roads or bridge projects in this state because she and the radical environmentalist leftists in Seattle want to force us out of our cars by letting the roads crumble.
Odd as it may be, Rossi is actually better aligned with Obama/Biden on infrastructure than Gregoire is. It's isn't a bad thing for Rossi but more of a terrible sign of how out-of-touch Gregoire really is, even with her own party.
Posted by: blindman on October 19, 2008 03:39 PMhttp://spokesmanreview.com/opinion/
"Re-elect Gregoire" doesn't exactly sound like a Rossi endorsement to me.
Posted by: whats up on October 19, 2008 04:16 PM