And it's a pretty darn good article. Chris McGann compares what Governor Gregoire said during the campaign with what she is now doing.
Here are the first three paragraphs.
During her re-election campaign, Gov. Chris Gregoire blasted Republican challenger Dino Rossi for decisions he made as the Senate's lead budget writer in 2003 -- such as suspending teacher pay raises mandated by voter initiative and cutting funding for children's health care.
Gregoire said such moves were out of step with Washington's values.
But after winning re-election Gregoire proposed balancing the next state budget with the same types of cuts -- suspended pay raises and reduced eligibility for children's health coverage.
You'll want to read the whole thing.
(I might be wrong, but I seem to recall that Gregoire promised no new taxes in the 2004 campaign, but dropped that promise as soon as she took office. There just may be a pattern here.)
Posted by Jim Miller at January 06, 2009 02:30 PM | Email ThisInanity: Repeating the same cliche over and over even in situations where it is nonsense.
Posted by: Bruce on January 6, 2009 03:32 PMIf all newspapers (and TV stations, and 'public' media like NPR) would provide that sort of perspective on a regular basis, candidates wouldn't be able to count on the media amnesia machine to cover for their mendacity, and campaigns would have to reveal the true positions of the candidates - BEFORE the election.
I know that's anti-American, but the P-I has been in that position for so long it might as well keep up the good work. How about holding Sherill Huff to account next?
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on January 6, 2009 04:03 PMThe interesting thing with Jim's post is that the PI is starting to go all over the Democrats and provide some balance. I predict the same will happen with Obama and the new Obama cash.
Posted by: swatter on January 6, 2009 04:08 PMFrom your mouth to God's ear.
Posted by: Insufficiently Sensitive on January 6, 2009 04:39 PMMaybe she should have a few shoes thrown her way at her next public speech. I hear that Liberals love that form of protest.
Posted by: Smokie on January 6, 2009 05:29 PM
The problem that we're in now is that the governor "spent money like a white trash winner at Wal-mart", not President Bush. (Actually, she's probably not frugal enough to shop at Wal-mart, but I digress...)
Gregoire turned a $1.6B surplus into a $5B deficit and grew the size of state government to record levels.
I don't know how you manage your finances, but in my house, we don't spend money that we don't have. Don't you think our governor and legislature should live by the same rules?
Posted by: Smoley on January 6, 2009 07:36 PMPlease tell me your not one of us (firefighter)
Posting 3 times, really makes you look like a fool.
Posted by: Medic/Vet on January 6, 2009 07:51 PM
what are these people doing for years at their desks? waiting for crisis management or making decisions and correcting the course a bit each year during their reigns to avoid BIG problems later?
there are no surprises here, just lack of accountability and punishment for screwing up;
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on January 6, 2009 08:08 PMSuggestion:
STRIKEOUT the words ''just may be'';
REPLACE with: ''is''. . . .
The pattern is Democrats lying and coddling their victims to get in to office.
Posted by: Jeff B. on January 6, 2009 09:56 PMhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/offthebus-listening-post/obama-camp-calls-mccain-o_b_111508.html
Director of Economic Policy Jason Furman and Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) spoke about John McCain's budget proposals in a campaign press conference call today. Spratt said McCain's proposals would increase the deficit, saying "there's no way were even on the path to a balanced budget."
Today:
"Obama Predicts Years of Deficits Over $1 Trillion"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/01/06/AR2009010602849_Comments.html
Posted by: John Bailo on January 7, 2009 12:05 AMThis you can be sure of. Say the next 4 to 8 years. Once they start giving the bucks away, they won't stop until removed from office.
Posted by: Medic/Vet on January 7, 2009 05:55 AMBush not only outspent any prez since LBJ, he gave Democrats at least a couple years' license to do the same.
Posted by: russell garrard on January 7, 2009 10:01 AMThanks for making the point, dude.
Democrats/liberals control nearly every position of power in this state and you STILL blame Republicans for the mess we're in.
Hint - it wasn't the Republicans who increased state spending by 33 percent over the last four years. And it wasn't the Republicans who denied we were facing a massive budget deficit.
How's about you shutting the eff up and accepting some responsibility for the mess YOUR people put us in.
Or would that require you to act like an adult?
Posted by: jimg on January 7, 2009 10:08 AMBefore you start blaming Republicans for the financial mess that we are in, you need to look at two bills that Clinton signed into law. The Futures trading act which allowed speculators free reign to drive up commodities (Oil) prices as well as the banking act of 1999 which allowed banks to create new ways of lending money which caused massive foreclosures. Therefore, if I were you, I would take the advice of your firefighting comrade and stuff a sock in it!
Their entire playbook is centered around giving people stuff. Republicans like Bush who somehow don't get that follow right along because they are afraid of being accused of "being against children". Not standing up to this nonsense was the worst thing Bush did.
Gregoire played it right out of the book, implying Rossi wanted to take money from children and health care to build roads.
I don't think Republicans have figured yet out how Democrats play. It's called dirty.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on January 7, 2009 01:26 PMAnd yes, Gregoire is a two faced fraud if ever there was one.
Posted by: Jeremy on January 7, 2009 03:30 PMThey have a playbook and they use it over and over.
When people say things like "the ability to grow past our differences" or as Pelosi and Reid say constantly, "we need bipartisan solutions" all I smell is liberalism.
It's never about anything other than pushing the liberal agenda.
Posted by: Bill Cruchon on January 7, 2009 03:37 PM"Before you start blaming Republicans for the financial mess that we are in, you need to look at two bills that Clinton signed into law. The Futures trading act which allowed speculators free reign to drive up commodities (Oil) prices as well as the banking act of 1999 which allowed banks to create new ways of lending money which caused massive foreclosures.
Actually, Dean your facts are more than slightly skewed. The law that allowed banks to bundle bad loans and resell them was written by Phil Gramm and inserted into a 2000 budget bill without debate - then the budget bill was signed by Clinton.
So if you want to issue blame - blame Phil Gramm (of the famous quote about how the economy was really great and Americans are just whiners) who also wrote the 1999 banking "reform" bill as he was being heavily supported by banks and consulted with their lobbyists extensively on both banking deregulation bills.
@jimg And another idiot can't take his own advice:
"How's about you shutting the eff up and accepting some responsibility for the mess YOUR people put us in."
Ok:
Bush:
Largest deficit in history
Worst economic performance since Hoover
No control over the money already spent on the banking bailout
Total incompetence in Iraq and Katrina
Total cronyism and incompetence in appointing Gonzalez and Brownie.
Total incompetence in going after bin Laden
Failure to protect the US before 9/11
The republican party (the K street project) and the Abramoff scandal - supporting slave labor, forced abortions in the Northern Marianas, supporting Indian gambling and supporting Russian oil tycoons (and laundering the money for Abramoff was Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed).
The republican party failed to go after Foley in the page scandal.
The republican party failed to censure Larry Craig.
The republican party failed to police Bob Ney and Duke Cunningham.
Care to take responbility for all that? Maybe you should not throw stones when you live in a very big glass house...
Posted by: correctnotright on January 7, 2009 09:31 PMHer double talk during the campaign didn't get me. I vote for people with I or R next to their names. The Dummycratic Party thinks their turds don't stink. They also think their social agenda is just "way better than the competition". A completely arrogant stance which permeates the air when you have to converse with dhimmicrats.
Kill the television. Don't watch
Nothing
But
Commies
Commie
News
Network
Commie
Broadcasting
System
American
Broadcasting
Commies
They've been lying to us for years with their crap and they have never been right. I remember when the AIDS virus was the end of mankind during the 80s. Now it is climate change. Morons. All of them. They should be tried for treason and hung by their tiny testacles or saggy breasts.
Posted by: DummyCratsSuck on January 7, 2009 10:33 PMAnother idiot who fails to recognize the subject is STATE SPENDING!
Posted by: jimg on January 8, 2009 02:00 PM