UPDATED: Gregoire, Rossi spar over BIAW billboards

The campaign for Gov. Chris Gregoire held a press conference today with a number of what they called "progressive leaders" from across the state to denounce the BIAW-sponsored billboards that accuse the Seattle area of stealing the 2004 election. The billboards are meant to look just like normal Dino Rossi signs, but are not paid for by the campaign.

The BIAW has spent more than a million dollars supporting Rossi already in 2008, and have referred to Gregoire as a "she-wolf" in a newsletter.

Surrogates who showed up to speak out against the ads included state Rep. Brendan Williams (D-Olympia), President of Washington State Labor Council Rick Bender, executive director of the Washington Conservation Voters Kurt Fritts, Alison Mondi, communications director for NARAL Pro-Choice Washington.

"It's alarming that Dino Rossi chooses to align himself with an organization that engages in mudslinging and name-calling," said Mondi. "The BIAW's opinion of women also seems to align with Rossi's anti-choice, anti-contraception record."

Gregoire spokesman Aaron Toso added, "The decade-plus relationship between Republican Dino Rossi and the BIAW is paying off. Rossi's campaign is awash in special interest cash from the BIAW to promote their opposition to cleaning up Puget Sound, opposition to consumer protections and opposition to fighting climate change."

The Rossi campaign hit back, too, hinting that the event showed that her re-election was more important to Gregoire than the job of governing. They also knocked the state Democratic Party for their own ads.

"Last week the Governor said there wasn't enough time in her busy schedule to place a phone call to a company about creating 400 new jobs in our state, but now she has time to hold a press conference to complain about yard signs," campaign spokesperson Jill Strait said, referring to Areva story reported by the Tri-City Herald. "At least we know what her priorities are.

"The BIAW signs in Eastern Washington are not Dino Rossi campaign signs. We had nothing to do with creating them, and we don't agree with their message. We do not believe that Seattle - or anyone else -- will steal this election and are confident there will be a fair playing field. Dino Rossi would not be running otherwise.

"While we don't agree with them, campaigns have no control over how independent groups choose to spend their money. The Gregoire campaign made sure the media was aware of this fact two weeks ago, when the Washington State Democratic Party ran an attack on Dino that our news media called ‘sleazy' and an ‘ethnic slur.'"

UPDATE: The Rossi campaign mistakenly accused Gregoire of taking time to hold a press conference when she was actually in Wenatchee. Full statement from Rossi spokesperson Jill Strait below.

Earlier we released a statement expressing amazement that Governor Gregoire could find the time to call a press conference complaining about yard signs, when just last week she said she couldn't find the time to call a company about bringing 400 jobs into the state. 

Now we understand that the Gregoire campaign actually brought in a parade of special interests to denounce special interests.  To make their point about a supposed connection between special interest groups and the Rossi campaign, they brought in lobbyists from the Washington State Labor Council, the Washington Conservation Voters and NARAL to make official statements for the Gregoire campaign.   

Well played, Governor Gregoire.  Well played