Dems hit Rossi on exclusionary campaign events

The Washington State Democratic Party released two videos on Wednesday to highlight the differences in the campaign styles of Gov. Chris Gregoire and her opponent Dino Rossi. Specifically, they try to mock the exclusive nature of Rossi's campaign events that are otherwise billed as being open to the public.

In the latest example they show Rossi's campaign, with the help of the Washington State Farm Bureau, roping off an event in East Wenatchee's Hydro Park with yellow caution tape which the Democrats say suggests a police crime scene. To hammer home the point they open and close the video with the theme song to television's "Law & Order". This is the second such video they have released showing Democrats being turned away from Rossi events.

To accentuate the point, the Democrats also created a video showing repeated instances of a Republican tracker at Gregoire events. The tracker, who identifies himself as Bart Reisen, says he works for the state Republican Party and plans on being present at most Gregoire events for the campaign's entirety. On camera, the Gregoire campaign welcomes him to each event.

"From the sleazy front group he used to line his pockets and build his campaign donor lists, to his personal finances where he built his wealth working closely with a convicted felon but refuses to release his tax returns, to his George Bush-style 'public' events that are roped off like a crime scene investigation, Republican Dino Rossi continues to hide the truth from Washingtonians," said Kelly Steele, spokesman for Washington State Democrats. "After 8 years of deception and lies from George Bush, the last thing Washingtonians need is a Bush Republican like Dino Rossi in the governor's mansion."