Memo to Rossi: Tragedy Not "A Prime Campaign Issue"

Rossi shamelessly politicizing Lewis County flood relief efforts to manufacture yet another attack, despite local GOP lawmakers' praise of bipartisanship

SEATTLE - Republican Dino Rossi's campaign has hit a new low, and he should apologize. Seattle Times chief political reporter David Postman today noted that bipartisan cooperation on Lewis County flood relief "may be robbing Dino Rossi of a prime campaign issue."

A prime campaign issue?!?

For non-avid readers of the Centralia Chronicle, Rossi has been shamelessly attacking Gov. Gregoire since late January over flood relief efforts in Lewis County, despite local Republicans' praise of bipartisan cooperation with Gov. Gregoire's office and repeated Republican pleas not to politicize the issue. Beyond his repeated local attacks in Lewis County, Rossi's trashing of the governor over flood relief efforts has also recently crept into his red-meat stump speech to GOP audiences on the Lincoln Day Dinner circuit, hundreds of miles away.

"Republican Dino Rossi continues his relentlessly negative, no-new-ideas campaign for governor, and has now sunk to a new low - crass exploitation of one of the worst natural disasters in Washington state history," said Kelly Steele, spokesman for the Washington State Democratic Party. "While local Republicans have overwhelmingly praised the bipartisan cooperation between grown-up public servants in response to true human tragedy, Rossi has proven he'll say or do anything in pursuit of his personal political agenda."

***WEB VIDEO***: Washington State Democrats today also released a new web video, highlighting Rossi's crass exploitation of the Lewis County flood relief efforts - against the wishes of local GOP lawmakers - and calling on Washingtonians of all political stripes to join the call for an apology from Republican Dino Rossi for his crass political exploitation of human tragedy.

Watch it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlCGeP53qBY

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Rossi's Shameless Partisan Attacks Make Him Odd Man Out

Local GOP leaders & The Chronicle praise bipartisan cooperation

• "But Republican lawmakers who live it everyday are celebrating today the passage of several pieces of flood relief legislation, including a $50 million bond authorization to build flood control projects. They say cooperation with Gregoire has been excellent through the 60-day legislative session set to end tonight. ‘Everybody has worked very hard on this,' said House Minority Leader Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis. ‘The governor's office was great to work with.'" [Seattle Times, 3/13/08] 

• "We appreciate Gov. Gregoire and her staff for listening. Today, we have revived hope for the future protection against flooding along the Chehalis River."  [The Chronicle (Editorial), 3/12/08]

• " We extend a hand of gratitude to Gregoire..."  [The Chronicle (Editorial), 3/12/08]

• "No one in the Legislature or the governor's office has hesitated over our request for flood mitigation funding," said Gary Alexander (R-Olympia). [Seattle Times, 3/13/08] 

• "But DeBolt and Alexander say the governor never insisted the Corps plan be funded. They say the administration has been working with them since the flood and that the bill leaves enough flexibility for locals to have their say."  [Seattle Times, 3/13/08] 

•  "Rep. Richard DeBolt, R-Chehalis, said the bills were what his fellow like-minded legislators have been working so hard for these past two months."  [The Chronicle (Editorial), 3/12/08]