I-1000

Supporters of Initiative 1000, the ballot measure that would legalize assisted suicide in the state for terminally ill patients, are touting the backing of the Washington State Medical Association on the initiative's medical safeguards.

The WSMA supports the following requirements for a patient to qualify for the lethal dose permitted by the "Death with Dignity Act": "a terminal illness; suffering that the patient considers intolerable; age of at least 18 years; a determination of mental competency; evidence that the request is persistent, voluntary, and free from undue influence; evidence that reasonable palliative treatment has been offered; and a concurring opinion by a second physician."

A Seattle Times report from Monday shined light on the fact that despite the WSMA having come out against I-1000 in July, the decision was made without the input of its 7,000 members, and since then many have come out in support of the initiative.

A new poll from KING 5 and SurveyUSA shows the Washington gubernatorial race continuing to be tight. The survey, completed August 11 and 12 from 718 state voters, asked "If you were filling out your ballot for Governor right now, would you vote for (choices rotated) Republican Dino Rossi? Or, Democrat Christine Gregoire?"

Results showed Gregoire with 50 percent of the vote and Rossi with 48 percent with a margin of error of +/- 3.7 percent.

Dino Rossi, or at least Dino Rossi's words, can be found somewhat frequently on the internet this week in a move to solidify his support on Washington state's right flank.

The Seattle P-I's Joel Connelly reported Tuesday that Rossi has written an open letter to supporters of former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) asking them to look further into his campaign for governor.

The Republican gubernatorial candidate also gave an interview to Red County, a popular blog that bills itself as presenting "grassroots politics from the center right."

A new poll done by local tracker Stuart Elway shows Gov. Chris Gregoire with a large lead over Republican Dino Rossi. The survey, which took place July 27-31 with a relatively small sample of 405 registered voters, had Gregoire up by a count of 52 percent to 36 percent with 12 percent undecided.

The numbers are good news for the incumbent in part because they show her with more than 50 percent support from voters and a lead that withstands the 5 percent margin of error and according to the Seattle P-I's Joel Connelly, who first reported the results, Gregoire led nearly everywhere in the state.

The good news for Rossi is that this is only one poll, and many recent snapshots have shown a much smaller lead for the governor. But perhaps better still, the Elway poll has Rossi leading in both Kitsap and Pierce Counties, normally Democratic districts that Rossi narrowly won in 2004.

While most polls have Washington firmly in the blue column, a strong anti-choice (for birth or death) turnout could have an effect on both the gubernatorial and the presidential election.

Initiative 1000, the ballot initiative that would allow terminally ill patients the choice to seek life-ending medication, officially qualified for the November ballot Thursday when Secretary of State Sam Reed's office determined they had turned in more than the required 224,800 valid signatures from voters across the state.

"People all over Washington support death with dignity, and we're building momentum daily. We're going to go all the way," said former governor Booth Gardner.

Gardner, who suffers from Parkinson's Disease, has been the leading backer and a chief spokesman for the campaign so far.

Washington is trade-dependent, yet the strongest epithet a campaign can level is that opponents’ money comes from out-of-state? We should get over our provincialism and take that money all the way to the in-state bank.

Burner's house burned, Rossi's billboards revealed and Dicks' district disses. Here are the Winners & Losers for July 11, 2008. | CLICK HERE

The AP calls it assisted suicide, but the right to die, or aid in dying, or death with dignity, ought to be a personal choice that Washingtonians make for themselves – without being told what to do by the government or by the Associated Press.