Washblog

the only effective way for a state Republican to speak to an attentive audience

Candidate Rossi has been running ads in the Pacific County papers declaring himself to be "A fresh voice for Pacific County."

That "fresh voice" deception is easy to see through even out here in the boondocks since there is nothing new in the current state Republican or Rossi's proposals that differs from what they've been offering for the last 20 years.

The transparency in the Rossi ad is its insulting assumption that voters this year are paying little attention to the economy and its financial impact in their individual lives. It also insults us in the same way Republicans ignored our inadequate health coverage two years ago and instead preferred to create a fairy tale about "frivolous lawsuits."

Rossi is also candidate of a national party that truly betrayed the American voter.

But of course no Republican is willing to defend the party's failure in Iraq with any kind of enthusiasm or catch phrase. That party's authorship of the tragic waste of humanity in Iraq and needless placing of our soldiers in harm's way will be remembered as a betrayal of America's core values for as long as there is an American History to be taught.

But I digress. Sticking to state politics, candidate Rossi however, keeps blithely tossing out shallow sentences totally absent specifics to back up his claims. He makes the kind of economic talk that might work in boardrooms but never where workers gather in their communities to examine their options.

To wit:

The incumbent raised taxes and increased spending by 33%, but taxpayers aren't seeing a return on their investment.

What party geniuses came up with that as a marketing plan?

On payday the question is whether or not the earnings will cover the expenses. The next thought is more likely anger at the employer - especially if that employer would rather contribute company profits to associations like the BIAW than consider a wage or benefit increase for workers.

When Washingtonian's pay tax on a new washing machine or set of tires, how many of them actually then stop to ponder whether or not that tax will be used wisely?

Furthermore, how many actually think the governor is the one doing the taxing? By his slogan Rossi would have you believe that the governor dictates to the legislature how they will vote regarding taxes.

Well, maybe Rossi is trying to fool us into thinking that as governor he could do that.

And in this county where Tim Eyeman vehicle licensing tax foolishness cost us adequate bus transportation, how many residents here actually think about increased government spending percentages?

Probably only those who remember the good old days when the buses ran more often on more routs. To restore the good old days would require increased spending for public transportation.

I don't think Dino the CEO who would run state government as a business would have such a memory for the good old days.

"You're on your own" would be more accurate for Republican economic governance.

The assumptions that drive Rossi and his party's strategy truly prove the false economic bubble that constitutes their theoretical world.

Otherwise, the truth revealed by a seemingly oblivious Republican candidate, party and financial support base is that they take Washington voters for suckers - thinking that we are shallow and too dumb to think critically.

The next part of the deceptive ad declares that

DSHS, Department of Ecology are run by Christine Gregoire's appointees. These agencies are unresponsive.

Immediate reaction is a question about appointees.

Is Rossi declaring that he would not appoint the head of those agencies? In Rossi's case that might be good since he has yet to appoint a good and truthful idea as something worth while to promise voters.

Worse for Rossi, during the winter storm that devastated much of SW Washington, while those agencies - particularly DSHS - were responding big time, where was Dino Rossi and what was he doing to help out?

I know first hand what DSHS and Governor Gregoire were doing.  I doubled my working hours for 3 solid weeks helping victims in DSHS offices in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties.

So how RESPONSIVE was candidate Rossi?

Well, I read that he had a visit with a friend - a storm victim in Lewis County - but other than that Dino seemed content to stay high and dry on the sidelines  kibbitzing and taking pot shots at Governor Gregoire.

Meanwhile, Governor Gregoire was more than doubling her working hours including lots of time and effort trying to get George Bush (Rossi's Republican Role Model) off his dead ass and declare the counties as disaster areas.

Gregoire was also rallying the State's congressional members to help in the "wake-up-the-President" effort.

But to my knowledge Mr. Rossi did very little to come to the aid of his potential voters.

Talk is cheap. It was cheap last December and it's cheap currently in shallow and meaningless slogans.

"A governor who will make a difference?"

Give me a break. All talk, no substance and an insult to all of us.

That kind of makes of Rossi with his unproven assertions about DSHS and the administration of Chris Gregoire one Republican hypocrite willing to mislead local voters with false rhetoric and unproven declarations.

Finally, let's talk briefly about that puzzling timing of his most recent political ad -  the one that aired immediatlely following Senator Obama's acceptance speech at the Democratic convention.

Why did he run his ad at that moment?

The principal suggestion that comes to mind is that it was the only effective way for a Republican to speak to an attentive audience.

Apparently neither the State Republican Party nor its gubernatorial candidate could think of a better way to get the attention of voters.

So their solution was to ride Obama's coat tails.

Doesn't that say more about the weakness and lack of message of the Republican party and its candidate - needing a Democrat to attract voters so  they could have an audience?

< Cherease Cross, Kind, Beautiful and Caring: She Deserved a Better Chance | "I don't see how a 'family values' man could relate to her either" >
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...the approach rossi will likely take with dshs will be to point to problems in areas like the foster care program, cps...and the overall cost of dshs operations, which, obviously, grows over time.

it is less likely, but he may bring up the ongoing problems between dshs and the state auditor; which are real and substantial, and present a picture of an administrative culture that would be quite vulnerable to political attack.

the fact that you have to pay for an effective foster care system, or cps (or any other service for that matter), will lilkely be a part of the discussion he will not want to address.

doe? it is very appealing to the rural landowner to go after those pesky regulations and development restrictions (gol-danged gubmint...), and that is what rossi will do.

the effective counter is to take a "preserve rural values" approach, stressing stewardship of the land (appealing to evangelical voters...) and reaching out to folks who have moved to the area recently (they were presumably attracted to the beauty of the place, after all).

and as for the busses? rossi would presumably not care, as he is trying to make an anti-spending appeal.

in the worldview of his candidacy, virtually all government spending is bad...making transit spending a (not absolutely necessary) evil.

the counter here is coming ashore in a day or so somewhere between biloxi and south padre island--and as you point out, it's spelled emergency response.

government has a job to do--emergency response is one of the most obvious--and they all cost money, and the federal government gives us less and less of our tax doillars back...but demands more of the state every year...and there's such a thing as giving pay raises to state workers...and inflation, especially for healthcare costs...which just happen to be paid for by dshs.

it's the old "pay me now or pay me later" deal, as we remember every time highway 101 collapses somewhere and raises hell from raymond to port angeles...or an island loses its ferry service.

by fake consultant on Sat Aug 30, 2008 at 06:20:11 PM PST

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We Have Never Had Uninsured Citizens; America Will Always Have Universal Health Insurance

Gosh General, you mean those lawsuits really WERE frivolous?

Arthur
You sure you ain't staking too much on yer theories? Not enough common sense?

by Arthur Ruger on Sun Aug 31, 2008 at 07:52:57 AM PST

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ROSSI'S BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR
Skims $ Millions
from workers comp to attack Gregoire

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