After I reported yesterday that Dino Rossi was in Houston for a fundraiser, Chris Gregoire’s campaign and the Democratic Party were quick to attack the Republican candidate for traveling to the Lone Star state.

Gregoire’s campaign said:

On a day when Republican Dino Rossi headed to Houston to raise money from George Bush country, his campaign passed around a poll showing a dead heat.

And the party weighed in with:

Memo to Dino Rossi: don’t mess with Texas - unless you’re a Bush Republican in need of some big campaign cash.

But prior to Rossi’s Houston fundraiser last night, Gregoire’s Texas cash dwarfed what Rossi had gotten from there. Public Disclosure Commission records show that Gregoire has raised nearly $28,000 from Texas donors. Rossi's total: $500.

I’m sure - at least I’m sure Rossi hopes - that after last night’s fundraiser with Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Rossi now leads in Texas fundraising.

By the way, that poll mentioned in the Gregoire release was done by Moore Research in Portland. Blogger Daniel Kirkdorffer asked pollster Bob Moore the question that others didn’t before publicizing the results. He wanted to know specifically what question voters were asked about the governor’s race. Moore told Kirkdorffer in an e-mail the question was:

Looking ahead, if the election for Governor was held today and the candidates were (rotate names) Dino Rossi, prefers GOP party, and Christine Gregoire, prefers Democratic party, for whom would you vote?

I wonder what Rick Perry, chairman of the Prefers GOP Party Governor’s Association, thinks about Rossi’s chosen nomenclature?