To Christine Gregoire:

I see once again you forgot Tri-Cities and Dino Rossi has not.

We will remember in November!

You’re my favorite liberal JIMD. Both personalities have shown me why my party will win in 2008 and why America needs to stand up against liberalism.

You cannot hide under the name Jamesb Mr. Jimd, I only wish you could go National with your intriguing thoughtless mind process of many words but nothing to really say. In fact BHO must be your mentor, you have so little to say on anything that your posts are meaningless when it comes to substance. I have never been a racist and find your accusations laughable.

I do not want to cause other posters trouble on this blog everyone knows what your real motives are on this blog now, so I will not be posting here any longer as you true colors have been reveled.

As I said before I am your worst nightmare as you have proven in your hits on me, which brings a smile thank you.

I expect what ticked you off today was this…

http://rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/election_20082/2008_presidential_election/daily_presidential_tracking_poll

Cheers,
John

I see that Gregoire at long last ordered some hiring and spending freezes. Sheesh is she sloooooooooooow. Should have been done over a year ago.
Postman--
How are you planning to measure the im[pact of Gregoire's "freezes"?
Or are you just going to take her word for it as you usually do and print her propaganda??

The odd thing about the Tri-Cities is that - more than anyone in state government - Chris Gregoire engineered the latest sustained job/economic boom there by committing the feds to a schedule for Hanford clean up. But you'd never know it from the way people voted there in 04.

She'll do better there this year because most people know that she gets it, contrary to her opponent, who does a good job playing to his partisan base but doesn't show much basic understanding.

Here's a prediction: Gregoire will fare better in all 39 counties than she did in 04. The primary vote will be a good barometer of the trend.

I hope both candidates are forced to answer for the TV and radio ads they and their supporters are running in the primary lead up. Those are made for TV moments that would be priceless.

If the TV debates reflect the candidate's manner to date, It will be interesting to see the contrast between Gregoire's crisp, informed and willing explanation of her policy specifics, with Rossi's vague platitudes and snippy negativity.

Good grief, John. Get a grip.
I don't like you.
I rarely read your drivel..
I don't want to be your friend.
I don't want to have anything to do with you.
So buck-up like a man and leave me alone, for Christ's sake.
Your love-scorned, pervert=stalker routine is creeping me out.

And if jamesb was writing my shtick, it would be more concise and to the point, with shorter sentences and far fewer words - since you haven't noticed...

I expect we will end up with four debates just like last time. My hope is they will be a full hour and allow for follow up questions, with rule one being that the questions must be answered.
As for the eight other candidates, if any of them can get over 5% in the primary then perhaps they should be in one of these debates and if any of their campaigns can show real potential then they should be included more.
With a candidate like Rossi though in a close race, much time will be consumed just seeking real answers to questions. The voters would be harmed if the format, time or # of participants made it more easy for him to just run out the clock.

JimD, when you ever write a concise, chrisp and thought-provoking post, I'll let you know.

As for your sorry description of Gregoire's style in debates, where have you ever seen her as such? She is a horrible orator. She continually misrepresents her views and the views of her opponet. She has been caught in one disengenuous statement after another. Less we all forget, JimmieD, Gregoire said she wasn't doing anything illegal when she accepted campaign contributions from the indians while she was deciding whether or not to sign off on that sweetheart deal for their gaming agenda.

As a former AG, you'd think she'd know better. But, I continually forget, Democrats never have to say their sorry, or wrong, the media is in the tank for them.

I assume that when she says "different media formats" the governor's spokeswoman means things beyond television. That seems to make sense, because from my (admittedly non-scientific, but nevertheless bi-partisan) discussions with friends from 2004, most agreed that Dino Rossi appears far better on television that governor Gregoire does. Call it Nixon/Kennedy 1960.

In any event, I hope the candidates will do more than four debates. We face a $2.9 billion budget shortfall and I, for one, would like to hear the candidates face tough, direct questions several times over the next ninety days or so.

JimD:

How did you become The Seattle Times authority of what we can and cannot say?

This will be an interesting debate I cannot see our Gov. winning anything of them when the State is in shambles and heading into a rescission.

P,
"...Less we all forget, JimmieD, Gregoire said she wasn't doing anything illegal when she accepted campaign contributions from the indians.."

I'm not crazy about her relationships with the tribes, but WAS that illegal?
Has she been charged with a crime?

(Bill - when a poster spams the same exact temper tantrum to me personally on six individual subject threads - I feel comfortable asking him to knock it off)

"I'm not crazy about her relationships with the tribes, but WAS that illegal?
Has she been charged with a crime?"

You have posts that are full of accusations of lawbreaking without laws being violated. Do you know what you’re talking about ?

Has GWB, Cheney or Rumsfeld been charged with a crime...........

What?

Look - Gregoire reports her campaign contributions, and there's nothing secret about her policy.
There's nothing illegal about it when it's done lawfully - which Gregoire's campaign obviously has done.
You may not like it - just as I don't like builders and contractors buying Rossi's support - but it's not "illegal" to lawfully donate to a politicians campaign and get favored treatment in return.

"Illegal" is what Senator Ted Stevens is alleged to have done - taking gifts (money, whatever) and NOT reporting it.
His alleged crime was keeping it under the table.
Do you see the difference?

To my knowledge, the many actual crimes some believe GWB, Rumsfeld and Cheney may have committed during this administration do NOT include violations of campaign finance laws.
Allegedly providing cushy tax policy to big oil in exchange for campaign contributions, for example, is not illegal.
But most folks think it's wrong, just as you think the alleged connection between Gregoire's tribe policy and their contributions are allegedly connected.

Regardless of how you feel about Gregoire's relationship with the tribes, it's simply a lie to accuse her or the tribes of illegal campaign behavior, when in fact it clearly is not.

Senator Stevens was not who I was thinking about, you want him to resign why?

You need to stay on message no matter whom you’re talking about.

"I'm not crazy about her relationships with the tribes, but WAS that illegal?
Has she been charged with a crime?"

So the standard for Governor according to Democrats is that as long as she doesn't go to jail, it is fine.

I would hope the voters of Washington State would have a higher standard, one of ethical behavior, not simply if the prosecutor can get the goods on the gov.

JimmyD:

You're pathetic. You libs will rant on and on about what you preceive are lies told by the president prior to the invasion of Iraq, but when it comes to your candidates; well, that's different!

President Bush did NOT lie about anything, yet you bozos on the left continually LIE about that issue. Regardless of how many times you're proven wrong on the facts. But, when it comes to Gov. Gregoire accepting campaign contributions from the indian tribes, while she is in the process of deciding whether or not to sign legislation favorable to them; that's not wrong? Whether or not it is illegal, which I believe it is, what does it matter - it is pay as you play mentality that has made our state one of the most corrupt in the country. Gov. Gregoire, being an attorney and former AG, should know better than anyone else. This is why it is important for people to realize voting for an attorney is just asking to be ripped off. Because that is what they've been trained to do.

Can you finally see the hypocrisy, JimmyD? Or, as I suspect, are you simply just another leftist hate-monger determine to lie about the facts to have them conform to your personal worldview?

Thanks P for clarifying my post, you hit the nail on the head. JimD and all his leftist buddies have been wailing about GWB, Cheney etc. for years, even though they haven't been charged with a crime, have never committed one and have not been impeached, yet JimD will defend his governor until the cows come home because, she hasn't done anything illegal.....

Let's be fair here.
I'm certainly not saying that political contributions for political influence isn't wrong.
I frankly think it suks -- but let's not forget that it's republicans who adamantly defend corporate and organizational donations as "free speech".
You're fighting your own party on that one.

In any event...that's how the system works and to the extent it was done in accordance with campaign law, Gregoire did not do anything "illegal" as you incorrectly stated.
And even if there was a quid pro quo - which there's no direct evidence of - even THAT isn't "illegal" either!

You have to break a law to commit an "illegal" act, bothsides.
Which law do you believe Gregoire or the tribes broke?
Do have any idea what you're talking about?
Or is this an imaginary set of laws you make-up as you go along?

Because taking campaign donations and then enacting policy favorable to the giver is standard procedure these days - no more by dems than repubs of course - and all perfectly legal.

I'd suggest sticking with your valid argument - that you think the business taxes for tribes shouldn't have been cut.
Or if you prefer - you think Rossi should raise taxes on these businesses, even though they already generate huge revenue for the state while providing a lot of their own services the state doesn't have to pay for - the premise of Gregoire's adjustment.

Either way, calling her behavior on this issue "illegal" is simply ignorant.

I noticed the AWB debate is not on the candidates radars. I think you David would take a special interest in it since you are slated to moderate it.

LINK: http://www.awb.org/events/2008summit.asp

Bothsides,
Maybe you can educate the state atorney general about what's illegal:

"State Attorney General Rob McKenna, a Republican, has defended Gregoire's negotiations, saying he believes the law was followed to the letter."
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008097239_governor07.html

JimD,

You miss my point. I have not said CG has done anything illegal, I believe that was another poster. I'm saying you're stance is hypocritical, you slam GWB and the others saying what they have done IS illegal, but you defend CG as having done nothing illegal. Which is it? I'm sure if either CG or GWB did anything illegal, we'd know about it, neither party would let that slide. Do I like the fact that she can take tribal money and make cozy deals with them in trade, hell no, is it illegal, doesn't appear to be.

JimD--
The issue is not whether what Gregoire did was LEGAL or not. It has everything to do with what is in the best interet of the State of Washington and it's citizens. I have a very hard time understanding how Gregoire's Tribal wheel-deal benefits the average Washington citizen.

Care to explain to us precisely how this Trbal Gaming deal benefits YOU or ME???

Bothsides - you're right, it was another poster who called it "illegal".
You picked-up with the "GWB..." comment and I didn't go back to verify you weren't following-up on what I mistakenly thought was your own comment.
My bad and I'm sorry.

However!....LOL I've never said GWB or the administration committed an illegal campaign finance act.
I do think allowing their political influence to be purchased is despicable, but I've never said it's illegal because it clearly is not.
If I've made references to "illegal" behavior, it was in relation to things that are actually against the law - and there's no shortage of allegedly illegal behavior from the white house during this administration.
Unfortunately, selling political influence for campaign contributions isn't one of them.

YIKES,
ya know - the Indian Tribes are citizens of the State of Washington ;-)
They live here, they pay sales and all manner of taxes just like everyone else, and have as much right to representation through the political process as everyone else.
Not everything government does is necessarily intended to serve YOU personally.
You should thank your greedy stars that Gregoire signed a deal capping video poker units on reservations.
I'm up in Montana right now, and it (and too many other states) have embraced this most insidiously addictive form of gaming for its easy revenue.
And the results ain't pretty.

The tribes could have eluded paying that state tax revenue in the courts for years (and have), so the compromise to let go of something we weren't going to get anyway in exchange for a limit on the number of machines is simply good, pragmatic politics.
The days of jerking Indians around because we COULD, are long gone.
Rossi's claim that we should, appeals to a racist belief that tribal members are somehow lesser state citizens than you or me, and therefore should be taken advantage of with higher taxes - the opposite of what he's pitching to non-Indians in his campaign.
Talk about hypocrisy...?.