Gov. Chris Gregoire says she's worried about the escalating costs of Supreme Court races and she plans to do something about: Raise more money. What she's really worried about is the increasing amount of conservative money going into races in recent years and says she'll try to counter that by raising money for the liberal judicial PAC, Citizens to Uphold the Constitution.

"I just want an even playing field," she said at her morning press conference. She said she was "chagrined" by the business money raised by Supreme Court candidate John Groen just before new campaign limits went into effect. Groen, challenging Chief Justice Gerry Alexander, and state Sen. Steve Johnson, challenging Justice Susan Owens, have the backing of the Building Industry Association of Washington and other business groups that promise strong support for the conservative challengers.

Gregoire said she doesn't want money to decide who sits on the court, saying, "It has to be based on their abilities."

She said she will soon be raising money for the incumbents.

A reporter asked: "Isn't that just further escalation?" And Gregoire said:

"Well, you don't sit there and do nothing. You don't disarm when there is a lot of money flowing in for certain philosophical ways of doing business on the court to represent just single interests. You don't sit there and just do nothing."