Gov. Christine Gregoire was asked at her press conference this morning if she had a chance to talk to King County Executive Ron Sims before the exec came out in opposition to this fall's road and rail ballot measure. She said:

"He's told me all the way along that he wasn't going to do what he did. So I had no reason to talk with him. I was surprised by what he did.

"You know, I love Ron. So he did whatever he did, for whatever reason he did, but he has absolutely told me that you can rest assured I am not going to get out on this issue. I'm not going to encourage or take a public position that would say vote no on this. So I don't know what happened that brought him to that conclusion. Having said that, I respectfully just disagree."

Sims explained last week what happened that led to the change of heart. And he told me again today via e-mail:

The attention surrounding my public neutrality led to personal reflection on whether to continue to make a strategic decision or an authentic one on this ballot measure.