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October 21, 2008 3:00 PM

Washington swinging Obama-Rossi. Say what?

Posted by Lynne Varner

Associated Press

Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Jim Bates/Seattle Times

Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi.

I don't believe strange bedfellows make for good politics.

In leadership positions I tend to vote single-party to ensure unity and strong teamwork. Seems I'm in a growing minority. More than a few voters are indicating a preference for a Democrat in the White House and a Republican at the helm of our state.

I spent a recent evening trying to get a fix on this. At the local level, it appears to be a quest for political balance. Electing Dino Rossi may be some voters way of keeping the tax-and-spend Democrats running the Legislature held in check by a fiscally conservative governor. The weakness of this argument is that fiscal restraint is not a virtue held only by Republicans.

The best way to get things done is to move past partisanship. Lawmakers of like mind and goals are more likely to spend time on the important details that turn ideas into policy.

Readers wonder why I don't invoke the same argument on behalf of Republican leadership. Two wars and a tattered economy keep me from making such an argument on the national front. Locally, I support where Gov. Christine Gregoire has taken our state. Rising costs, including energy, fuel and healthcare, made the governor spend more than even a tax-and-spend liberal would be comfortable with. Gregoire has made investments in education, healthcare coverage for children, social services and other areas. This has certainly raised the level of government spending but for things I believe necessary. I don't want someone who would go in an opposite direction.

But as the saying goes politics makes for strange bedfellows, underscoring that there's plenty of room for opinion on this. Fire away. Click below for a Q&A podcast about this column:

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Comments

Offbase I am neither a Republican or a Democrat. There are aspects of both parties that I like and things that I don't like. So where does that... Posted on October 21, 2008 at 7:27 PM by Jason001. Jump to comment

Yeah Publicbulldog, but Obama wants to send the military into Afganastan as they are pulled out of Iraq. Is that really ending war? And Rossi may... Posted on October 21, 2008 at 7:13 PM by OffBase. Jump to comment

Thinking - I'm afraid you're anything but. 1. Dino doesn't support one person's right to do what they want when that means murder another... Posted on October 22, 2008 at 11:58 AM by Dave98042. Jump to comment

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