Morning News Digest: Wednesday, October 29, 2008

With the PolitickerWA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Washington's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.

Government accountability: Gregoire, Rossi debate plan's merits

Gov. Chris Gregoire has won national awards for her management program, but that doesn't seem to be resonating with voters a week before Tuesday's election as she battles Republican challenger Dino Rossi. (Adam Wilson, The Olympian)

http://www.theolympian.com/672/story/639732.html

Analysis: Rossi testimony stokes campaign

OLYMPIA — Just a few weeks ago, it seemed like a cynical long shot — the kind of politically motivated legal maneuver that generates a few headlines, maybe some attack ads and then dies away. (Associated Press)

http://wenatcheeworld.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081028/NEWS03/710289941/1001

Local ACORN cleans up act after '06 scandal

After King County Elections officials uncovered what would later be described as the most egregious instance of voter-registration fraud in state history, John Jones was summoned to the office of then-King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng. (Sara Jean Green, Seattle Times)

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/otherlocalelectionstories/2008323762_acorn29m.html

Business leaders stump for Rossi

Dino Rossi's campaign for governor held a series of press conferences this morning in three locations, Seattle, Spokane and Vancouver, where business leaders from across the state spoke on behalf of Rossi about why they think he will be the best choice for the state's economy. (PolitickerWA.com)

http://www.politickerwa.com/bryanbissell/2491/business-leaders-stump-rossi

Boeing faces talks with second unhappy union

Some 14 months late and still not flying, The Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner will serve as a symbolic backdrop at the bargaining table starting Wednesday when the company and its "other" big union start their final talks on a new labor accord. (James Wallace, Seattle Post-Intelligencer)

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/385436_speea29.html

Ballots begin to pour in with mail-in voting

With 37 of Washington's 39 counties entirely mail-in, and the other two predominantly so, early voting has become the norm in the Evergreen State. Most counties have received at least a third of their ballots a full week before the November 4 election. (PolitickerWA.com)

http://www.politickerwa.com/bryanbissell/2494/ballots-begin-pour-mail-voting

Builders' money pours into Pierce County executive race

With companies like Afterglow Beach, Blue Mountain Vineyard and Windsong Ranch contributing generously to candidates for Pierce County executive, you might think the tourism industry has taken a keen interest in local politics.  (David Wickert, The News Tribune)

http://www.thenewstribune.com/front/topstories/story/521753.html

Citizen casts his vote for civility

Hanging effigies of Sarah Palin and Barack Obama, slathering attack ads from Oregon’s Senate race, racially-charged accusations of voter fraud: next week’s election may seem poised to poison public discourse for years. (Michael Andersen, The Columbian)

http://www.columbian.com/article/20081029/NEWS02/710299958

Democrats laud county chairwoman with statewide 'Maggie' award

SEATTLE -- Terri Nomura, Jefferson County Democratic Party chairwoman for the past two years and a Port Hadlock resident, received the Warren G. Magnuson Award as the state's county party chairperson of the year Monday night. (Jeff Chew, Peninsula Daily News)

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20081028/news/310289995

Angry council confronts Kremen, but he'll keep his raise

Whatcom County Council members cannot reduce County Executive Pete Kremen's $141,000 salary, according to Daniel Gibson, a county attorney. (Sam Taylor, The Bellingham Herald)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/255/story/635551.html

With the PolitickerWA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of Washington's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.