Gregoire calls on Rossi to denounce BIAW, refutes radio ads

Gov. Chris Gregoire held a press conference today with a number of law enforcement officials representing groups that have endorsed her, and she came out swinging. Gregoire called on Dino Rossi to denounce the $500,000 worth of radio ads leveled at her by the Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) that are being run under the moniker Change PAC. The Gregoire campaign claims the ads are misleading.

"We have hit rock bottom in this campaign and it is only June," Gregoire said of the ad campaign. "I call on my Republican opponent Dino Rossi to denounce the BIAW and these ads and instead run a campaign focused on good policy and the issues."

She also used the stage to let the officers speak on her behalf on the topic of public safety, and take shots at the BIAW for their accusations that she is weak on safety. Making Washington tougher on criminals has been one of the Rossi campaign's top issues. Rossi's campaign has said they have no connection to BIAW's advertisements, though he has met with them a number of times and will be the featured speaker at their general membership luncheon this Thursday in Skamania.

"Make no mistake, today Washington state is a safer place to live because of the leadership of Gov. Gregoire," said Ray Moss, vice president of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association. "We have the lowest crime rate in 14 years because Gov. Gregoire has made public safety her number one priorities."

"These are sleazy attack ads by BIAW and unlike in politics, in law enforcement it is all about integrity. We are not allowed to lie," said Bill Hanson, executive director of the Fraternal Order of Police. "Gov. Gregoire has spent over a decade making it easier for law enforcement to keep communities safe and harder for criminals to evade the law."

Continuing with the theme of being proactive, the Gregoire campaign has also created a website to "fight the attacks" of third party ads by countering their claims with points from Gregoire's record as governor.