Gregoire cashes rain check on delegation speech

DENVER - When Democratic delegates gathered Wednesday afternoon to cast their votes to nominate Sen. Barack Obama for president, his primary rival, New York Sen. Hillary Clinton called for a motion to suspend the rules so that Obama could be nominated with a unanimous voice vote. For those trying display a show of party unity, the motion couldn't have been better.

But for the Washington delegation, it was a bittersweet move. "W" is the 23rd letter in an alphabetic roll call, and as a result the Evergreen State voters did not get their moment in the sun to announce their delegate votes.

More specifically, Gov. Chris Gregoire, who was selected to read Washington's count, did not get the chance.

However this morning, not wanting to let it go to waste, Gregoire told the Washington delegation what she would have told the entire country last night.

Her speech highlighted Washington's Democratic voting record, saying that it had not gone to a Republican presidential candidate since 1984.

"1984 when the movie Indiana Jones and Temple Doom was a box office hit, and it only cost $2.50 to go to the movies," Gregoire said.

She also mentioned that Starbucks coffee could only be found in Washington state, and the Microsoft was marketing its first software operating program.

"Yes," she continued by highlighting prices, "gas was $1.10 when our state last voted for a Republican. Our state is blue. In fact you might call it midnight blue and we intend to keep it that way.

"Now, dad gummit, why didn't we get a chance to say that!"

The governor then said that the state party was going to propose to the Democratic National Committee that the presidential nominating order go in reverse alphabetical order every other convention. Maybe then a blue state like Washington will get a little respect at the convention.

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