Rossi, Republicans hit Gregoire over latest unemployment numbers

Dino Rossi and state Republicans are pouncing on today's report stating that Washington's unemployment rate has risen to 6.0 percent, up from 5.6 percent in July and 4.5 percent in February, and just slightly below the national unemployment rate of 6.1 percent.

Washington State Republican Party Chair Luke Esser used the news to call Gov. Chris Gregoire "out of touch" for having said that Washington is the "envy of the nation."

"The more Christine Gregoire clings to her campaign slogan that everything's great with Washington's economy, the more out of touch she becomes with the struggles of middle-class families," said Esser. "Workers are losing jobs, having trouble paying for their mortgages, their groceries and their gas, and Gov. Gregoire's to priority is protecting her image, rather than actually doing something to improve the economy. That's why it's becoming more and more clear every day that voters are going to replace our governor-in-denial with Dino Rossi this November."

Esser also points out some of the areas where unemployment levels are highest, including Yakima, and most of rural Southwest Washington. Those are both areas where Gregoire is hoping to improve on her performance from 2004.

Rossi's camp, meanwhile, calls Gregoire's claim that her administration has created more than 200,000 jobs a half truth because the state's unemployment rate is now higher than it was when she took office.

"Why does Governor Gregoire continue to brag about creating new jobs when there are actually more people unemployed today then we she took office?" said Rossi spokesperson Jill Strait. "She took the credit when the economy was strong now she ignores that the economy is tumbling and blames others when she is pressed to explain why."

The Republican challenger goes on to charge that Gregoire is ignoring the projected budget deficit, and therefore not ready to take it on, and calls the current set of business taxes and regulations unfair.