Rossi Should Reject and Denounce the BIAW

Ultra-conservative, right-wing group that has built Rossi’s political career from the ground up has crossed the line

SEATTLE – Republican Dino Rossi should immediately reject and denounce the hateful, extremist rhetoric being used by the ultra-conservative, right-wing Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW). Rossi’s top backers opened 2008 with class, labeling Gov. Gregoire “a heartless, power-hungry she-wolf who would eat her own young,” in a column in their January Building Insight newsletter.

But in the BIAW’s most recent March newsletter hate-mail, BIAW “Stormwater Field Representative” Mark Musser kicked it up a notch – reiterating and defending a recent comparison of the state Department of Ecology and environmental leaders to Hitler and Nazi Germany.

• “Knowing my parallel would illicit screams of protest—how politically incorrect of me to mention Hitler and Nazis in the same breath as DOE or the environmental lobby—I explored the actual connection between environmental extremism and Hitler’s Nazi party.” [Page Eight]  

Also in the March edition, organization President Brad Spears baselessly asserted that mainstream environmental leaders supported the recent arson carried out on the 2007 Street of Dreams homes outside of Woodinville.

·        "The older folks in the mainstream enviro groups silently applaud this new and novel approach: If you build it, we will burn it. It's the next natural step in the environmental movement."  [Page Two]

“Republican Dino Rossi’s ultra-conservative, right-wing backers have crossed the line, and Rossi has a responsibility to publicly reject and put an end to these attacks,” said Washington State Democratic Party Chair Dwight Pelz. “These tactics have no place in our politics, and Rossi should immediately reject and denounce them, refuse the BIAW’s endorsement and sever his financial ties to the organization and its members.”

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Dino Rossi’s Extreme, Right-Wing, Political Patrons

BIAW has spent millions bankrolling Rossi

Ø      The BIAW are Rossi’s largest financial backers.  In 2004, the BIAW spent close to $1 million in support of Dino Rossi’s campaign for governor. [Seattle PI, 12/10/2007]

Ø      Rossi has close business ties to BIAW lobbyists.  Lobbyists for the BIAW entered into a business deal with Dino Rossi to purchase an apartment building in 1997, while Rossi was serving as a state senator.  Rossi also co-founded a local bank with BIAW’s leading lobbyists.  [Seattle Times, 10/25/2004] [Eastside Commercial Bank]

Ø      The BIAW has a history of lying to voters.  In 2004, the BIAW sponsored “trash ads” in support of Dino Rossi that were pulled off the air because they contained lies. [Seattle Times, 9/15/04]

o       Following the ad buy, the Seattle Times said: “The Building Industry Association of Washington, which supports Republican candidate Dino Rossi, bought $500,000 worth of air time to peddle ads that are lies and distortions.”  [Seattle Times, 9/12/2004] 

o       During the recount of the 2004 election, the BIAW sent deceitful notices on behalf of Dino Rossi to homeowners in King County attempting to secure their signature to disqualify their vote.  [Seattle Times, 3/4/2005]