Brendan Williams

The campaign for Gov. Chris Gregoire held a press conference today with a number of what they called "progressive leaders" from across the state to denounce the BIAW-sponsored billboards that accuse the Seattle area of stealing the 2004 election. The billboards are meant to look just like normal Rossi signs, but are not paid for by the campaign.

The Rossi campaign hit back, too, hinting that the event showed that her re-election was more important to Gregoire than the job of governing. They also knocked the state Democratic Party for their own ads.

UPDATE: The Rossi campaign mistakenly accused Gregoire of taking time to hold a press conference when she was actually in Wenatchee. Full statement below.

Shakespeare's Juliet once pondered, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose/By any other name would smell as sweet." But in politics, does the same rule apply?

Washington's new "top two" primary is giving candidates a chance to find out whether or not the Republican Party, by any other name, would smell as sweet.

By and large the party preferences statements have been very predictable. Most candidates say that they "prefer Democratic Party" or "prefer Republican party", along with a few Greens and Constitution Partiers. The most common variation on the filing list is between Republican and GOP, two terms that are synonymous for the same thing.

On the heels of a heated back and forth between state Democrats and Dino Rossi over Lewis County flood relief policies in the last week, the bickering continues today on the pages of The Olympian. In an editorial today, the newspaper highlighted the relief funding efforts by three Democratic legislators in the 22nd District, Sen. Karen Fraser (D-Thurston County), Rep.