Evergreen Progress

With the state's "top two" primary coming up in just over two weeks, August and advertising go together like checks and envelopes at a campaign kickoff party. In addition to all the ads that have gone up lately, here is a rundown of who else is buying time on the airwaves to spread their message.

Governor Chris Gregoire is up with two new spots in Eastern Washington, called "Understanding Spokane" and "Understanding Yakima". The two ads are essentially the same, touting dry side roots and Eastern Washington-specific job growth as well as farm and water policies enacted under Gregoire, but differ when talking about where Gregoire spent time earlier in her life.

Evergreen Progress, the 527 interest group backing Gov. Chris Gregoire and fueled by more than a million dollars mostly from labor unions and the Democratic Governors Association,  is unleashing its second series of ads critical of Republican Dino Rossi's record as a state senator.

The two ads, each one 15 seconds long, mention Rossi's votes against smaller class sizes and against giving veteran teachers raises. Though, as David Postman comments, Rossi's votes on the subjects were echoed by a number of Democrats at the time, including the-Governor Gary Locke.

WASHINGTON -- The Democratic Governors Association, a Washington, D.C.-based organization dedicated to supporting Democratic incumbent governors and challengers, is one of the main groups behind today’s launch of an independent group attacking Washington State Republican gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi.

The group Evergreen Progress says on its website that the DGA is among its top five contributors. A spokesman for the DGA confirmed that it had given Evergreen Progress $250,000.

As PolitickerWA.com’s Bryan Bissell reports, the three hard-hitting television advertisements Evergreen Progress have begun airing, focusing on Rossi’s record on children's health care, prescription drugs and a patient's bill of rights. Rossi, a former state Senator, is challenging Democratic incumbent Christine Gregoire after a narrow loss in 2004.

Dino Rossi's campaign has been fighting back early and often against new television ads attacking Rossi's record in the state Senate.

They put out a press release Thursday afternoon before the ad buy was even announced Friday morning, and now that the Rossi camp has seen the videos, they have more to say. Rossi today called the attacks old news and called the claims of the 527 that sponsored the ad, Evergreen Progress, false. 

State Sen. Dino Rossi: Campaign photoThe long wait is over. Washingtonians can now see just what kind of issue ads that the 527 group Evergreen Progress will be running. Today they launched a half million dollar ad buy consisting of three television ads discussing Dino Rossi's record as a state Senator.

The ads, seen here, touch on the topics of children's health care, prescription drugs and a patient's bill of rights

Third party spending has already been a major issue in the relatively young campaign for governor pitting Gov. Chris Gregoire in a re-match against Republican Dino Rossi. Now, according to a report today by the Seattle Times' David Postman, the game is about to get even more real.

A new left-leaning PAC called Evergreen Progress has been collecting money hand over fist lately from labor unions and the Democratic Governors Assocation who have combined for nearly three quarters of the $1.06 million the group has raised so far.

As for what the group plans on doing with that money, one can guess it will be a lot like what the BIAW has been doing to Gregoire.