Above is an excerpt from the official minutes of the Master Builder Association’s (MBA) May 21, 2007 “chair officers meeting,” and that is the smoking gun that inextricably links Dino Rossi to the BIAW’s illegal fundraising scheme. That is the heart of Buildergate.
Rossi called not one, but at least three MBA board members to solicit funds for “the BIAW’s war chest,” a war chest that was explicitly described at the MBA’s previous meeting as “a fund for Rossi.” And it is clear, both from the context of this excerpt, and from the stated response to Rossi from MBA Second VP John Day, that the subject of those calls was indeed these solicited funds.
What should now be absolutely obvious to even the most objective observer is that Rossi was an active participant in the BIAW’s illegal fundraising scheme… a scheme for which the PDC found the BIAW guilty of multiple “egregious” violations of Washington’s campaign finance and disclosure laws, and which is now being prosecuted by the Attorney General’s office.
But it is important to note that even if the BIAW had scrupulously conducted its campaign within the letter of the law (and it didn’t), Rossi would still be guilty of a major violation of our campaign statutes, for it is absolutely positively 100% illegal (not to mention grossly unethical) for a candidate to coordinate activities with an independent expenditure campaign.
And by calling MBA board members and asking them to contribute to the BIAW’s “fund for Rossi,” that is exactly what Rossi has done. The documentation is clear: Rossi was an active participant in the BIAW’s illegal “independent” campaign, and to even attempt to assert that his actions did not rise to the level of coordination, simply beggars the imagination.
Dino Rossi has displayed a stunning and flagrant disregard for our state’s campaign finance and disclosure statutes… laws overwhelmingly passed by voter initiative. The only question remaining is whether our local media will report on Buildergate as the major scandal it truly is, or if Rossi will be allowed profit from his unethical and illegal behavoir, remaining unpunished and unscathed until well past the November election.
That Real Estate shill has been in exile for the last 4 years in his sham of an organization, a thinly disguised campaign.
He’s so addled by lust for power, it’s totally clouded the most basic of judgement.
Dino Rossi is unfit for office.
Re-elect Christine Gregoire.
Not sure if that is red-handed enough – it doesn’t say that Rossi literally begged for the illegal campaign cash – he just phoned three of the members and wanted it right away and they had to say to wait.
I dabbled briefly in illegal campaign finances — but that was before Vietnam.
YLB: A little illegal activity has never stopped the republicans before – heck, Ted Stevens is under indictment and is still considered a GOP saint.
Rossi wasn’t stopped by his boss’ unethical and illegal behavior, so why would a mere campaign finance law deter him?
Goldy–
Once again your flailing away, glueing a few things together and pretending to have some “smoking gun” is both humorous & predictable.
ANYTHING to draw the discussion away from issues that really matter to voters….like the $3.2 BILLION Deficit Gregoire has created by her $8 BILLION of increased spending!
Voters are tired of Gregoire/Goldstein aka TEAM HORSESASS conspiracy theory and costly lawsuits like the one about GOP or Republican.
How do these things affect the economy of Washington State and the voters pocketbook?
ANSWER: They don’t.
Keep punching at air Goldy!
Republicans Admit To Lying About Bailout Vote
“House Republicans [have] stopped blaming Monday’s [bailout vote] on … Speaker Nancy Pelosi ….
“On Monday, House GOP leaders said her partisan remarks caused a dozen Republicans to vote against the bill instead of for it.
“Democrats rebuked Republicans for basing a crucial vote on pique instead of conviction, and Republicans dropped the claim Tuesday.
“Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz., told MSNBC he did not base his ‘no’ vote on Pelosi’s remarks, adding, ‘I don’t know a single Republican who did.'”
(Quoted from Associated Press under fair use)
Roger Rabbit Commentary: Shadegg’s comment is tantamount to an admission that Republicans were not only playing politics by blaming the bailout’s defeat on Pelosi, but they also lied when they said that’s why they voted against it. Playing politics with a national crisis and lying about it — after this, why would any voter trust the Republicans, unless he’s just plain stupid?
The Dow is up 485 points on investor anticipation of a new bailout deal. One change: Raising the FDIC insurance limit on bank deposits from $100,000 to $250,000 to keep small business depositors from making runs on faltering banks.
@6 What deficit? There is no state deficit. The state only has a surplus, but also has hundreds of millions of dollars in a Rainy Day fund that Republicans opposed.
Today’s Seattle Times has an article on page B-1 explaining that Rossi’s ad stating that there is a deficit is a lie.
Cyn.: Based on this article, would it be ‘rash’ of me to assume that Rossi is dishonest?
Am I jumping the gun and coming to false conclusions? If so, provide a FACTUAL refutation.
You can’t.
Cynical @6,
Is that fear I’m smelling, Cynical? Afraid that Rossi’s pyramid of lies is about to come tumbling down?
@11
Yup!
You and the rest of the KLOWNS seem to live in a world eveloped in FEAR.
Me, I’m not sure what the word FEAR means?
Rossi is a Republiconvict. Of course he can’t break the law. Laws are not for Republiconvicts. They are for the “little people” and such….
Walt @ 10–
Who cares what the Seattle Times reports. They cannot even consult a Thesaurus BEFORE they spew.
You cannot deny Gregoire’s own people confirm there is a $3.2 BILLION shortfall for the next Budget Walt. Gregoire even used the word “shortfall” Deficit is one of many synonyms for “shortfall”.
Perhaps the angry KLOWNS in the Gregoire Camp aka TEAM HORSESASS ought to consult their Thesaurus before getting so lathered up. Gregoire herself used the term SHORTFALL…which is synonomous with DEFICIT.
Just to save you LEFTIST PINHEADED KLOWNS a little time & grief (it’s the Christian thing to do!) here are some references—
2 thesaurus results for: deficit
Synonym Collection v1.1
Main Entry: deficit
Part of Speech: noun
Synonyms: arrears, default, disadvantage, impairment, inadequacy, shortage, shortfall
Roget’s II: The New Thesaurus
Main Entry: shortage
Part of Speech: noun
Definition: The condition or fact of being deficient.
Synonyms: defect, deficiency, inadequacy, insufficiency, lack, paucity, poverty, scantiness, scantness, scarceness, scarcity
Come on ivan…stop parsing words and get to the meat. Gregoire overspent.
And the excuse about “voter approved”.
Things were obviously changing economically. That’s why voters elect “Leaders”.
Gregoire choose to punt and increase spending blaming Bush & Voters….rather than lead and say “Now is not the time to increase spending 33%!”
Gregoire is not a leader.
Leaders adapt to changing conditions.
Rossi is a Leader…just ask Gary Locke!!
Locke was a leader too.
Priorities of Government was an excellent approach to budgeting…which Gregoire shitcanned.
Hey KLOWNS, check this out from today’s Rasmussen:
War on Terror Update
Plurality, For First Time, Says Iraq War Will Be Judged A Success
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
For the first time since Rasmussen Reports began polling on the issue, a plurality of voters in September say the U.S. mission in Iraq will be viewed as a success in the long term.
In a national telephone survey Monday night, 41% said history will rate the war in Iraq a success versus 39% who said it will be seen as a failure, with 20% undecided.”
That is a HUGE change from last August when 59% said failure and 21% said success.
Seems like you KLOWNS have lost one of your key issues….judgment on National Defense.
re 13: Let me help. FEAR means that you are AFRAID of something bad happening.
Pull your car onto a train track and wait. You will soon know the meaning of fear. If not, it would be proof that evolution works.
@13 That’s your whole fucking problem. Well, half of it, anyway. You don’t know when to be afraid. The other half of your problem is you’re wrong. About everything.
17. Walter Sobchak spews:
“re 13: Let me help. FEAR means that you are AFRAID of something bad happening.”
Walter–
Hey thanks.
Seems like waiting around for something bad to happen is a pretty unfulfilling way to lead ones life…doesn’t it?
I prefer to look on the sunnyside of life.
Rog–
Actually livig in fear is a curse. You can lay around and dwell on the fearful side of life….I find it a waste of time.
And I’m not wrong about EVERYTHING Rog..
just look at my stock trades the past couple of years.
I did well because I do not live in fear.
Fearful people become paralyzed and cannot pull the trigger on investments…opposite in the face of what is correct in the eyes of pundits. Remember you ridiculing me on my Wells Fargo trades Rog. You were too “fearful” to invest…instead you loathed criticism and FEAR>
The KLOWNish perpencity is to be fearful.
Good luck with that hellish outlook!
16 – The American people also regard the invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq as a mistake.
We sure could be using that trillion dollars right now for a lot of other things.
If it’s so successful let’s bring the troops home and stop the bleeding.
re 19: I am looking on the bright side. I’m hoping you really don’t know the meaning of fear.
So Cynical: Why do you try to change the subject? Instead of defending Rossi, you try to move the subject onto polling regarding the Iraqi war. I’ve noticed a similar tactic in most of your posts.
So if you don’t like the topic at hand, why don’t you make your own web site so you could rant about whatever you want to discuss at the time?
Is it because (a) your whole purpose here is to deflect attention from Republican fault, (b) you are too cheap to set up your own website, (c) you don’t know how to set up your own website, and/or (d) you know that nobody would want to visit your website (or upon stumbling upon it once, would read your posts and never return)?
There’s one problem with all the hoopla. The current false Republicans don’t care if their candidates have broken the law to get to the top. Some of them actually want to vote for someone who broke the law because it means that ‘survival of the fittest’ still applies. Oh, and “innocent until proven guilty in a court of law” also applies. Which means it might be a good show to see the court battles once Dino is chasing Dubya around the Gov. Mansion’s yard.
Cynical? Me? Nah. Just spewing my opinion.
Republicans, please take back your party and give us someone who actually wants to represent the best of the people of Washington instead of just the guy who floated to the top.
I predict Dino’s defense will be:
(a) this is just Democratic campaign tactics, let me into the governor’s office where I will have the power to pardon myself and we can deal with it after that;
(b) Who cares? With a Republican prosecutor at the helm, the odds of me ever having to answer any charges are pretty slim.
(c) There’s nothing wrong with me taking the BIAW money. And if there was, I didn’t know it was illegal. After all, the BIAW tells me to make a few calls, I make a few calls! You don’t mess around with those guys, after you take their money they OWN you!
re 23: The actual concept is: “The fit will survive.” Survival, itself (if one subscribes to ‘survival of the fittest’), implies that the survivor is the ‘fittest’, which is demonstrably false.
It has been filmed and verified that while the two fittest bucks are fighting it out, the ‘weaker’ ones are fucking the does.
Think about it. Brains over brawn.
@ 13
What’s fear? It’s that brown stuff currently defiling your shorts.
The Dino-Sore Loser loses again.
ANNNNND takes BIAW down with him.
Sweet.
I smell sour grapes due to the fact that you can’t get anyone to pony up any money for the shoddy amen commentary on this website.
Sounds like someone has a chip on their shoulder to me….
re 28: So, are you ready to knock it off?
Walter–
Is Sobchak a Polish name?
It would make sense.
There is no “there, there”
“Buildergate” is a conspiracy born of the tin hats in the WA Dems.
@31: “Buildergate” is a conspiracy born of the tin hats in the WA Dems.
Lie, lie, lie… deny, deny, deny.
Just because you tell yourself that doesn’t make it true. Face it, your lame ass candidate is in bed with business interests, and pretty shady characters at that.
Right Stuff–
Actually Conspiracy Theory 101 and 102 were Goldy’s top subjects when he got his Masters in “Pickin’ Flyshit Outta Pepper”!
Goldy has all the symptoms of a LEFTIST PINHEADED KLOWN with waay too much time on his hands and a hardcore Marxist Idealogue.
Pray for Goldy.
Now here is something we KNOW happened…..
https://web.pdc.wa.gov/archive/mediareleases/pdf/WAStateDemocratsFined.pdf
WOW, Mr. Marginalized is the poster boy for fearful thrashing about. Now that the truth is finally out about Rossi, Mr M just grapples at any old lie and diversion to muddy what is plainly obvious.
Rossi is a criminal, and he will be lucky to escape prison, let alone never become governor.
Good luck with that fearful disposition, Mr. Marginalized. Sucks to be you!
Damn, Dino is dim. I had the bar set pretty low for him, but he still couldn’t slither his way over it. He found a way to get under. What is it with you Refucklicans? There ain’t an ethic out there you can’t ignore.
proud leftist–
So how is this discussion dealing with the Budget Shortfall (aka Deficit)??
Seems like the LEFTISTS will do anything to change the subject.
The economy and government spending is now on the front page folks!
Trying to deflect discussions away from issues that really matter with tabloid journalism may make you KLOWNS feel like you are accomplishing something…but it won’t work.
I want to thank all the members of the far right wing of my former party for showing me why I left that stinking cesspool. Instead of saying that Rossi does not deserve to be Governor for breaking the letter and spirit of the law – instead we have the trolls saying the following:
1. Blame democrats
2. cry that the democrats did it too
3. Change the topic
I am so glad I am no longer part of the party of no personal responsibility. Serial lying by McCain and Palin, corruption and evasion of the law simply cannot be tolerated. Why is David Vitter still in office? Why is Ted Stevens still running for office? Does the republican party have no moral code except to try and retain power with the last wheezy gasp of a party in moral ruins? Why would the republican party drive out people of high moral character like John McKay and David Iglesias? No wonder Chuck Hagel is embarassed at the remains of a party committed to the rich and the corporate.
@37L umm, the topic was buildergate not a projected budget deficit. Why are you trying to change the topic? Do you not care about the law and about lying and cheating?
@34: More deflection? Do you anything to say about illegally skirting campaign laws by Rossi and the BIAW? Sounds like you think it is OK to lie and cheat.
38. reformed republican spews:
“I am so glad I am no longer part of the party of no personal responsibility.”
So now you are part of the party of Eliot Spitzer, who quit when there was no way out….and Charlie Rangel, a busted tax cheat who accepted resonsibility when all the evidence was on the table.
Nice try….
You were never a Republican…you were just funnin’ us.
I will note that Spitzer is gone and the republicans I mentioned (and Larry Craig too) were never ostracized by their party. It seems republicans can tolerate people like foley or Stevens or Vitter and democrats can’t tolerate their problem children. Seems like the party that made such a big deal over Clinton would not have a double standard.
And yes – I am a fiscal conservative – so I am real mad about wasting money in Iraq on an unnecessary war. I am angry about having to bail out the banking industry and the lack of oversight. I am angry about the record Bush deficit and the record earmarks by republicans. I am angry about corruption in the Justice department – that is supposed to be blind. And I am angry that american principles were sacrificed to allow for torture and illegal spying – that much goverment I don’t want. I agree with Franklin that sacrificing our freedoms for a bit more security gives us neither.
# 39
Mr. Marginalized has demonstrated again and again that he couldn’t care less about law or ethics. And he obviously has no problem with lying!
Heck, Mr. Marginalized had no problem with Palin using a private email account to conduct public business because she didn’t want them available for subpoena.
“Ethical Republican” is an oxymoron.
“Republican” is just a description of a moron.
Note:
Rossi wasn’t a candidate at the time and his right to associate with anyone he chooses is inherent. I assure you Gregoire’s phone records will show contacts with WEA, Tribes, Trial lawyers. Phone calls aren’t evidence of an inappropriate contact. Co-ordination and solicitation of campaign contributions are the matter. Has anyone evidence that occurred here?
There was no existing Rossi campaign. Can anyone evidence that he declared to BIAW his candidacy and coordinated fund raising?
Until someone posts a specific reference that Rossi solicited contributions to his campaign the issues relating to PDC and BIAW are not Rossi’s problem and his contacts remain uncontested as a mediator and consultant between the two builder groups.
You can claim that leaves a poor appearance. Fine. But claims of law or PCD rule breaking require evidence. Screams of not fair aren’t sufficient.