I’m at an auditorium in Bellevue Community College. We’re already behind schedule and people are still trickling into the room. There’s a slideshow with Governor Gregoire: There’s her and Obama; there she is with an unidentified family in farm country. There’s a banner “Fighting for Working Families.” Gregoire with children.
I’m at a rally for Governor Gregoire and Darcy Burner. I was hoping to liveblog it but there’s no signal here, so I‘ll just write it up: It’s a rally for Chris and Darcy with our senators and the governors of Kansas and Arizona. All women.
As a feminist, I’m proud that we’ve got such great women in the state, but I’m worried that if Gregoire loses we could have no women in elected executive positions (I know the races for Superintendent of Public Instruction and Lt. Gov have women running, but one is also in a tight race, and the other is an underdog). Of course a candidate’s gender isn’t reason enough to vote for them (and I’m leaning toward the men in those other races).
I’m going to try to capture what’s going on here, but my notes are what I can type and that’s slower than the speakers talk. Any quotes are from my notes, and as good as possible, but not guaranteed to be 100% accurate, I apologize for that.
Judy Clibborn started us off, and after welcoming us to her district let us know that this is the “Chris Gregoire tour for working families. 26 stops over 11 days. She is a tireless worker for us all.” Then after some mention of how close the race is, and how important it is to volunteer, she introduced Matthew Arnold, Darcy Burner’s volunteer coordinator.
As someone who’s volunteered for Darcy’s campaign, he was a familiar face. He’s been great when I’ve been volunteering. The points he made were that “over the last couple of weeks there has been a non-ending stream of press” and that an “alphabet soup of acronyms of people who are going to spend money” on the race. But that it’s ultimately not “people in Washington DC can decide how people in Washington state vote.” That the volunteers, and the voters, will ultimately make the difference.
“This has been a long election cycle. There have been people volunteering for over a year.” Then he made a metaphor about piggy banks: “You put in your knocks, calls, all the effort and the heart and sweat of putting the people in office you believe in. And on election night you cash your piggy bank.” Because of all the work that has been done and will continue to be done, “I know that we’ve got a big piggy bank and in the next 9 days we’re cashing it in!”
Cantwell got up and made the case for Gregoire: that she’s been creating jobs; that what she’s focused her attention, she has got results: jobs and keeping the economy going in the face of the national problems. She kept Hanford cleanup on track and has created clean up jobs and is meeting the Tri-Party Agreement. That Gregoire has invested money into biotech and allowed for stem cell research. And that we’re investing in green collar jobs, she pointed to Al Gore saying that Gregoire is, “showing the rest of the nation we can get off our dependence of foreign oil and reduce CO2 emissions.”
Patty Murray was next, she wants “a big enough majority that Maria Cantwell can write the next energy policy.” That sounds like a good enough reason to me to work for 60 in the Senate.
Then some praise for Obama, “are you ready for a President who’ll respect you instead of people on Wall Street? A president who’ll respect the Constitution? Who’ll work to bring our troops home? Who understands your values and make sure the middle class is back to work and strong again?”
When Obama and Biden are in the White House, they’ll support us. And, “we need a Governor who will work with them to make sure our state is strong.” They’ll be able to work together to implement children’s health, work on choice issues, and make the proper investments in infrastructure. We’ll need a governor who’ll work with them.
She mentioned the “don’t let Seattle steal the election” and talked about how important it is to elect people who “respect the whole state” instead of trying to divide us like Rossi.
Then it was on to an introduction of Darcy Burner. “Here in the 8th district we have a tremendous chance to elect a great woman.” She said that while Reichert acts like a moderate when it’s close to election time, “you deserve a Congresswoman who has the value of the voters.” This year, you can “elect a great team to fight for you.”
Darcy spoke, and I realized that it was the first time I’ve seen her live this election cycle. “We are poised on the edge of a tremendous opportunity. All of us have watched as the country go in the wrong direction.” Our economy is going south. “We’ve watched our neighbors and friends sent to war. The Constitution disrespected by the people sworn to uphold it. In 9 days we have an opportunity to change all of that. But I need your help.”
She told a story about leaving for the campaign trail today, and her son said, “‘don’t forget to save the polar bears,’ and I want to be able to look him in the eye, and tell him honestly that we have done everything we could and we are in fact going to save the polar bears.
“But it isn’t enough to have the leaders at the federal level. Washington is doing better than anywhere else. That isn’t a coincidence. We have an unbelievable, fantastic governor.” She has been creating jobs, and bringing people together to solve problems. “We need to do everything we can do to keep her in Olympia for the next 4 years. Give your warmest welcome to Gregoire.”
Gregoire: “Thank you all for coming out. This is our tour for working families. That’s what this election is all about.”
I was most impressed about the way she went after “those negative fear mongering ads.” She talked about the sex predator ads and how they’re “shameless.” She told a story about how she was doing an event and a 3rd grader came up to her and, “asked if it’s safe to go outside.” She concluded, telling the people making those ads, “see what you’ve done.” And that even though they’re spending $7½ million from out of state, “we ought to tell them that Washington State is not for sale.”
She talked about her accomplishments. When she was elected 4 years ago, we had the highest unemployment. But Washington has created 250,000 new jobs when other states have lost jobs. How the Pew institute has ranked Washington as one of the top three best managed states in America. And how we’ve done better than most states avoiding the worst of the economic downturn: We’re “one of the few states with a surplus” she reminded us.
Then some swipes at Rossi. “We stand proudly for the families that are living on the minimum wage.” How Rossi would try to get rid of the estate tax on less than half of the top 1 percent of Washingtonians. How at yacht club (of all places!), he said he would lower unemployment benefits. “He does not share our values. We are working men and women in this state, and we need a governor who shares our values.”
She also talked about what she’s done in education and health care. Rossi wants to deregulate health care “how well did it work on Wall Street?” She talked about our “14 year low in the crime rate. Washington State Patrol has been named the best law enforcement in America.” Yet Rossi is going after her on crime?
We’re going to be a leader on Global Warming. We’re going to create a green economy. Washington is leading the way. “Puget Sound is going to be swimable fishable, and digable.”
“We may not have 7½ million dollars, but we have you. That’s what this election is about. No governor knows more than me that every vote counts.”
She concluded that she’s been serious and tough, and that she has been a fighter who, “fought breast cancer, fought the federal government when they wouldn’t support health care for children, when they wouldn’t clean up Hanford, I have fought big tobacco, and Enron. I’m going to fight for you and your children and for health care and quality education.” This got the crowd riled up.
She then said how much she’s liked working with Janet Napolitano and Kathleen Sebelius.
Napolitano spoke first of the visiting governors, and after some jabs at McCain (my favorite “I am from Arizona, so I want to clear up some things: Most of us own 1 house.”) she got to why she’s here:
“I’ve been all over the country, and this economic downturn is real and it’s in every state.” Governor Gregoire has put this state on as firm a footing as you can have in the national meltdown, and she’ll continue to do this. But we also have to think long term and to educate the next generations: “education creates the jobs, that’s an economic program.”
She told us to take advantage of this “rare opportunity to re-elect someone like Gregoire, elect Darcy to House of Representatives, and elect Barrack Obama.”
Kathleen Sebelius made a point that we will get change from electing Obama, and having people like Gregoire ready to enact the change at the state level. “The only way Obama can truly be a good president is if he has a ground team.”
All in all, a good event. A full audience, and great energy from our candidates. One of the goals was to get people to help canvas and make phone calls (the last deposits in that piggy bank, to use Matthew’s metaphor). So I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that you can still volunteer with Darcy Burner or Governor Gregoire.
Great post Carl. Really brings home the urgency to re-elect Governor Gregoire and turn away the mean-spirited fraud, the BIAW creature, the REPUBLICAN, Rossi
Harsh Rhetoric@1 –
Dino Rossi is the moderate alternative that we need to fix the deep budget hole that Gregoire has pushed us into. Dino can successfully work across the aisle to get work done for Washingtonians.
Name one win for Gregoire during her four years in office?
Seattle Viaduct? Nope.
520 Bridge? Nope.
Seattle Supersonice staying in town? Nope.
Even worse, we’ve seen the tapes. Gregoire wants to push an income tax.
No thanks, but I’ll take Dino Rossi and proven positive results over Gregoire partisan rhetoric and government mire and deficits any day.
Sounds like a regular douchebagorama. Damn, you
tards live in fantasyland.
Would that the Governor’s ads were as forceful in their critique of, and counteracting response to, Rossi’s despicable attacks.
Dino Rossi is the moderate alternative
Lie. Nothing moderate about him. Creature of an extremist organization – BIAW.
that we need to fix the deep budget hole that Gregoire has pushed us into.
Lie. The budget is balanced and in surplus. It must be balanced. Gregoire’s record is that of balanced budgets. Rossi’s record is that of budget cuts that punish the vulnerable – kids and nursing home patients.
Dino can successfully work across the aisle to get work done for Washingtonians.
Lie. His agenda will be to ram BIAW pet legislation down the throats of the legislature. He’ll install right wing cronies in state offices and put industry people in charge of their own regulation – the Bush playbook.
Name one win for Gregoire during her four years in office?
Seattle Viaduct? Nope.
Held up by the voters. Rossi’s solution is a fantasy.
520 Bridge? Nope.
On its way to being built.
Seattle Supersonice staying in town? Nope.
I thought you wingnuts were against corporate welfare. See your reaction to the Mariners and Seahawks. I for one don’t care.
Even worse, we’ve seen the tapes. Gregoire wants to push an income tax.
Gee I hope so. Join 43 other states who can actually do things like stay out of the bottom ranking in per pupil spending and maintain and build infrastructure. Maybe in exchange she can provide some sales, property and small business tax relief.
No thanks, but I’ll take Dino Rossi and proven positive results over Gregoire partisan rhetoric and government mire and deficits any day.
Nothing proven unless it’s to punish teachers, class sizes, kids health care and nursing home patients and then pass the mess to Gregoire to clean up.
Zapporo you were a fantasist during the election contest and you’re a fantasist now. Your delusions were crushed then and they will be crushed on Nov 4. Do yourself a favor and move to Alabama.
For everyone who chooses thought over fear:
http://www.dinorossiforgovernorwa.com/index.html
The line-up evidences how deep the Democratic bench is. The Republican bench? Not so deep. McCain had to pick Palin to come up with a woman for VP. Here we see 3 Democratic female governors clearly qualified to be VP, all in one place at one time, and that’s just a snapshot. The future looks bright, unless you call yourself zapporo.
Carl – Did I read correctly…….did you describe yourself as a “feminist”? Assuming I wasn’t hallucinating, have you looked between your legs recently to verify genetalia?
2, 3 – You weasels never give up, do you? Washington is the #1 ranked state to do business in. Gregoire has turned around our faltering higher education system. She’s broken the transportation logjam that obstructionist Republicans imposed on our state for a decade. Give me one good reason why we should replace her with a wingnut who pretends to be a moderate? Rossi tells voters he’ll build more highways for less money. If voters swallow that bullshit, they’ll deserve the governor they get. Trouble is, those of us who voted for Gregoire don’t deserve to get him but we’ll suffer the consequences of a Rossi administration, too.
Carl ..
I wish you were not a feminist. That sort of mentality leads to votes for Palin.
As women in the exec. positions in this state, .. seems we should get rid of most of the elected positions. Auditor, Education, Lands, Insurance .. these are all admin jobs that should be filled on a non-partisan basis.
The only meaningful exec positions in WASTATE are guv and AG.
Deluded Spewmonger @5 – Fantasist? Hardly.
Just not an Ayers anarchist or Goldy minion.
4 more years of Gregoire would be the worst thing that could happen to this state. And she is a dead ringer for the Grinch. Dead Ringer. But that’s beside the point.
Since you can’t seem to move forward, being so intent on dwelling in the past……
Dino Rossi won the 2004 election.
Dino Rossi won the first recount of the 2004 election.
It was only when we went hand counting that all sorts of King County anomalies popped up.
There’s a great website where that information is recorded for your perusal. I won’t mention the name for fear of generating serious blog envy here.
In reality, the ultimate “margin of victory” in the 2004 race is overwhelmed, tsunami’d by the errors committed in King County alone.
For you to argue that fact is beyond reason.
@Goldy itches…
Feminism is a movement. An ideology. A school of thought.
@Goldy itches…
Feminism is a movement. An ideology. A school of thought.
Deluded Spewmonger @5 – Fantasist? Hardly.
Just not an Ayers anarchist or Goldy minion.
I see. The tired, fear-mongering, McCarthyite guilt by association meme. Yawwn. That’s working out just great for McSame. Sorry Zapporo, the people fear 4 more years of the same way more than your phony baloney manufactured scares.
4 more years of Gregoire would be the worst thing that could happen to this state.
LMAO!!! Yeah just like 4 more years of Booth Gardner and Gary Locke..
And she is a dead ringer for the Grinch. Dead Ringer. But that’s beside the point.
Some honesty for once. Admits unhinged irrational loathing and its total irrelevance.
Since you can’t seem to move forward, being so intent on dwelling in the past…… Dino Rossi won the 2004 election. Dino Rossi won the first recount of the 2004 election.
Uh uh. It’s you who can’t move on just like your mean-spirited, empty-suited, BIAW shill can’t address Gregoire as Governor. Or even once, just once, say her name.
And the past is definitely relevant. Why are you here Zapporo? It’s to gloat over a right wing victory, isn’t it? Just like you were here when Bridges made his decision. I remember the night before very clearly. You were so full of yourself. Where were you the next day? GONE!!! LMAO!!! You’ve been fairly scarce since if you haven’t been hiding behind a sock puppet.
It was only when we went hand counting that all sorts of King County anomalies popped up.
There’s a great website where that information is recorded for your perusal. I won’t mention the name for fear of generating serious blog envy here.
I know that website. It’s a haunt for delusionals like yourself. The orange-clad pied-piper of that website led his followers, you included, off the short pier into Greenlake. And guess what?
You’re still all wet!!!
In reality, the ultimate “margin of victory” in the 2004 race is overwhelmed, tsunami’d by the errors committed in King County alone.
The error rate in King County was much better than many of the Rossi Counties most of whom let felons vote, etc. The intense scrutiny had some effect and the system is better now. But then why couldn’t your incompetent BIAW shill of a candidate garner a few thousand more votes? Maybe he couldn’t tell his “campsite” story then, drive seat-beltless in a hybrid SUV or try some other greenwash – that would have gotten him labeled as a RINO and cost him some of the KVI/KTTH vote.
For you to argue that fact is beyond reason.
I’ve seen nothing reason-based from you. Christine Gregoire stayed true to her supporters and didn’t kowtow to the abuse from the right wing. She didn’t wilt and that’s what drives you fanatics out of your lumpy gourds. It will be a tragedy for this state if she loses because it will mean that lies, hate and greed wins.
But then I don’t expect that to happen.
I continue to be surprised at the rumors that Burner and Gregoire had a little “thing-fling” with each other.
15 – Wingers surprised at their own silly fantasies. Wonders never cease.
An article in Real Clear Politics, …shows the rise of the American welfare state. In 1956, defense dominated the budgetat 60%; the Cold War buildup was in full swing. The welfare state, which is what “payments to individuals” signifies, was modest at 20%. Now everything is reversed. Despite the war in Iraq, defense spending is only a fifth of the budget 22%; so-called entitlement payments to individuals are almost 60 percent — and rising. In fiscal 2006, the federal government spent almost $2.7 trillion….There was $199 billion more for payments to the poor, including the earned-income tax credit and food stamps, among others…
Bottom line is that we are spending three times the amount on the liberal programs generated and propagated by the liberal democrats than we are spending to terrorism. Which leads me to my point that if Darcy had an economic degree why in God’s name would she be a Progressive Democrat? Seems like a contradiction to me.
There seems to be a mentality within the Democratic Party that it is acceptable to exaggerate or downright lie. Then the candidates state the lies so many times, I think they actually believe it. As a Blue Dog Democrat I feel as though I have been the Sarah Palin of the Democratic Party in Washington. I have attacked Darcy Burner and Christine Gregorie on their lies. It makes all the Democrats look bad and it turns voters away. I cannot recall how many people have told me during my campaign that they are not going to vote because all politicians are crooks and liars. Thanks Darcy and Chris for confirming their beliefs.
WHAT IS THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY THINKING WHEN THE SPEW THESE LIES:
Al Gore and the internet.
Darcy Burner a Microsoft Executive and now an economics degree.
Christine Gregorie has a budget surplus. If I make $500 a week and spend $400 a week I will have a surplus of $800 by the end of the year. However, I have bills coming due in 2009 and 2010 that amount to 3.2 BILLION. Unfortunately, I will continue to make $500 per month and probably less given the current economy. THERE IS NO SURPLUS AND NEVER WAS.
Hillary Clinton came under sniper fire in Bosnia. I was a delegate for Hillary and she lost my vote when she LIED.
And the best of all from Bill Clinton. I DID NOT HAVE SEXUAL RELATIONS WITH THAT WOMAN.
I am not perfect but I don’t lie and will not tolerate anyone who does.
As a former military officer, that ran for US Congress as a Democrat, YOU BOTH LOST MY VOTE.
PS Roger, I can build highways cheaper than Gregoire. Simple don’t make deals like Chris does with the Indians when it comes to transportation. For example: Paying Transcore 18.2 million dollars to man the toll boths on the narrows bridge. Another example of liberal democrats tax and spend. Let’s contract 18.2 million dollars and pay people to sit at home and abuse welfare, L&I and unemployment.
JIM VAUGHN
BLUE DOG DEMOCRAT
17 – You’re a profoundly ignorant man. I appreciate your service to our country and any sacrifice you’ve made but you need to read up seriously on a little something called demographics, maybe a phenomenon called the “baby boom” which would help explain the levels of entitlement spending. The spending is by law which means keeping promises.
If you’re implying that our priorities are upside down then I must say you’re a bit paranoid as well. You’ve bought completely into the terror war propaganda and while I agree there are fanatics out there who want to kill Americans, there’s much better and more cost-effective ways to deal with them rather than make the terror war 60 plus percent of federal spending and entitlements 22 percent.
The implications of your rant are non-starters and the rant itself is chock full of right wing myths. Al Gore and the internet? Seriously…
@8,
I just checked: I’ve still got a penis; I’m still a feminist.
@10,
I don’t know what feminists you hang out with, but none that I know – myself included – want Palin elected, so what does that even mean? As I wrote in the post, “a candidate’s gender isn’t reason enough to vote for them.” But it would be sad if we didn’t have any women in elected executive positions in the state for the first time in I don’t know how long, and I think it’s worth mentioning that that’s a possibility.