Rossi, Gregoire already trading jabs

OLYMPIA -- Gov. Chris Gregoire called a Monday appearance in Auburn the kickoff for her re-election campaign -- but considering she's raised more than $4.6 million since taking office in 2005, a more accurate description might be that she's beginning a fourth-quarter drive.

Whatever you call it, the gubernatorial race has heated up a few notches and the gloves are coming off.

Republican challenger Dino Rossi, who has raised more than $3.5 million to date, used the occasion to blast Gregoire's first-term spending as "total fiscal recklessness," and the state Republican Party was calling for a public disclosure investigation of Gregoire's use of public funds to campaign for re-election.

Gregoire launched her 2008 campaign with a four-day, 10-city tour aboard a biodiesel bus.

And she wasted no time trying to put tire tracks on Rossi with a harsh comparison between him and President Bush.

"If you want a governor in this Washington who will be an echo chamber for the federal policies in the Bush administration, in the other Washington, I'm not your candidate," Gregoire said to a crowd of supporters.

"But if you want someone who is ready to stand up ... and deliver results for our people, I ask you to join me."

Gregoire's kickoff speech heavily touted her first-term initiatives and spending choices, which include a new Early Learning Department, expanded daylong kindergarten and children's health care, and a 15-year plan to clean up Puget Sound.

While Gregoire spoke in Auburn, the Rossi camp sent out a critical news release.

"Gregoire has the taxpayer credit card, and we are getting stuck with the bill," Rossi said in the statement. "And if re-elected, she will raise taxes to spend more of our money. The question everyone should ask is: Are we getting our money's worth?"

Rossi said the answer is, no.

"We have heard a lot of promises, seen lots of studies and read many task force reports. But what we haven't seen are real results. Washington state does not need four more years of indecision and ineffectiveness. It is time for change, and for a state government that will serve the people first."

Democrats accused Rossi of dealing out empty potshots.

"While Gov. Gregoire has taken on tough challenges and gotten real results for Washingtonians, Republican Dino Rossi continues his relentlessly negative, no-new-ideas campaign," state Democratic Party Chairman Dwight Pelz said in a statement. "Republican Dino Rossi's record -- $1 billion in education cuts, throwing 46,000 low-income kids off their health care, and a radical social agenda he tries to hide -- leaves no doubt that Washingtonians simply can't trust Dino Rossi with our future."

State Republican Party Chairman Luke Esser said Gregoire was promoting change but perpetuating bureaucracy.

Last week state Republicans filed a public disclosure complaint against Gregoire claiming that she had used more than $100,000 of public funds on her campaign.

The complaint cites instances where Gregoire had allegedly used public funds for political purposes including:

A poll paid for by the governor's Washington Learns Commission that included a survey with wording identical to the questions commonly posed in political campaign surveys. The survey asked about "legislative approval" and message/issue questions, which the complaint says are explicitly political, campaign-oriented and serve no purpose in determining the best education policy for Washington.

Gregoire's six-city "listening tour," cost taxpayers $120,000. Part of the money was used to pay political pollster Stuart Elway for focus groups to generate "a scientific sampling of voter concerns."

Republicans said the focus groups that are made up of individuals characterized as "voters" are almost exclusively a tool for campaigns and those campaigning for office.

"With this complaint today, we are asking the PDC to investigate what appears to be several blatant and egregious breaches of the public trust by Gov. Gregoire," Esser said.

Kelly Steele, spokesman for the state Democrats ,called the complaint a "pathetic smear designed to divert attention from Republican Dino Rossi's severe ethical shortcomings."

As for the specifics of the complaint, Steele said:

"Gov. Gregoire has engaged the citizens of Washington since her first day in office and she is committed to that and she has been responsive. She has made real progress on policies that are consistent with their values because of the communication."