Rossi and Gregoire camps prep for debate

Gubernatorial candidates meet in Yakima for only eastern Washington duel

MOSES LAKE — As they await tonight's gubernatorial debate, those in charge of the Dino Rossi campaign and the Chris Gregoire campaign are optimistic of their candidate's performance.

Tonight's debate, which will take place in Yakima's Capitol Theatre, will be the only eastern Washington debate of the campaign, and both sides are ready to spread their gospel among voters from this side of the Cascades.

Janelle Guthrie from the Rossi campaign said that during the debate, as he has done throughout the campaign, the former Republican state senator will repeat his message criticizing 20 years of Democratic leadership in the state.

"The same people have been in charge for two decades," Guthrie said. "Washington has one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation and it is time for a change."

Guthrie characterized Democratic candidate and state attorney general Gregoire as among those who have done nothing to improve the situation in this state. Rossi, on the other hand, is a man capable of bringing both sides together, she said.

Morton Brilliant, communications director for the Gregoire campaign, responded to Guthrie's words by saying Rossi was the "ultimate Olympia insider."

Brilliant said that if voters like what he has done in Olympia, they should stick with Rossi, but if they want to see somebody make the State Legislature work harder than ever before, then Gregoire is their candidate.

"(Gregoire) has a plan to create jobs, to move the state in the right direction," he said. "Rossi believes all the governor can do is stifle growth."

He further attacked Rossi saying the Republican candidate had proposed taking 40,000 kids off of health care rolls, while "Gregoire wants families to get health insurance for their kids."

Guthrie defended her candidate by highlighting the 2003 balanced budget.

"(Rossi) put together a bipartisan budget when we had the largest deficit in state history, without raising taxes," she said. "He got Democrats in the Republican Senate and Republicans in the Democratic House to go with it and a Democrat governor to sign it."

Following tonight's debate, both candidates meet the very next day in Seattle for a televised clash on KING-TV., and then on Oct. 17., in Seattle as well.

The list of debates has been a source of controversy among both camps, with Guthrie saying Gregoire dropped out at the last minute from two eastern Washington debates, one in Spokane and one in Tri-Cities. The Yakima debate is the only one Gregoire would agree to for eastern Washington, Guthrie added.

Brilliant categorized Guthrie's words as "yet another Rossi exaggeration and mistruth.

"His campaign is getting awfully good at that," Brilliant said, mentioning the flap over the Republican candidate's resume.

Earlier this month, Rossi's campaign issued a news release, stating that he is not a licensed real estate broker, as it appeared in his campaign materials and state filings.

On the eve of tonight's debate, which will feature questions from a panel, as well as from the audience, Guthrie said Rossi has the ability to connect with people at a very human level, although he did not have the experience in a formal debate format that Gregoire has.

"He is not a trained lawyer like the attorney general is," she said, adding that when it came to the tough times facing the state, Gregoire was part of the problem, mentioning what she called serious mismanagement issues in Gregoire's time as attorney general.

On the other hand, Brilliant said that while Gregoire's campaign had a "healthy respect" for Rossi's political skills, the attorney general was ready to bring a prospective to government that "has not been seen in 30 years" in the state.

The debate is set to start at 7 p.m.