On the road with the guv

When we last fully experienced the ongoing contest between Gov. Christine Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi, it was November 2004 and Gregoire trailed by a meager 261 votes. Lawsuits, hand counts and over six months of legal dispute lead the Supreme Court to declare Gregoire the governor by the closest margin in the state's history: .0045%.
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Gov. Christine Gregoire's bus.

When we last fully experienced the ongoing contest between Gov. Christine Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi, it was November 2004 and Gregoire trailed by a meager 261 votes. Lawsuits, hand counts and over six months of legal dispute lead the Supreme Court to declare Gregoire the governor by the closest margin in the state's history: .0045%.

When we last fully experienced the ongoing contest between Gov. Christine Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi, it was November 2004 and Gregoire trailed by a meager 261 votes. Lawsuits, hand counts and over six months of legal dispute lead the Supreme Court to declare Gregoire the governor by the closest margin in the state's history: .0045%. With one-point leads in the Rassmussen polls switching from Rossi to Gregoire on a monthly basis, the 2008 campaign proves to be no different. Gregoire currently leads with 47% to 46%. "She's been so focused on creating good public policy. In the next 212 days, she'll be talking about her accomplishments," said Ron Judd, External Relations Director of the Office of Christine Gregoire. This week I'm trailing Gregoire on her four-day bus tour, as she plays catch-up to Rossi (who ended his political hiatus of book writing and real estate sales in October). At Gregoire's second stop at Auburn's Zone Inc. yesterday morning, she watched as Rossi supporters adamantly shook their signs at her from the street. "Let's take their signs andâ'ꂬ¦" Gregoire said, making tearing motions with her hands as she exited the bus. Inside this office building (where employees continued business as Gregoire spoke), the governor's entourage included Sen. Joe McDermott, House member Norm Dicks and emcee and King County Executive Ron Sims. Sims described the governor as "hard-working and the most effective we've ever had." Although Gregoire defeated him in the 2004 primary, he remains one of her biggest local supporters, Press Secretary Aaron Toso said. Meanwhile, Judd speculated that Rossi's biggest threat to Gregoire could be his charm. He said not to discount his "back-slapping, dirt-kicking ways." "Rossi seems like the kind of guy you could have a beer with," Judd said. "But every time, it's the voter who pays."

  

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