At Final Wash. State Debate, Gregoire and Rossi Attack Over Attack Ads
Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama weren't the only two candidates who debated Wednesday night. In Washington state, incumbent Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire and GOP challenger Dino Rossi met for their fifth and final debate.
With just three weeks until the election, the candidates, who ran against each other in 2004, sparred over negative ads.
Referring to ads suggesting the state had released homeless sex offenders, Gregoire said they are "putting fear in the hearts of our families and putting fear in the hearts of our kids. That is shameful. They are fear mongering, they are wrong."
Rossi responded that Gregoire has "attacked everything from my Italian heritage to my kids' dog."
The candidates also argued heatedly about the best ways to address the state's budget shortfall, and transportation and education woes.
The debate, sponsored by KING-TV, the Seattle Times and Northwest Public Radio News Network, took place after the presidential debate.
Seattle Times Political Caucus bloggers offered an interesting, if not amusing, take on the debate in their Political Theater 2008.
"This election is eastern Washington taking to divorce court western Washington," blogger Alex Berezow said.
"And we are all the children," added Tarsi Hall.
Although Obama is favored to win Washington state in the presidential race, Gregoire is not enjoying such a lead.
KPLU's Austin Jenkins asked voters in Gig Harbor why they thought Gregoire was engaged in such a tough fight.
"The state deficit is too high. That's probably my point of contention with her -- too much spending," businessman Ken Morrison told Jenkins. "Let's spend less, let's tax less."
In his informal polling in a Gig Harbor shopping mall, Jenkins found voters favored Rossi 2-to-1.
Recent polls show the candidates virtually tied, leading many to believe that the race will go well into the night on Nov. 4.
Gregoire beat Rossi four years ago by just 133 votes, after three vote counts and an unsuccessful Republican court challenge.
Full Coverage of Key Race
With just three weeks until the election, the candidates, who ran against each other in 2004, sparred over negative ads.
