Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Spin Control

Red stuff, blue stuff

State Democrats and state Republicans are both busy at their keyboards Friday, honing their knives for the upcoming state campaigns.

Democrats continued their panning of GOP gubernatorial candidate Dino Rossi's state transportation plan, which was announced earlier this week. They don't really have anything new to say about it, but are trying to get more mileage by saying it on video, and starting a new web site.

It even features a few Spokane-based TV news scenes, although it cuts off Rossi's answer to the question the video keeps asking about where he gets his numbers. Rossi's answer: from the state Department of Transportation.

Across the pond in Bellevue, Republicans are getting ready to wail on Peter Goldmark for his run against incumbent GOP Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland. They skewer Goldmark for raising money in Seattle while saying people in cities don't understand land management issues.

More amusing is the suggestion that Goldmark ran a "divisive, negative campaign" in 2006 against U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris. By comparison to the scorched-earth tactics Republicans used to hold that seat in several previous elections, '06 was a model of decorum.



The Spokesman-Review's political team keeps a critical eye on local, state and national politics.