Olympian, News Tribune Endorse Gregoire

Two more major daily newspapers have endorsed the re-election of Chris Gregoire over Dino Rossi. The Olympian and the News Tribune (Tacoma) have joined the Seattle P-I and the Columbian (Vancouver) in urging their readers to vote for the incumbent Governor.

The Olympian wrote:

"Rossi is sharply critical of Gregoire's fiscal stewardship, blaming her for the projected $3.2 billion budget shortfall for the 2009-11 spending cycle.

He promises not to cut education, not to cut programs for vulnerable citizens, not to raise taxes and, in fact, he wants to further deplete the general fund budget by moving money into transportation projects and securing additional dollars for education.

Where's he going to get the money?

Rossi refuses to be specific, offering only to go through the budget line-by-line. In other words, voters are going to have to wait until he's in office to find out which state programs are gutted, whether teacher and state employee salary increases will be delayed or if entire state programs will be eliminated.

That's a huge gamble — a gamble this editorial board is not willing to take...

Gregoire is a good negotiator, an innovator, a proven leader and a solid manager. She's a good governor but a terrible campaigner. She's bright, but her personality is not warm and charming. She's an efficient policy wonk running against a slick carnival hawker.

Gregoire is a woman of depth who has a commitment to solving problems with rational solutions and compromise. That makes her the superior candidate for governor. Rossi cannot match her vision, top-level management experience or commitment to public service."

The News Tribune became the second major daily newspaper so far (along with the Columbian) to endorse Gregoire in 2008 after endorsing Rossi in 2004. Both newspapers cited Gregoire's long list of accomplishments during her first term. "Although we've had some disagreements with her," the News Tribune wrote, "we've been impressed by her overall performance as Governor."


> Seattle P-I endorses Obama for President, too

As with the Seattle Times, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer has also endorsed Barack Obama over John McCain for President. "Obama is the best candidate for president," the P-I Editorial Board wrote. "He has the vision, patience and fortitude to put America on a track to recovery after an eight-year run of financial irresponsibility, aggressive adventurism abroad and mismanagement, secrecy and dissembling on numerous fronts." The P-I endorsing Obama isn't a surprise -- they have been extremely critical of George W. Bush over the years. But it's still nice.

-- Dennis