Adele Ferguson - Analysis for Murray vs. Rossi

WHEN I READ what the police found when they investigated a house where a party had been going on and found a bunch of Central Washington University female students sick and vomit all over the place, I thought it was the result of the girls watching election ads on TV.

I know every time perky Patty Murray comes on saying “I sponsored this ad,” I want to throw up.

How someone can portray such a picture of innocence and take credit for such nasty ads is beyond me. Dino Rossi is not on our side. Dino Rossi is not one of us. Dino Rossi did a real estate deal with a lobbyist. Dino Rossi is part owner of a bank that is being investigated. The word scandal is used so you’ll associate scandal with the name.

Yes, I know Rossi runs ads too but he doesn’t make her out to be a crook. Male candidates always have to be careful when running against females because women voters are not like men voters. Men voters don’t care what you say about the opposition but many women take it personally as an insult to all women if a male candidate gets too personal. They vote more like women than Republicans or Democrats. That’s one of the reasons Dixy Lee Ray became our first woman governor. I’ve told you about the time I was a speaker for the Bellevue Women Republicans and during the question part, one asked “How did she get elected?”

I said you voted for her. There she was, brainy, plain looking and plain spoken, and you were so proud of this woman who seemingly had all the attributes for being a governor that you ignored the fact she was a Democrat and voted for her. You were women standing up for your own. You wanted to help elect the first woman governor. When she did some things that displeased you after her election, you threw her out. Women put her in office, and threw her out when they felt humiliated by some of her actions.

I COULD TELL the way the women in the room ducked their heads that I had it right.

As for the Seattle Times endorsing Patty, newspapers often editorialize on the problems facing challengers to incumbents, 98 percent of whom are returned to office. Yet here’s the Times putting its Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval on “Sen. Patty Murray, a fighter who delivers.” Why? She delivered.

Despite railing against the state for spending beyond its capability, the Times praises Murray for getting the $$$ to replace the I-5 bridge connecting Washington and Oregon, $$$ to repair the Howard Hanson Dam, $$$ for the Veterans hospital in Walla Walla. “The truth about Murray,” says the Times, “is that she delivers for Washington and the Northwest. On almost every topic, Murray is studied and has an answer.”

Well, she ought to, after 18 years in office and a large staff to write it for her. Obviously, her chief appeal is in bringing home the bacon. I thought the electorate was for ending the sneaking of special project earmarks onto any budget handy.

Rossi, said The Times, “On too many domestic and foreign policy matters, Rossi has not distinguished himself sufficiently from the Republican Party Line. He has missed numerous opportunities to establish himself as a Northwest brand of Republican”

WHY SHOULD Republican Rossi distinguish himself from the Republican line of smaller government, less spending and financial efficiency instead of tax increases? What’s wrong with those goals? And what the hell is the Northwest brand of Republican? Someone who votes half the time with the Democrats? That didn’t do Dave Reichert any good, you still threw him under the bus for a woman most of us never even heard of.

It’s up to you, folks. You want bacon or do you want to try to live within our means?

(Adele Ferguson can be reached at P.O. Box 69, Hansville, Wa., 98340.)