Rossi Ready To Grill Patty Murray

U.S. Senate candidate Dino Rossi recently challenged 18-year incumbent Patty Murray to a series of debates. Murray responded to the Rossi campaign by offering to debate only two times, and only in late October, just prior to the election.

Rossi has suggested that they have a total of six debates, to cover all the major media markets in Washington, with an additional debate in Seattle and also on national TV. Murray is refusing to go around the state to discuss issues with Rossi, despite this being the fourth time she is running a Senate race.

This Patty Is Done

Putting Patty Murray on a stage with Dino Rossi is probably the last thing her campaign wants to do. They know that Patty will be cooked, if she has to actually think about what she is saying without consultants providing a script for her.

In a letter of response to Murray, Dino Rossi's Campaign Manager Pat Shortridge states:

I can understand the Senator’s reluctance to debate, given her record over the past several years on spending, taxing, and failing to get the economy growing; but I think she owes it to the people of Washington to come out from behind the consultants and negative ads, throw away the usual playbook of agreeing to 2 debates in late October, and instead, engage Dino and the voters.

After all, Senator Murray is an 18-year incumbent. She’s a senior member of the Senate Democrat Leadership. This is her fourth time running in a US Senate race. This is still a blue state that went overwhelmingly for President Obama. Yet, she can’t – or won’t - go before the voters and make the case for the votes she’s cast, discuss what she views as her accomplishments, and lay out her ideas for solving the problems we face more than twice? That seems to be quite a personal repudiation of her own record.

Shortridge concluded his letter by reiterating that Rossi is willing to be flexible on times, locations, and other challenges the Senator may have relative to the Senate schedule.

Related Articles

• Rossi Proposes 6 Debates With Murray (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• Murray: Just two debates with Rossi (seattlepi.com)

Patty Murray Launches Negative Primary Ad

Patty Murray, 18 year Senate veteran, has launched a negative ad against Dino Rossi, even before the primary election has been held.  This is in contrast to Dino Rossi, who launched a positive ad today, calling for change in Washington D.C. that will actually help people in the state of Washington.

US Senate Candidate Dino Rossi

During a press conference today, Dino Rossi said that the functional unemployment rate in Washington is 17.4%.  This number includes those receiving unemployment, people giving up looking for work, as well as underemployed skilled workers that are delivering pizzas.

Rossi said that two out of 10 Washington workers being functionally unemployed is too high.  As he goes around the state, talking with people and business owners, they talk about being worried about making their mortgage payments, and feeding their kids.

He went on to discuss how the healthcare reform is a tax and spending bill, with a little healthcare sprinkled on top.  Murray’s 60th, and deciding vote on this has killed jobs in Washington.

“Even the Chinese government is telling us we are spending too much money” said Rossi.

“We need private sector jobs”, explained Rossi, “instead of more government spending.”

Rossi called for extending all tax cuts enacted under the previous administration, and simplifying the tax code to make it fair and predictable so small businesses can hire more people.

He noted that in Murray’s ad, she is criticizing some of the same legislation that she voted for, such as bailouts of failed businesses.

Rossi said that Murray has not had a private sector job in her adult life, and does not understand entrepreneurs willing to risk it all in order to chase after their dream of making a better life in America.

When asked about energy policy, Rossi responded by saying we need an “all of the above approach”, which includes wind, solar, and even nuclear power in order to achieve energy independence.  He specifically called for continuing to use the vitrification plant at Hanford to turn radioactive sludge into a glass product that can be safely stored at Yucca Mountain in Nevada.  Murray has remained silent on Senator Reid’s attempts to shut that down, until Rossi made it an issue in his campaign.

Dino Rossi’s Ad:




Patty Murray's negative ad attacking Dino Rossi: