Challenger Dino Rossi has ridiculed Governor Chris Gregoire for raising money from out of state, and indeed the Governor welcomed out-of-stater Michelle Obama to an in-state fundraiser, while Rossi himself went out-of-state to Texas to raise money in Bush country and he expects to get more from the almost entirely out-of-state Republican Governors Association.

Opponents of assisted suicide level charges that I-1000 backers raised funds from the far away state of … Oregon, while supporters of death with dignity charge that I-1000 opponents are not only out-of-state but out-of-country (or at least out-of-diocese) and taking their orders and their riches from Rome.

Does anybody really care?

Washington is a trade-dependent state if ever there was one, we have based our economy on exports of planes, software, agricultural and market goods – a strategy that is serving us well as our economy remains more stable than the rest of the nation. Yet the strongest epithet that a political campaign can level is that some of their opponents’ money comes from out-of-state?

We should get over our provincial beginnings and be glad that Washington garners enough national attention, and has shown enough political leadership, to warrant out-of-state campaign cash.

We should thank our out-of-state interests and supporters, and take that out-of-state money all the way to our in-state bank.