Rossi makes online rounds to bolster support on right

By Bryan Bissell, PolitickerWA.com Reporter

Dino Rossi, or at least Dino Rossi's words, can be found somewhat frequently on the internet this week in a move to solidify his support on Washington state's right flank.

The Seattle P-I's Joel Connelly reported Tuesday that Rossi has written an open letter to supporters of former presidential candidate Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) asking them to look further into his campaign for governor.

Paul, who fared quite well in the Washington caucuses winning several counties outright, has a dedicated group of followers, many of whom balk at voting for Republicans and Democrats alike because of their allegiance to Paul's platform. Eastern Washington is particular Paul stronghold.

In the letter Rossi touted having a number of Paul supporters on his staff, and talked up the more conservative aspects of his beliefs and platforms, notably his support of home schooling rights, given that two of his children are home schooled, and his strong stance against Initiative 1000 that allows physician-assisted suicide for the terminally ill. He also reiterated his opinion that he personally was pro-life but had no desire to run on that position, and similarly that the state had no right to require pharmacies to stock the "plan B" pill or any other drug.

"Just as government shouldn't tell grocery store owners that they have to sell certain types of groceries," he said, "or hardware store owners that they have to sell certain types of tools, it shouldn't tell pharmacists which drugs to sell."

Perhaps indicating to Paul supporters that he would work with them, Rossi talked about his work as budget chair in 2003. "The key to success was working to find a philosophical majority rather than a partisan majority," Rossi recalled. "That is exactly how I will work to address the deficit as governor."

The Republican gubernatorial candidate also gave an interview to Red County, a popular blog that bills itself as presenting "grassroots politics from the center right."

He used the interview to show a commitment to children and education, and suggested that the state as it is could lead to an atmosphere that could turn off potential residents.

"I want to leave a state where my children will grow up safe, get a good education, and be able to succeed," Rossi said. "I have had family members leave Washington saying that they do not want to return because of the direction we're heading."

Rossi frequently mentioned his father John Rossi's role as a teacher, and how that formed him as a person and a politician. He also talked about his political principles, and suggested that they not only have helped him maintain sanity in his non-political life, but would make him an effective leader in Olympia.

"I have always been successful in politics by not worrying about getting re-elected," Rossi told Red State. "I figure out what the right thing to do is, and then I go do it. I find this principle very freeing. I was happy before I got into politics, and I'll be happy after. Whenever I have spoken with other political candidates, I encourage them to use the same principle. Unfortunately, I find that this sort of leadership is very short in Olympia, and that is what I intend to change.

Bryan Bissell is a PolitickerWA.com Reporter and can be reached via email at noreply@politicker.com.

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