ELLENSBURG - Kittitas County Republican Party Chair Dr. Matt Manweller thinks that Dino Rossi is the biggest star in that county's political universe.

 Manweller predicted that Rossi would garner between 62 and 63 percent of the vote in the general election depending on the success of their get out the vote effort, up from the 59 percent he received in 2004. He als0 said that, despite it being a hotly contested presidential election, the gubernatorial candidate was the county's biggest draw.

 "For Rossi there is more excitement," Manweller told PolitickerWA.com. "McCain-Palin will be riding on Rossi's coattails, not the other way around."

He said that in 2004 the excitement among Republicans was relatively equal between Rossi and President Bush, but that this time around Rossi was the driving force behind volunteer activity and getting people to the polls.

"Rossi is one of those unique politicians that can both rally a base and reach across the aisle and I don't know how he does that," Manweller added. "It is pretty unusual."