Posted on 04/30/2010 1:05:20 AM PDT by highlander_UW
Dems attack Rossi ahead of possible Senate bid By CURT WOODWARD ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
OLYMPIA, Wash. -- Democrats stepped up their pre-emptive campaign against potential Republican Senate candidate Dino Rossi on Thursday, alleging that $20,000 in delinquent property taxes owed by his business partners show poor ethical standards on his part.
Rossi, a two-time gubernatorial runner-up, is mulling a possible run against Democratic Sen. Patty Murray. Rossi dismissed Thursday's Democratic attacks as inaccurate and said he has no direct ties to the property in question.
At issue are unpaid property taxes on a building in Everett owned by a real estate firm with ties to Rossi. But Rossi's partnership with the firm is arranged through a separate company that doesn't have an ownership stake in the property in question.
The dustup previews a bruising fall campaign if Rossi enters the race, and reveals how nervous Democrats are about the prospect of a challenge from the former state senator. Some recent polling has predicted a close contest between Rossi and Murray, a third-term incumbent and member of the Senate Democratic leadership team.
Rossi deemed the whole affair an overreaction by a "frightened" Murray, and said it shows she's out of touch with the economic hardships faced by regular Washington residents.
"That's why she sends her people here to personally attack someone who isn't even running against her," Rossi said. "Am I considering it? Absolutely. Does this make me consider it more? Yes it does."
The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said the unpaid bill taints Rossi's ethical standing, and dismissed the explanations as inadequate attempts to shield Rossi from criticism.
"Dino Rossi's firm has a $20,000 tax problem," committee spokeswoman Deirdre Murphy said. "We look forward to hearing his explanation on why he does not think the rules apply to him."
Rossi rose to prominence in 2004 when he lost to now-Gov. Chris Gregoire by just 129 votes after two recounts and a Republican court challenge. Rossi also lost a rematch with Gregoire in 2008.
Republicans have been trying to recruit Rossi into the Senate race for weeks, and Democrats have been just as active trying to tarnish him. They recently launched a "Dirty Deals Dino" website that paints Rossi's real estate career as a tangle of unsavory associations.
The latest attack was aimed at Rossi's recent business venture with the Everett real estate firm Coast Equity Partners.
Tom Hoban, chief executive of Coast Equity Partners, said he hadn't been aware of the tax bill on one property among the hundreds overseen by the firm's management company. Hoban said a lease agreement had obligated tenants to pay the property taxes, but the tenants were now out of business, leaving investors to foot the bill.
Murray spokeswoman Alex Glass declined to enter the fray, saying it was between Rossi and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
"What Sen. Murray is focused on right now is Wall Street reform," Glass said.
Additionally, I haven't researched this, but I saw a blog posting that suggested that the tax issues related to his parters took place years before he was actually even associated with them...but do research that portion yourself...I'm just pointing it out as a line of research.
that says alot. I remember Cantwell filed or was going to file bankruptcy because her dot com company went under
Liberal thy name is hypocrite.
There is no low that is lower than how low Washington State Democrats will stoop to take out Republican candidates. They proved it by fudging the vote in Rossi’s first bid for governor. When it was fought in court, the Democrats bought the judge who ruled out key pieces of evidence.
I have heard that they will try to use anti Italian bigotry to defame Rossi’s Italian heritage. If that is done, I hope it generates a backlash like a snapped steel cable.
Two words for Washington State Dems - Charlie Rangle.
So true.
Rumor on the street is that Rossi has been hiring. Smells like a run to me.
The number of dem names that could be listed are endless...Blagovich, Rangle, Ried, Geithner, Daschle, Dodd...one could go on and on about criminal democrats...and these aren't just underlings somewhere, they are the leaders of the democrat party.
That sounds right up the ally of the racist democrats to target someone based upon race.
It used to be that democrats were Americans with different opinions...now they are composed of criminals, terrorists, anarchists, communists, marxists and the insane.
Another connection Asshole Barack Obama and Tony Rezko. What about Asshole and Rev jeremiah Wright? Look at the amounts of money that was allocated for these people Rezko - Money laundering. jeremiah Wright church allows for a ten million dollar line of credit with his retirement home. Hypocrites and Criminals.
but the rats are covered by the MSM.
they can do what ever , when ever or who ever and they get away with it because the MSM goes and covers for the rats.
is there no way we can get a group of conservatives set up and write letters, protest outside the medias offices etc and ask for a fair non bias media
every day I talk to people about what is going on and they have no clue because they say they had not heard that on the news.
There’s still Dems out there who has no heard of ACORN for crying out loud, not heard of Ayers, van Jones, jennings the pervert, Anita Dunn for loving a commie mass killer, and the latest one is that most have not heard about bozo saying he thinks some have made too much money
iof we get a grip of the media then we get the message out otherwise this crap will keep on going and going
Lots of examples of rat hypocracy in ...
THUG-O-CRAT hit list [shocking links and headlines]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/chat/2464640/posts?page=4
[Now past 150 posts/links]
” ... but the rats are covered by the MSM.”
America was 60% in favor of AZ immigration legislation. In just a few days, that shot up to 70%. How much did the MSM drive-byes help with that?
I don’t watch TV anymore, but I’m under the impression that the MSM has been trying to smear the AZ legislation. Looks like they lost influence. Also ...
ABC News lays off 22
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2502813/posts
Snip: ABC News laid off 22 employees on Tuesday, the final step in a round of more than 350 cuts at the network.
Dino Rossi sounds like a good guy who keeps fighting against this typical liberal facist garbage. The Dems in WA state are evil scum.
I cancelled TV over a year ago. No more supporting the people who want to enslave me. Fox being owned partially by the Saudis is just as bad.
I hope Kelsey Grammer’s conservative network comes out on the Internet.
I just hope we can hold on to free speech.
BTTT and ping
WA State Rossi ping
It smells like a run to me also but I heard Rossi himself on the subject and he didn’t sound convinced. The DIMs in the Seattle papers have said he is a loser, TWICE!! We all know how that happened...ACORN anyone? Nice if you keep counting until you have more street people, druggies and those with a a City Hall address to count as your voters. Lets hope Rossi runs...it doesn’t look like anyone else can move Murray out. She is so dug in there is moss growing around her tennis shoes, and there isn’t a UNION she doesn’t love. THAT IS THE PROBLEM!!
Murray and the WA State Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee attempt to Palin-ize Dino Rossi when he hasn’t even declared. As with Palin, they’re going to try to destroy and intimidate him whether he’s running or not, so he may as well declare sooner than later.
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