Murray and Rossi’s Weekend

New developments in Dino Rossi’s campaign this weekend:

Rossi had a public campaign rally on Saturday, October 23 in Bellingham, the first major rally for either candidate in this city.  He continued his campaign push against Murray, asking the question, “Which Washington does Murray represent? Washington State or Washington D.C.?” He talked about spending, especially earmarks, repealing health care reform, smaller government and getting the country back on the right track. (News Tribune)

Rossi talked in an interview on Komo 4 News about his grass roots efforts throughout his campaign.  He is going from town to town meeting the real people.  Those are the people he feels he is going to be representing.  When asked about the stream of major figures Murray has brought into Seattle to help her campaign, he responded, “It looks like she is working for the other Washington with all her D.C. friends coming to her aid.”  Rossi believes he and Murray are traveling in two different directions, and he feels the voters want him representing Washington State. (Komo 4 News)

Rossi believes small businesses need more stability than what they are facing under Democratic leadership.  He spent time touring the Kent aerospace company, Protective Coatings, discussing taxes and other changes that would affect their business.  Rossi wants the locally based businesses to know he wants to work for them. (Seattle Times)

Rossi has tried to nationalize his race against Patty Murray to let people know the nation is in peril from Democrats spending and taxes.  He continues to criticize Murray for the use of earmarks.  Rossi says he wouldn’t secure earmarks.  Rossi criticized the Democrats for spending that increases the nation’s debt, burdening future generations with the bills.  “It’s morally reprehensible,” Rossi said in Olympia.  “That is the moral issue of this campaign.” (News Tribune)

New developments in Patty Murray’s campaign this weekend:

-First Lady Michelle Obama is to lead a fundraiser for Patty Murray on Monday in Bellevue (The Seattle Times).

-Patty Murray has received the endorsement of the “Kitsap Sun” and “The Spokesman-Review”. The Kitsap Sun mentions that Murray has been beneficial to the state, bringing in a lot of money, and that Rossi just could not make convincing arguments. The Spokesman-Review says that while Rossi does bring up some good points, Murray is the better candidate because she represents the people of Washington better (Patty Murray Democrat for US Senate).

Campaign Funding update:

Financial contributions to both sides of the Senate race have increased in the last two weeks of the elections.  There is a stark contrast in the type of donors for Rossi and Murray. 

Rossi’s biggest donations came from real-estate developers, venture capitalists, Wall Street executives and auto dealers.  Thousands of dollars have been contributed from the Nordstrom family, the McCaws of the wireless fortune and the heads of Paccar, Bartell Drugs and Moneytree. (Seattle Times)

Murray’s fundraising shows her heaviest support comes from lawyers, government employees and executives at nonprofit groups, healthcare companies and biotechnology firms.  Some local backers of Murray are Bill Gates Sr., Jon DeVaan (Microsoft senior vice president), Joni Earl (director of Sound Transit), Lee Fromson (Vice president of REI), and Michelle Gass (president of Seattle’s Best coffee).(Seattle Times)

-Talan Gunnell and Noel Hansen