The AP is reporting that a GOP source says two-time statewide race loser Dino Rossi is finally ready to get in the Senate race to challenge Patty Murray. Furthermore, Politico reports that Rossi has chosen his general consultant, GOP strategist Pat Shortridge.
Shortridge, who is based in Minnesota and serving as a senior strategist for Florida Senate candidate Marco Rubio, did not confirm or deny that he's signed on with Rossi, telling POLITICO Monday morning: "I don't have any comment on that. There's a time and a place for everything."
But a GOP consultant who has spoken with Rossi about his plans said the candidate has settled on Shortridge, who has served as a top aide to former Minnesota Rep. Mark Kennedy and former House Majority Leader Dick Armey, to handle overall strategy. Republicans have said they expect Rossi to jump into the race soon and suggested that only staffing hires have delayed his announcement.
Goldy has a little more information on Shortridge.
According to a DSCC press release, Shortridge was also a top lobbyist in Enron’s Washington office, where he lauded Enron as “a terrific company, very innovative, very free-market-oriented,” just months before it collapsed in scandal and indictments.
“It’s no surprise that Dino Rossi’s first hire in his Senate campaign is a former lobbyist for Enron,” said DSCC Communications Director Eric Schultz. “Rossi’s consultant is likely well-trained in defending shady deals, questionable business arrangements, and other ethical lapses. At least Dino Rossi acknowledges the baggage he brings to the race and is building a campaign accordingly.”
Quite a good fit, actually. Goldy also notes that the Seattle Times is reporting another potential hire, Tom Goff. Goff was field director for Republican Mike McGavin's losing 2006 challenge to Maria Cantwell.
It's going to be a challenge for Rossi, getting into the game this late despite the help from the NRSC. The campaign will be fueled on the sour grapes of the people who still believe he won his last two races for governor against Christine Gregoire (on the first one, the final tally was less than 200 votes difference, but in the second race in 2008, Gregoire won handily). It's unclear whether there are enough of those grapes to go around. The teabagger candidate, former Redskins tight end Clint Didier, has Sarah Palin's endorsement. (Anecdotal info: I drove through eastern Washington this weekend, and the only sign of political activity I saw were massive Didier signs in farmers' fields--maybe a half dozen of them. He's got a football helmet with a big red "R" on it on the signs. Very clever.) While Rossi will certainly peel away some support from Didier, he's probably not going to be able to just walk away with the primary in August.
Looking toward the general, a new poll out today shows Murray with a 51% approval rating. In any given election year, that would be a disquieting number, but in this crappy year it's pretty good. It's consistent with the polling R2K did for Daily Kos at the end of March, where she had a 52% approval. She's still the most popular major office-holder in the state. Goldy:
In the closely watched U.S. Senate race, the poll has incumbent Democratic Sen. Patty Murray leading maybe-challenger Dino Rossi 44-40, a slightly wider margin than the 42-39 spread she scores against a generic Republican opponent. Yeah, that’s not as wide a lead as Murray supporters would like to see, but it doesn’t show much strength for Rossi either, who, after all, Washington state voters already know quite well. One of the downsides to Rossi’s much touted name ID, it turns out, is that many voters have already developed an unfavorable impression of him.
This is the last Senate seat national Republicans think they have a shot at contesting, but it's going to be an expensive proposition for them, even to get him through the primary. He's been around long enough to be the establishment candidate in the GOP, and with Palin's endorsement and the teabaggers support already given to Didier in the primary, Rossi will have his work cut out for him.