From a story in the Seattle Times during Rossi’s first run against Gregoire in 2004:

Though both of his parents were Democrats, Rossi became a Republican in 1980, drawn in by Ronald Reagan’s presidential campaign. He joined the Downtown Republican Club, worked hard at recruiting and fund raising, and in 1990 was named the King County “Republican of the Year.” Republicans “were really more in tune with the world I wanted into—the business world,” Rossi said.

Rossi, a Catholic, also took up some of the party’s conservative social causes. In 1991, he campaigned against Initiative 120, a measure that codified in state law the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision legalizing abortion. The following year, after moving to the Sammamish Plateau, Rossi dove into his first race for the state Senate seat in the 5th Legislative District. At the time, Christian conservatives were gaining strength in the Republican Party. Facing three pro-choice Republicans in the primary, Rossi ran to the right and won the nomination…. Rossi didn’t try to mask his views on social issues. His campaign sent out a flier pointing out “night and day” differences between him and Drew on abortion and gay rights, saying she had “sponsored a gay and lesbian art exhibit in the state capitol.”

Today, in his campaign for governor, Rossi goes out of his way to avoid discussing his views on social issues. He still says he is opposed to gay marriage, but is often quick to add, “I’m not running on that issue.”

Dino refused to discuss social issues during his 2004 and 2008 gubernatorial campaigns because, he claimed, social issues like gay rights didn’t have anything to do with the state. (Which is a lie in the case of gay rights.) But as a Senator—God forbid—Dino faces likely votes on gay marriage and/or civil unions, ending Don’t Ask/Don’t Tell (if it doesn’t happen this year), and passing the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ditto). We have a right to know how he would’ve voted on, say, hate-crimes legislation that was approved last year if he had been in the Senate at the time. Adoptions by same-sex couples are an issue that could conceivably come up over the next six years. Does he support adoptions by same-sex couples—along with the American Psychological Association, the American Psychiatric Association, the National Association of Social Workers, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Psychoanalytic Association, the Child Welfare League of America, and the North American Council on Adoptable Children—or does he agree with George Rekers that every child deserves a mother and a father? In this race Dino can’t avoid giving specific answers and taking actual positions on gay rights issues.

And, yes, Murray is opposed to same-sex marriage. (Opposes, but doesn’t do much about.) But like Obama, Murray supports civil unions for same-sex couples. (Supports, but doesn’t do much about.) We know Murray’s position. What’s Dino’s position?

This time out Rossi can’t be allowed to get away with simpering about he’s a “conservative with a social conscience,” smiling prettily, and then refusing to answer questions about gay rights. Or reproductive rights. By his own circa-2008 criteria, he has to answer these questions now.

18 replies on “Dino Rossi On Gay Rights”

  2. All politics in this state is driven by who can con the public into building a tunnel and a bridge.

    You might as well not waste your brain power trying to figure out the rest of it.

  5. Douchwad, we don’t care what issue you choose to “run on”. I mean, yeah, it’s informative to know what issues are most important to you. But all issues on which you have an opinion are relevant inasmuch as they may fall under your responsibility.

    See also: Rand Paul, who thinks he can sweep what he said under the rug because it’s all hypothetical and not what he wants to be interviewed about.

  8. It’s really stunning to me that the Washington State GOP is embracing Rossi so readily. He’s a loser. He’ll continue to be a loser. There’s no reason to think he can be anything other than a loser.

  9. I was sad to read that Rossi is likely their guy again this year. Nothing for independents to go for in this election, he’s the same old bigoted right white guy who just wants to pay less taxes and preach his bible. Murray would crush him.

  10. You do not get to decide what issues to “run on,” Dino. And this voter thinks your position on marriage equality is important, whether you like it or not.

  11. Not that I’d vote for Rossi, but fuck Patty Murray. “Opposes, but doesn’t do much about” uh, she voted for DoMA.

    I will never vote for another anti-equality, anti-choice politician again. I’m through with the lesser of two evils. If Dems want our votes, they better start doing something about it.

  15. Once…
    Twice…
    Three times a failure…

    He TWICE couldn’t beat a rather unpopular Democratic opponent, (I don’t know anyone who really LIKES Gregoire, even Dems) and he want to run against a rather popular incumbent.

    Well, at least you can say, Dino isn’t a quitter!

  17. As the United States Senate is a national legislative body that deliberates and decides policy on a broad array of social and economic issues it seems strange that any candidate would claim immunity from professing their beliefs on the most important and divisive social issues of the day because, “[they] are not running on that” issue is heigh of disingenuous dissembling. The assertion that a candidate’s responsibility to articulate their stance on vital and contentious points of national and state policy should only be limited to those issues that they want to campaign on suggests a gross ignorance of the job they are applying for which should act as an automatic disqualification for that office and instead any such candidate would be constrained to only apply for jobs that were as limited in their policy impact as the candidate’s stated interests.

    And on a side note: After watching Mr. Rossi’s web announcement and trying to judge it with a level of impartiality and seriousness that the candidate has yet to demonstrate in his candidacy I was left somewhat let down in the hope that Mr. Rossi might at the very least force a serious public debate on the role of federal government and the merits of opposing policy prescriptions to issues of the day. But demanding fiscal accountability by the federal government while simultaneously singing the praises of tax cuts as a means of economic stimulation suggests that this campaign will be defined by politics and not policy.

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