Washington governor slams anti-gaming ad as racist

Thursday, August 7, 2008  

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) said critics of her tribal gaming compacts are airing a "racist" ad.

Gregoire has been criticized by Republicans for a compact with the Spokane Tribe that did not include revenue sharing. Democrats have rejected calls for an investigation into the deal, which came as tribes donated more than $650,000 to Gregoire and the state Democratic party.

"They made stuff up about the tribes - and the ad, by the way, I think is racist," Gregoire said in an interview with The Stranger that was posted on YouTube. "I think this whole thing is racist, and I'm totally offended by it."

A political action committee called It's Time for a Change paid for the ad. The committee is controlled by Building Industry Association of Washington, which supports Dino Rossi, a Republican who lost the 2004 election to Gregoire. Rossi's mother is part Tlingit from Alaska.

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Campaign ad declared "racist" by Wash. governor (AP 8/7)