Tuesday morning will include the Associated Press’ annual legislative preview in Olympia. It will include comment from party leaders in the House and Senate. Last year, and most years, it included the governor. This year will not. It was supposed to, but then the Associated Press issued this:
OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) _ Gov. Chris Gregoire is out of state, but her office won’t say where she is.
Gregoire was set to be the keynote speaker Tuesday at a pre-legislative session forum sponsored by The Associated Press, but her office canceled Monday afternoon. Legislative director Marty Brown will stand in for Gregoire at the forum.
Spokesman Pearse Edwards said that Gregoire will be making an announcement Tuesday morning, and that no further information would be released before then.
Joe Turner at the News Tribune in Tacoma had much to offer on his blog, including this:
One of my sources said he couldn’t tell me where Gov. Chris Gregoire is now, but assured me she would still be my governor in March. “She’s not going to take Bill Richardson’s place as Commerce Secretary. So you can kill that story.”
We had speculated on the cabinet position, but I never thought Commerce was a fit. She had always dismissed the idea of anything in the Attorney General’s office, as had Obama’s people.
In the newsroom we wondered if her cancer was back.
Most likely, in my book, is another thing Turner offered:
Another source speculated that Gregoire has lined up a big chunck of federal money for Seattle’s Alaskan Way Viaduct, and she’s going to announce it Tuesday. (And it would have to be a big chunk because that project keeps getting more and more expensive.)
At 7:14 am the Seattle Times reported that Gregoire is in Iraq visiting troops with governors from two other states.
“At 7:14 am the Seattle Times reported that Gregoire is in Iraq visiting troops with governors from two other states.”
So much for the cost saving “travel restrictions” announced for state government.
She is the Commander in Cheif of the Washington State National Guard who has been stuck in Iraq for too damn long. Also she is probably traveling on the State Department or Department of Defense’s dime. Not Washington State since this is an offical visit.
Thank God Brad Owen is not becoming governor.
I don’t believe that she would have been so irresponsible with her time and the tax payers money. Iraq? No.
Sharon O’Hara
Also from what I’ve heard her cancer was detected early and she had a lumpectomy and did not need chemo or radiation. She lucked out and I believe her health is quite good.
(Looks like you are off an hour… I sent the above at 1050 not 1150am)
Jake,
Why does it matter whether she is using federal or state funds? It’s still OUR money.
Washingtonians disagree with you, re-electing Brad Owen by very large margins.
Funny I didn’t hear you guys talk about the financial cost of the illegal war and occupation of Iraq until Gregoire went to Baghdad?
Damn right it is our money, our troops and our moral responsibility. That is why I’ve consistently opposed the war in Iraq since 2002. I fully support ending the occupation and ending the war immediately. I disagree with President Elect Obama who supports a timeline for withdrawal on conditions. I support our 100% of our troops and US paid mercenary forces out TODAY.
Most voters have no idea who Brad Owen is. They voted for the (D) after his name not for him.