OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The Washington State Patrol is keeping close watch over both Gov. Christine Gregoire and her Republican rival, Dino Rossi, after Gregoire received a death threat and emotions over the contested election continue to run high.
Gregoire told reporters today she received a death threat and that she plans to keep a lid on publicizing her movements outside the heavily guarded Capitol and Governor's Mansion.
Rossi has around-the-clock protection.
"I'm going to honor it when the chief of the state patrol says that for my personal security, we need to maintain some procedures," Gregoire said, referring to the blackout on releasing a detailed schedule.
"Give me six months. Allow me these six months."
She said she got a death threat, but added: "I'm not going to be deterred by any of that. I got death threats, frankly, when I was attorney general. I've got a job to do, but I'm also going to be smart (about security considerations). I owe that to the citizens of the state and I will listen to the chief of the state patrol."
Death threats are serious business. I hope the person responsible is caught and jailed.
That being said, I find this comment from Gregoire troubling.
She said blamed "the level of discussion on some of these talk radio shows" for whipping up people.
I think its obvious what she's trying to do. She's trying to spin this death threat into some sort of black mark on those advocating against the manner in which she was elected. By implying that these dissenters are stirring people into hatred of her she can cast a pall of illegitimacy over their criticisms. If the citizens of Washington see these critics as rabble-rousers inciting violence against political enemies they aren't likely to listen to what they have to say.
The fact that Christine Gregoire has received a death threat does not changed the fact that she was elected through a wholly corrupted and ineffective election process.
(via Sound Politics)