Benton: Rossi a 'colleague' not rival

[ccharles000]

Washington Senate candidate Don Benton, who once predicted Dino Rossi would pass on a bid to challenge Sen. Patty Murray, said Wednesday he would refrain from attacking his newly minted GOP primary opponent and did not rule out dropping out of the race if it enhanced his party’s chances of picking up the seat in November.

Benton, a 16-year legislator from Vancouver, used warm language to describe Rossi and characterized him as a “colleague” rather than a rival.

“We’re friends. We’re colleagues in a campaign to defeat Patty Murray. And I welcome Dino to the family of colleagues,” he told POLITICO in an interview.

Benton could not name any significant policy differences that he would have with Rossi and issued a less –than-Shermanesque statement on his own commitment to the Aug. 17 primary.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0510/37832.html

[KT2000]

1. When I hear Rossi speak

something happens to me :puke: