Pulling out the stops in Washington state

I’ve been a bit disappointed by the polls I’ve seen of the Senate race in Washington State. Dino Rossi, an attractive Republican challenger who very nearly was elected Governor in 2004, has been consistently behind incumbent Patty Murray. Murray’s average lead, according to Real Clear Politics is 5.3 percentage points.
But two very recent polls suggest a closer race. A Survey USA poll released on September 23 shows Murray leading by a margin of 50-48. And a Fox News/Pulse Opinion Research survey of 1,000 likely voters, taken on September 25, has Murray leading by only 48-47. Both “leads” are within the margin of error.
With the race apparently tightening, Murray has announced that Bill Clinton will be campaigning for her on October 18. He will attend a fundraising luncheon in Seattle and a rally in Everett that afternoon.
As Liz Mair observes, this is a “great get” for the Murray campaign because Clinton remains very popular in Washington State. And the timing of his visit is excellent. It will come as voters are receiving their ballots in the mail.
The good news is that Murray clearly needs all the help she can get. The bad news is that she is about to get some significant help.
You can help Rossi here.