Rossi group replaying themes of 2004 race (WA Gov Race)

OLYMPIA — Dino Rossi is traveling the state, raising money from supporters and giving several speeches a week about how the "folks in Olympia" are mucking up Washington's business climate and driving the state toward fiscal calamity.

In other words, Rossi is doing and saying many of the same things he did and said during his 2004 campaign for governor — a race the Sammamish Republican lost by a mere 133 votes to Democrat Christine Gregoire.

But Rossi says he isn't a candidate for anything right now — and that he's still months away from deciding whether to seek a rematch against Gov. Gregoire in 2008.

Most of the fundraising and public speaking Rossi does these days is on behalf of the Forward Washington Foundation, a nonprofit group he formed last year with the help of some of his key political advisers.

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Based on a complaint filed last month by the Democratic Party, the state Public Disclosure Commission next week will begin investigating whether Rossi is using the nonprofit to skirt campaign-finance laws.