Former Wash. state GOP chairman comes clean on tactics

Buried deep inside this story in today's Seattle Times
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002933058_cheney16m.html

... Former state Republican Party Chairman Chris Vance points out that Bush and Cheney have never been very popular in Washington state. Voters here went with the Democratic presidential candidates in 2000 and 2004, as they have every year since 1988.

But Vance doesn't think Republican candidates need to worry about Democratic warnings — or hopes? — that appearing with the vice president will hurt election chances.

"It's a game both sides play," said Vance, who stepped down as chairman in January.

"When I was chairman, whenever Hillary Clinton or John Kerry or Howard Dean would come to town we'd send out a press release and say, 'Look, Patty Murray or Maria Cantwell aren't really Northwest moderates. They're part of the Eastern liberal establishment.'

"It was a ritual. And I don't think it had any effect."

Chris Vance. What. An Asshole.

war. So it might be a bit different?