Indian Gaming > Spokane Tribe slams GOP gaming ads as racist

October 10, 2008

Spokane Tribe slams GOP gaming ads as racist

The Spokane Tribe of Washington says Republicans are running "misleading and racially charged" ads about gaming.

The Building Industry Association of Washington and the Republican Governors Association are running several ads that criticize Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) for making a "backroom deal" with the tribe. Indian-looking actors are seen shaking hands with men in business suits while a narrator says the state was cheated out of $140 million in gaming revenues.

The ads claim Gregoire killed a revenue-sharing deal and then accepted over $650,000 in campaign contributions from tribes. Dino Rossi, the Republican candidate for governor, has brought up the issue several times but says the ads aren't racist.

Gregoire has defended her decision to negotiate a new compact with the tribe. She said the state shouldn't become dependent on gaming revenues and should focus on its role as a regulator.

Rossi's mother is part Tlingit from Alaska.

Get the Story:
Spokane Tribe calls ads for Rossi racist (The Spokesman Review 10/10)
AdWatch: Gregoire and tribal casinos (KING 5 News 10/10)