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(s)Elections See other (s)Elections Articles Title: WA Head of state GOP fends off accusations OLYMPIA -- Fielding accusations from a major GOP candidate that the state Republican Party is comparable to the old Soviet Union probably isn't what Luke Esser had in mind when he took over as party chairman last year. He knew he faced a tough task. Republicans were reeling after the 2006 elections, in which the party lost control of the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate and gave up more ground to majority Democrats in the Legislature. But Esser had settled into a comfortable groove. Gearing up for the upcoming gubernatorial rematch between Republican Dino Rossi and Gov. Chris Gregoire, Esser was busy sending out a steady stream of news releases highlighting Gregoire's "failures." And although Washington is unlikely to back a Republican presidential candidate, it has become a key fundraising stop for the GOP. In fact, before Saturday's presidential caucuses, Esser said he was excited about having a chance for this state to have a meaningful effect on the national presidential primary. Then came Saturday. Voters flocked to caucuses in record numbers. That night, the media were waiting impatiently for the reports and, with most of the votes counted, Esser called the close race for Arizona Sen. John McCain. From there things went sideways as Mike Huckabee, who picked up two other states that day, cried foul and then compared Washington's Republican Party to the Soviet Union. And though Esser said that further counting proved his prediction correct, the hard feelings continue Huckabee's campaign said Tuesday that it would keep its legal team in the state until it receives a complete accounting. "I don't trust these results as far as I can throw them," Huckabee adviser Jim Pinkerton said. "We were ripped off, and we know it." With 96 percent of weekend results in, Esser said McCain had 3,191 precinct delegates (25.6 percent) to Mike Huckabee's 2,898 (23.3 percent) -- a difference of just 293. Texas Rep. Ron Paul won 21.4 percent of Washington's precinct delegates. (The rest went to other candidates or are uncommitted.) Esser has been in politics a long time -- he has been an influential state senator, he has run unsuccessfully for Congress, and he is now the GOP's state leader. He has weathered his share of slings. While Esser was in the Senate, Republicans locked up in opposition to gay rights legislation that was close to passing. Esser was accused of being a closeted gay man -- an accusation that subsided only after someone asked The New York Times Magazine's "Ethicist," Randy Cohen, if it was OK to report it -- and The Stranger in Seattle called him up and asked flat out: Are you gay? Esser said he wasn't. He was voted out of office shortly after -- bested by a former House Republican who switched to the Democratic Party before running for state the Senate. On the Huckabee complaint, Esser seems to be holding his own, though conservative bloggers and supporters of Huckabee and of Paul have been critical. In Olympia on Tuesday, Republican leaders disputed Huckabee's claim that Washington's caucus was a mess and seemed comfortable with Esser's actions Saturday. "It's was not a debacle," said Rep. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, adding that the problems that have come to light would be fixed by the next election. Esser did not return calls Tuesday. In an open letter posted on the state party Web site, Esser explained his rationale. "It was my decision as State Party Chairman to announce on Saturday night that Senator McCain was the 'winner' of the precinct caucuses. It's important for everyone to know that I would have delivered the same message on Governor Huckabee's behalf (or Congressman Paul or Gov. Romney) if the situation had been reversed. ... "My statement in no way 'disenfranchised' anyone. We have continued our delegate count each day since the caucuses, and will continue until each delegate is counted. All the major campaigns have been treated fairly in this process."
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