Gov. Chris Gregoire essentially called Republican Dino Rossi an empty suit on Tuesday when reporters asked about his apparent run against Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray.

Rossi, who ran two unsuccessful campaigns for governor against Gregoire (in 2004 and 2008), is expected to announce as early as Wednesday that he's taking on Murray.

Gregoire said she's not worried about Murray. "I don't see Patty as that vulnerable," she said.

When asked about Rossi, Gregoire said: "The fact of the matter is, he's a good looking candidate who says all the right things. Once people take a look beyond and ask what has he done, what has he ever managed?

"He's managed what, two people? What has he done? He runs on 'I wrote a budget once,' " she said referring to a state budget Rossi once helped craft with former Gov. Gary Locke back in 2003.

"Once you get behind that, then I think people are absolutely going to vote for Patty Murray," she said.

Mary Lane Strow, who has long handled media calls for Rossi, said the governor should focus on her job, and not the Senate race.

"Gosh governor, are you bitter much?," Strow said. "I guess maybe she's still smarting from the fact that he predicted ... all the stuff she was going to do like raise taxes and have massive deficits."

And so it goes. Just like old times.