Murray, Rossi go after each other, ignore others

A large field of candidates for the U.S. Senate won't be winnowed down to two until Tuesday's primary, but Patty Murray and Dino Rossi are acting like they're already in a head-to-head fight.

Blink and you might miss the efforts to be heard by the other 13 candidates, most prominently conservatives Paul Akers of Bellingham and Clint Didier of Eltopia, who now are campaigning together.

In part because of Washington's top-two primary system, it likely will cost Rossi little to ignore the other two Republicans.