King County Executive Dow Constantine delivered a seemingly obvious message to Bellevue's movers and shakers Tuesday: Go ahead and shop at the Eastside's premier shopping center, Bellevue Square.

When an elected official has to reiterate his support of local business, you know he's gotten himself in hot water.

Constantine was scalded by reaction to his comment on a radio talk show last Thursday that he "wouldn't give 10 cents" to Tim Eyman's anti-toll, anti-light rail Initiative 1125 by shopping at Bellevue Square. Kemper Freeman, owner of the upscale mall, bankrolled the I-1125 signature-gathering with contributions topping $1 million.

And, the exec told host Steve Scher on KUOW's "Weekday," "If you shop at Bellevue Square you are contributing to that campaign." As word of those comments spread, critics said the usually cautious Constantine was calling for a boycott of Bellevue's retail engine.

Not so, he said in his previously scheduled address to the Bellevue Rotary Club luncheon in the Harbor Club two blocks from Bellevue Square.

"People should shop in Bellevue," Constantine told the Rotarians. "They should shop at Factoria, at Overlake, at The Bravern. And they should shop at Bellevue Square."

He didn't directly apologize for what he called his "pretty minor, offhand" radio comment, and reiterated his "grave concern" about the damage he said Eyman's Freeman-funded initiative would cause if passed in November.

Freeman and Constantine put their differences aside long enough to shake pompons and lead an "I scream for ice cream!" cheer. They decided together which table screamed the loudest and should win vouchers for free ice cream at this weekend's Bellevue Arts Museum artsfair.

Constantine posted a smiling photo of himself and Freeman on his Facebook page, under the words, "Bringing the region together, at today's Bellevue Rotary Club meeting."

Constantine didn't respond to state Republican Party Chair Kirby Wilbur's offer to buy him dinner Wednesday night at Ruth's Chris Steak House in Bellevue Square. Wilbur -- who called Constantine's radio comments "a little petty" -- said he would happy to make it a vegetarian dish.

"As for dining, the executive enjoyed a great lunch in Bellevue yesterday," said his spokesman, Frank Abe.