Republican Senate candidate Mike McGavick has posted an "open letter" on his campaign website, apparently to pre-empt reporters or opposition researchers from seizing on past transgressions.

It starts out:

What’s wrong with politics today? The candidates and the incumbents spend their time attacking each other’s personal character instead of attacking the issues and problems that face our country and our families. They also pretend that they are without fault, yet we all know that none of us are.

Then he lists two "great failures" and two professional mistakes:

-His first marriage, to Kim Rainey, ending in divorce, with the result that his oldest son ended up with a "part-time Dad."
-and a

second terrible mistake, which was difficult to discuss with my teenage son, was that I was cited for DUI when I cut a yellow light too close in 1993. I was driving Gaelynn home from several celebrations honoring our new relationship and should not have gotten behind the wheel. Thankfully, there was no accident, but it still haunts me that I put other people at risk by driving while impaired. All in all, it was and remains a humbling and powerful event in my life.

As for the professional mistakes, McGavick said he regrets:

-An erroneous political ad, run while McGavick was managing Slade Gorton's election campaign in 1988, suggesting that Mike Lowry supported legalizing marijuana.
-And his 2002 announcement as Safeco CEO that, after a round of layoffs, the worst was over. It wasn't, as things turned out: a second round of layoffs took place shortly thereafter.

McGavick concludes:

My pledge to you is one of authenticity, civility and transparency. I take responsibility for my actions and my decisions, but it up to you to decide if what I offer outweighs my shortcomings.

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