McGavick’s Web site reaches out en español
Republican Senate candidate Mike McGavick is sending out a big “¡hola!” to Hispanic residents of Washington, adding a Spanish-language section to his campaign Web site.
Madre de Dios, what is ¡Viva Mike! thinking, asking folks who no hablan inglés to participate in the process or explaining to them his positions on “el déficit” and “inmigración”?
Has he somehow skipped the part of the state Republican platform that says English is the official and primary language of the country? Or the Senate immigration bill that says it’s the national language, and anyone who wants to be naturalized as a citizen must “demonstrate an understanding of the English language”?
Not at all, McGavick said in an interview last week. He even agrees with the provisions of the immigration bill, saying that having English as the single common language is important for running a unified country.
“But this is a matter of communication, rather than a matter of policy,” he said. “I want to be accessible to anyone who wants to learn my ideas.”
His old company, Safeco, had Spanish-language Web pages, and so do many other businesses, he said.
And it’s not just a matter of capitalism – heck, even the White House Web site has a section en español.
McGavick said he doesn’t share all the sentiments of the state GOP platform but can understand them.
“Emotions are running very high because of the failures of this country to control its borders,” he said. “We can never let the immigration conversation backslide into racism.”
The campaign has a contract with a translation service in Colorado, and a bilingual staffer to check the verbiage that’s posted, spokeswoman Julie Sund said.
The campaign has yet to receive any negative reaction to the Spanish section of its Web site. But it just went up on Wednesday.
In a couple of days, it might be receiving the same kind of reaction The Spokesman-Review got when it included a Spanish language news story in its coverage of Vicente Fox’s visit to Yakima.
That could include letters or phone calls in good American, asking “Whaddaya think yer doin? Runnin for senatur of Mexico?”
Costumed characters
Much has been written and said about initiative maven Tim Eyman’s photo stunt last week, showing up in a Darth Vader costume to NOT turn in signatures for Referendum 65.
To Spin Control, complaining that Eyman was trying to trick the media is like complaining that grass is green.
But one thing that wasn’t much discussed from that stunt was the Spokane connection: The two “henchmen” in black hoods walking behind Darth Eyman were Mike and Jack Fagan, his partners in the initiative-hawking business who are both from Spokane.
Mike Fagan might have been more memorable in one of his previous campaign personas. He was often inside the King Weasel costume when term limits advocates decided to stalk George Nethercutt during the 2000 congressional campaign for breaking that infamous three terms and out promise.
Just an opinion, but Mike Fagan looked a bit better in cheesy fur than in basic toady black.
Well-spoken
Things have been very cozy at the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office for several months, with one of the main candidates for the Republican primary, Cal Walker, reporting to the other candidate, Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich.
But a recent campaign press release shows that this ability to do the public’s work while on the county clock, and do political work at other times, extends deep into the department.
When the Spokane Police Guild voted to endorse Knezovich late last month, his spokesman David Thornburg sent out the announcement from the Ozzie for Sheriff campaign.
When he’s on the clock as a deputy, Thornburg is sometimes the spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.
Sometimes, but not usually. That job regularly falls to Sgt. Dave Reagan, who in his off time is also the spokesman for the Walker campaign.