This entry was posted on 9/5/2006 12:39 PM and is filed under Election 2006, The Lies.
I've never been passionate one way or another about Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington State. I was glad, of course, back in 2000 at the end of her first campaign, when she won a bitter recount battle against then Republican Sen. Slade Gorton. After all, it was the only good "recount" news in an otherwise depressing political environment.
However, she seems to have spent much of the last six years behaving like a Hillary Clinton clone. She has been solidly pro-choice, but supportive of every free trade agreement that comes down the pipe. Solidly pro-environment, but voted for the Iraq war resolution. Just the sort of wishy-washy, socially liberal, pro-business, casual pro-war "centrism" that no one in the middle gets excited about, and the passionate fringes of the left and right hate you for.
The most notable example in her record of a departure from Hillary is her courageous vote against the disgusting Bankruptcy Reform Bill of 2005, which only 25 of her fellow Democrats had the same strength of character to join (it goes without saying that not a single Republican voted against the most anti-poor bill since the Welfare Reform Act). For that alone, Cantwell gets my support.
On the other hand, Hillary's bought and paid for advocacy of the bill is one of many reasons she will never be elected president. Believe it or not, neither Democratic nor Republican voters enjoy being raped by credit card companies, and they enjoy even less watching self-styled "progressives" like Sen. Clinton sell them out for yet another MBNA campaign donation.
So why have I brought up Cantwell? She's locked in yet another neck-and-neck Washington State Senate race, this time with businessman and former Gorton aide Mike McGavick. McGavick made headlines a couple weeks ago by pre-emptively admitting a DUI "citation" from 1993. Here is an excerpt from the "Open Letter from Mike" he posted on his campaign's blog at the time:
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.
Pardon me while I restrain my giggles over Mike and Gaelynn's (his then-girlfriend, now ex-wife) "several celebrations honoring (their) new relationship." I think that may be the best euphemism I've heard yet for getting wasted at several bars with your new squeeze. Hey, not to say my girl and I haven't had our wild nights out, too. Luckily, we have subways in this city.
But the plot thickened over the weekend. From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:
A 1993 Maryland police report, obtained Friday, shows that Republican U.S. Senate candidate Mike McGavick was less candid than he seemed last week when he disclosed a previously unknown arrest for drunk driving.
The candidate, who is running against Democratic Sen. Maria Cantwell, said in an interview last week that he was issued a citation but wasn't arrested.
But the police report and a police spokesman Friday said McGavick was placed under arrest, handcuffed, driven to a district police station and handcuffed to a desk while he was questioned and signed various forms.
"During processing (at the police station), McGavick fell asleep," the officer wrote.McGavick acknowledged in an interview last week that he blew 0.17 on a blood alcohol test, which was well above Maryland's then-standard of intoxication of 0.1 (it is now .08). The police report said his intoxication level was that high even though he wasn't given the test until 83 minutes after he was arrested.
Free Political Tip #1: If you're going to play the "honesty card" to score political points, at least try actually being honest. Maybe Maria's chances just got a little better.
