Dems press McGavick on his positions

The Washington state Democrats have gone on the offensive this week. They know that one of the most vulnerable seats this year in the United States Senate is right here in the Evergreen State, and they are working hard to ensure that it remains occupied by its incumbent, Sen. Maria Cantwell. The Republicans have already annointed their nominee, Mike McGavick, a former CEO of the Safeco insurance company and former chief of staff to Sen. Slade Gorton, whom Cantwell defeated by a few hundred voted in 2000.

To keep the pressure on, the state Democrats have launched an effort to tail McGavick at all his events. This week's e-mail bulletin from Dwight Pelz, state party chair, outlines the plan:

As Mike McGavick gases up his campaign RV and hits the road, he continues to duck the issues and avoid answering tough questions. It’s understandable that McGavick would be less than “open” about where he stands, because when he does take a clear position he’s right in line with President Bush and out of step with Washington state.

Mike McGavick talks about being straightforward with Washingtonians, but he hasn’t offered a single plan for how he’s going to help Washington’s working families deal with the real issues they face every day.

Washington state deserves better. Mike needs to turn his mic on and come clean about where he stands.

With that in mind, we’ll be responding to Mike’s empty rhetoric by joining him on the road with the “Is This Mike On?” tour. The “Mike-Check Squad” will tag along with Mike, making sure “Mr. Transparent” answers voter’s questions about the issues they care about and that Mike tells the truth about his positions. We’ll be right there, wherever Mike is, checking to see if Mike’s mic is really on.

For more information about Mike McGavick and the “Mike-Check Squad”, check out our new website at:

www.IsThisMikeOn.org

McGavick has gained national support, including the effort on his behalf of Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens, the powerful and most-senior Republican member of the Senate. Cantwell made an enemy of Stevens with her filibuster of the bill to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve in Alaska, and Stevens has worked to make her life hard. Supporting her opponent is one clear way of doing that -- and he even hosted a fundraiser for McGavick up in Alaska.

You can see that the Dems mean business, too. Not only does the national party intend to keep this seat, the Dems simply must hold all their incumbent seats if they have any hope of regaining a majority in the Senate. National chair Howard Dean and others seem committed to this task. Dean has orchestrated a 50-state strategy, laying thr groundowrk for victories not only in 2006 but 2008 and beyond. The Republicans did this by electing their candidates to school boards, city councils and county commissions in the 1980s, so they have a network of volunteers, donors and candidates that is well established. Now, the Dems are playing catch-up. With strong efforts like what is happening in Washington state, it should be interesting to see what happens.

-- Wenatchee, Wash.