No Speaky

The Republican party continues its quest to drive all Latinos from the party:

Univisión planned to air the first presidential debates in Spanish on Sept. 9 and 16, one for Democrats, the other for Republicans, trumpeting a national coming-out party for Hispanic voters.

Except Republican candidates aren't coming. Only Ariz. Sen. John McCain agreed to participate in the event at the University of Miami.

So much for Sept. 16.

''That date is off the table,'' university spokeswoman Bárbara Gutiérrez said Wednesday.

She said a GOP debate hasn't been ruled out for later in the fall.

''We're thinking that everyone wants to see how the Democratic one goes before they commit,'' she said.

Yes, I'm sure that's it. Or it's possible that the GOP has gone so into lizard brain mode with regard to the Mexican menace that appearing at a debate where Spanish is actually spoken (gasp!) could cost a candidate votes. Oh, possible, schmossible, that's the entire reason: unless a candidate pays homage to the racists in the party by ostentatiously shunning Latinos, they're in trouble. (But McCain accepted, you say! Yes, and that proves my point.) You see, you can't play the hate card effectively while acknowledging that there are American citizens who are here legally, working hard, paying taxes, and voting, who just happen to speak Spanish as their first language.