Borges to challenge West again

P.J. Tobia reports that Juan Borges will challenge Rep. Ben West again: http://blogs.nashvillescene.com/pitw/2008/04/60_to_juan.php#comments

He also mentions the video of Rep. West questioning what an Hispanic Republican is. Sean Braisted, who shot the video, apparently didn't give anyone permission to use it. The video is currently posted at Borges's site. Hmmm.

Maybe Borges will make a lot of the comment, but as Tobia points out, Borges didn't exactly endear himself to the Hispanic community with some of his policy positions the last go-round. Furthermore, even if Rep. West's words were not as aptly chosen as they should have been, isn't it legitimate to ask which party does a better job of representing a minority's interests? Similar questions certainly get raised about gay Republicans. To raise the question, even dismissively, should not preclude someone stepping up and saying, "Well, I'm a Republican for tax issues or national defense issues" or whatever. But I don't think it's wrong per se to raise the question.

Politics is a contact sport and the tough questions are going to come. Why is it that when a question of rhetoric is raised, we lose the policy question that it touches on? If the GLBT community slapped every supportive legislator who called homosexuality a "lifestyle," then we wouldn't have many allies. What I care about is how they vote in committee meetings. We can work on the correct but ever changing terms later.