No Spanish, please - we're Univision

The Washington Post reports that the Spanish-language TV network, Univision, is requiring at its upcoming Democratic presidential debate that the candidates only speak in English - Spanish is banned.

Democrats Chris Dodd and Bill Richardson are objecting to a requirement that all presidential candidates in a debate on the Spanish-language television network Univision speak in English.

The two have signed a letter to Univision, which is trying to organize a Democratic presidential debate for Sept. 9 in Miami. The audio would be translated into Spanish.

Both candidates speak Spanish fluently and say they would prefer to address Spanish-speaking viewers without a translator. Dodd, the senator from Connecticut who wrote the letter, and Richardson, the New Mexico governor who signed on, embraced the debate with the understanding that they would be able to speak Spanish, and both campaigns say they feel that the rules have been altered to benefit those who don't.

I suggest Messrs. Dodd and Richardson announce that in their opening statements they will be asking for a show of hands as to which candidates are willing to swear that they didn't ask for the Spanish-ban. This is ridiculous, certainly callous on a Spanish-language network during a debate meant to reach Latinos, and borders on racist as well. I really am increasingly tired of these debates having to follow all sorts of ridiculous rules that the candidates concoct. If some of the candidates refuse to show up because Univision refused to ban Spanish, let those candidates explain that to America's 20 million Latinos.

As for Univision, can't wait until your viewers get a load of this. What were you thinking?