McGavick puts Cantwell on defensive

If Washington's U.S. Senate campaign were a boxing match, the early rounds are going to Republican Mike McGavick.

McGavick is running numerous ads on TV and radio. He is advertising strategically on newspaper Internet sites. He is traveling around the state introducing himself, particularly to rural Washington. He is behaving like a well-organized, aggressive challenger.

Granted, U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell is in Washington, D.C., working on the public's business. She is playing a classic incumbent's game. Lying relatively low. Spending money judiciously. For weeks, she has been stuck explaining and re-explaining her position on the Iraq war, which has cost her time and momentum.

The position is evolving. In May, she said, far too vaguely, this should be a year of transition. In June, she backed a resolution urging the president to begin troop redeployment by the end of the year. Three days ago, her campaign strategist Michael Meehan offered the strongest statement yet: "We're for changing course. We think troops should come home by the end of this year ... 30,000 is not enough."

Last week, Cantwell did the politically expedient thing and attempted to clear the Democratic field by bringing on a potential well-heeled challenger, Dal LaMagna, as a volunteer campaign co-chairman and by hiring an anti-war opponent, Mark Wilson. He will serve as a paid campaign outreach director. In politics, you keep your enemies close.

Ridiculously, Cantwell and Wilson tried to keep his salary confidential. The campaign subsequently released the salary — $8,000 a month for four months.

Disclose, disclose, disclose.

The Republican field earlier had been cleared for McGavick with help of the former party chairman, Chris Vance, before he left the job.

Cantwell has more cash at the moment, but money will not be an issue for either candidate because national money is plentiful. McGavick also is in position to self-finance, as Cantwell did six years ago.

Last Monday, Cantwell launched her first TV ad, featuring her as a populist fighter on behalf of energy and gasoline consumers — a good ad with a clear message.

Still at this early juncture, the question arises: Who is running the better campaign? The edge goes to McGavick.