A Noble Gesture from Virginia Senator Tim Kaine

Tim Kaine: Internationalist.

Virginia Sen. Tim Kaine's floor speech in Spanish in support of an immigration bill yesterday in the U.S. Senate was not only a first for that body, but it was a noble gesture from a man with international credentials, something sorely lacking in our governing halls and rooms.

Kaine has been a missionary and a frequent overseas traveler. He is fluent in Spanish and he understands how cultures differ. He knows that being multi-lingual is not a threat to our democracy. His speech yesterday read, "inclusive" and was both generous and intelligent.

I get sick to death of those right-wingers who demand that English be our national language--barring correspondence or contracts in any other language--but don't bother to learn to speak or write it themselves. If they had to take the test they are demanding immigrants take, most would fail, I'd bet.

In any case, thank you Tim Kaine for showing us what generosity looks like. We tend to forget.