On Mike McGavick's campaign blog his staff digs into Maria Cantwell's new TV ad on drug prices.

They compare it to an ad Cantwell ran in 2000 in her race against Sen. Slade Gorton, McGavick's former boss. (They found a bit of identical footage in the two ads. It's a good thing Cantwell doesn't age like me because a six-year-old picture of me would show a whole lot less gray.)

The McGavick campaign also questions Cantwell's position in support of "safe reimportation of prescription drugs from Canada."

That's a fine idea as well, and Mike supports it, but Senator Cantwell hasn't always thought it such a good idea.

Back in 2000, then candidate Cantwell said the following:
Cantwell Called Reimportation A "Gimmick."
"Sen. Gorton promoted his new 'reimportation' law that allows U.S. consumers to buy drugs at the price they sell for in Canada. Cantwell called that a gimmick." ("Highlights From Monday's Debate Between Republican Sen. Slade Gorton And Democratic Challenger Maria Cantwell," The Associated Press, October 30, 2000)

Cantwell Conceded That Reimportation Would Lead To Drug Companies Raising Prices Abroad.

"Cantwell criticized Gorton's education and prescription drug proposals as 'gimmicks' that wouldn't solve the nation's core problems. For example, she said, under Gorton's plan, drug companies are more likely to raise drug prices abroad than lower them in the United States. 'I just don't think the public is looking for gimmicks,' she said. 'They're looking for people who are going to roll up their sleeves, sit down with people who disagree, and forge compromises.'" ("Running Toward The Middle," National Journal, October 21, 2000)

(I like how McGavick's campaign is using the blog in blog fashion. It's not just a series of press releases or photos. There's a little bit of attitude there and links to the videos and back up information.)

I sent a link to McGavick's blog to the Cantwell campaign and asked for its response. Spokeswoman Katharine Lister said prescription drug policy is a major difference in the campaign and said Cantwell has been trying to lower the cost of drugs and called McGavick "an insurance industry lobbyist and CEO, who cut health benefits at his company and has taken tens of thousands of dollars from big drug and insurance companies ... ."

"The other thing worth noting is McGavick's continuing cherry picking of the facts to attack Senator Cantwell, while refusing to state any clear position. "For example, after 18 years in the Senate, Senator Gorton, in an election year conversion, filed a bill. But once again, McGavick's campaign isn't telling the whole truth. The Gorton bill that Cantwell and others called a gimmick had nothing to do with reimportation. It was a bill no one would even co-sponsor when he introduced it. "Does McGavick support Gorton's bill? He won't say. Does he support Cantwell's legislation to allow Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices? Once again, he equivocates. McGavick keeps attacking Maria Cantwell, when she has fought for changes only to see them blocked by a Republican Congress."