While the rest of the world was tearing into the Petraeus hearings, almost everyone seemed to have missed the Democrats' Spanish language debate on Univision. Well, Spanish-translated debate on Univision. Two candidates can actually speak Spanish, BR and Chris Dodd, but were forbidden from using their skill. Here's BR's take on the language limits from the Wall Street Journal:

Bill Richardson, the New Mexico governor and the only Latino in the presidential field, upbraided Univision moderators for refusing to allow "one of their own" to answer questions in Spanish. He also criticized them for narrowing the debate to Latino-centric issues. "Latinos care about civil rights and immigration but we care about all other issues," he said.

Being bilingual could be a huge asset for the next president, as whoever that person is will be responsible for repairing the damage Bush has done to our nation's image. Hillary has said she will send her husband around the world for the same purpose, perhaps because she's not likable herself. BR or Dodd could use their language skills to strengthen our bond with our Monroe Doctrine-protected friends to the south.

The candidates should be allowed to display all their skills during a debate. It is not an unfair advantage that these candidates learned Spanish years ago. It is a fair advantage that Dodd and BR have a useful skill that their opponents do not.

Republican presidential candidates, with the exception of Sen. John McCain, refused to participate in a similar debate for their party.