Alabama Candidate Runs 'English Only' Ad

'We speak English. If you live here, learn it.'
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 28, 2010 9:34 AM CDT

Wow. Check out this not-at-all-racist new ad from Alabama gubernatorial candidate Tim James. James just can't understand why the state offers its drivers license test in 12 languages. “This is Alabama. We speak English. If you want to live here, learn it,” he declares. “We're only giving that test in English, if I'm governor.”

James says it's just a common sense thing: "Maybe it's the businessman in me," he says. "But we'll save money. And it makes sense. Does it to you?" Doesn't to Marc Ambinder, who points out in the Atlantic that Alabama would lose billions in federal transportation funding if it cut out the other languages. On his web site, James says it's a matter of public safety, since road signs are in English. “Political correctness may endear you to the Rachel Maddow crowd, but here in Alabama, the safety of our people comes first.” (More Tim James stories.)

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