Top Latino Group Hits Michael Steele, GOP For Skipping Their Conference
This one won’t help the GOP’s minority outreach efforts.
The National Council of La Raza, a top Latino civil rights group, is taking a shot at RNC chair Michael Steele and several prominent GOP figures for skipping its ongoing annual conference, saying it raises questions about the GOP’s interest in wooing Latinos.
NCLR spokesperson Marie Watteau confirms to me that Steele, along with three Republican governors, were all invited to its conference, which is concluding today with a big speech by DNC chair Tim Kaine. But Steele and the three governors — Mississippi’s Haley Barbour, Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty, and Puerto Rico’s Luis Fortuno — all declined the invitations through the RNC, Watteau says.
Watteau adds that GOPers like Arnold Schwarzenegger, John McCain and both George Bushes have attended past conferences.
“You should certainly speak to the Republican Party about why they’re not here,” Watteau told me. “The Latino community is open to hearing from both sides, which is why both parties were invited. The Republican Party not being here may demonstrate a lack of commitment to our community.”
Making the optics of this worse, Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee were expected to vote overwhelmingly today against confirming Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. This, plus Kaine’s speech at the NCLR, have led Politico to opine that today is a “big day” for Dems.
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Update: RNC spokesperson Gail Gitcho responds: “The RNC Summer Meeting begins this week in California, which is why the Chairman was unable to attend. The RNC remains fully committed to growing its Latino coalition.”
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“…it raises questions about the GOP’s interest in wooing Latinos.”
Weren’t those questions answered for La Raza duirng Sotomayor hearings ? As a matter of fact, wasn’t La Raza depicted as an extremist organization by the goopers ? Sheesh, these guys deaf or stoopid or both ?
Of course, the effect of this will be greatly reduced if Baucus’ nonsense health care “reform” plan becomes reality.
“The RNC remains fully committed to growing its Latino coalition.”
Bawahhh.
“And to prove our commitmment, we, 6 out of 7 repub sen(at)ors, voted against Judge Sotomayor today, who incidentally is also an latino extremist. Lindsey will have his come-to-mama monent later on”.
Hope La Raza heard the repugs loud and clear.
“Hope La Raza heard the repugs loud and clear.”
They have big ears. La Raza turned out the single largest demonstration in Dallas history in whatever year it was that all the immigration reform demonstrations were taking place.
Latinos are very politically astute and aware in Texas.
“Making the optics of this worse”
Greg: Enough of this “optics” stuff!
Tena
Hopefully you’ll get your dem senators next election cycle. 2008 was a disappointment for Tx.
GOOPers called La Raza a “terrorist” organization during the Sotomayor hearings so this isn’t all that surprising. However the fact that La Raza is calling them out for not showing up is going to filter down into the Hispanic community and more and more they are going to understand that they aren’t welcome in the Republican party.
Hola! The repubs are hell bent in ensuring that
they will lose the Latino vote for the next two
generations. First they attack Sotomayor and now
they tell La Raza to drop dead.
Now if the Minutemen had invited Michael Steele that would be another story……
If you need to be “woo’d” then you are more trouble than you are worth! The only thing I hear is La Raza’s threats and Jesse Jackson treatment.
“The RNC remains fully committed to growing its Latino coalition.”
Which explains why, I suppose, that not a single Republican is attending this event.
I guess La Raza need the republican party to just verbally say that they are not interested in wooing the Hispanics? What else can they do for the Hispanics to get the picture? republicans are a bunch of old whites that want to be around others that look and think like them. They have no time for deversity! I cannot for the life of me understand why there non-white running around claiming to be republicans when they are not welcome in that party!