Posted on 01/20/2007 5:32:37 PM PST by primeval patriot
WASHINGTON - Sen. Mel Martinez of Orlando became the new face of the Republican Party on Friday, pledging to attract more Hispanic voters and heal the party's rift over illegal immigration.
"The fact that a boy at age 15 can come here from another country, with nothing, not even speaking the language of this country, and stand before you today as a leader of our great party and a United States senator is a miracle that could only happen in America," said Martinez, who immigrated to Florida from Cuba.
He was overwhelmingly elected to a new position, general chairman, by members of the Republican National Committee. A handful of "no" votes came from representatives of border states who oppose his views on illegal immigration.
Martinez and President Bush are among Republicans who favor giving workers in the country illegally a path to citizenship. Opponents dismiss the plan as amnesty.
"It's important that we find a solution to the immigration issue, for our nation's sake, and that we as Republicans work together towards a solution, and I'm working on that," he said. "It's very important that we try to unite on that issue."
Martinez, 60, will split duties with Mike Duncan, who was the party's general counsel until he was elected chairman.
As Republicans look to recover from the electoral drubbing Nov. 7 and ahead to 2008, Duncan will control the day-to-day workings of the national committee, and Martinez will be the party's chief communicator.
"I want to make sure we take [the] message to the broader Hispanic community, to the African-American community and to all communities that may never have believed that Republican ideals spoke to them," Martinez said in his speech to voting members of the party. The sea of Anglo faces underscored the outreach challenge facing him.
Martinez offered a hint of how he intends to increase minority interest.
In a news conference, he answered a few questions from English-speaking reporters. Then he turned to a Spanish-speaking television reporter and said, "In the interest of diversity, let me take a pregunta en espanol."
With the exception of Cuban-Americans in South Florida, Republicans have struggled to make inroads with Hispanic voters.
That outreach suffered a major setback in last year's elections when many Republicans, in an attempt to excite their conservative base, repeatedly blasted proposals to give illegal Hispanic workers a path to citizenship, said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens.
"They lost a lot of Latino support because of that," Wilkes said.
Martinez's election is a first step in repairing that rift because it gives Latinos more of a voice in the party hierarchy, he said. "But there's no question that comprehensive immigration reform is far more important to Latinos than having someone elected to a leadership position who is Latino."
Speaking to reporters, Martinez sought to reassure Hispanics.
"The Republican Party is not a party of bigotry. … There may be discordant voices on the issue of immigration, but what the party stands for is not that kind of attitude."
The voice vote on Martinez was not recorded, though his opponents said fewer than a dozen of the 168 voting members said no.
Paul Senft, a national committeeman from Florida, predicted that Martinez's opponents will come around as he emerges as the party's key spokesman.
Hope he gets there money too.
Martinez vows to drive Republican Party into oblivion and with it American prosperity.
It amazes me that we are shackled to these swarms of illiterate lawbreakers. And now it's politically incorrect to even oppose it.
Sorry, the orange crop froze this year.
It's very simple. Distinguish between illegals and citizens. And ship the illegals out.
The Republican refusal to make this distinction has cost them dearly both with their conservative base AND among Hispanics.
The Democrats are making hay on this issue. And they are getting votes from millions of those illegals. This is a lose-lose approach for the Republican party.
Those crazy people who thought that the law meant something, you mean! That "base?"
Yuck. This is more of the same politically correct crap. It won't bring in more Hispanics, and it will demoralize the base even further ... including some Hispanics.
As for Duncan, the guy who will be doing the real work, I caught his remarks to the RNC on C-SPAN. Although he didn't get much into the substantive issues, my gut tells me that he's the same old, same old. Clued-in Republican activists will know exactly what I mean.
Gee, what a surprise.
Ronald Reagan granted Mexicans Amnesty in the 80's, and out of gratitude they voted Democrat. Neither Bush nor Martinez provide any evidence that it would be different this time. The only question is whether 10 million illegals would vote 80% Democrat, or only 60%.
Bush & Martinez don't want amnesty to help the GOP,but they've got a higher calling. Their fealty to the OBL transcends the mere GOP.
Should read GW hands WhiteHouse to Dems for foreseeable future.
Everybody knows why he was picked.
And it wasn't his skill.
I agree with you in principle, but what about the children who are born here and are citizens even though their parents are illegal
Personally, I have yet to come to a clear point of view on that dilemma.
We should change the laws that currently make illegals offspring prodigy citizens to resolve that problem, but what about the ones already here?
If they really think this will get republicans elected..they are crazy.
Even my liberal life long democratic wife thinks that illegal immigration is the nation's biggest problem.
There is not a chance that a pro-amnesity-anti fence republican will be elected.
No, we actually need to permit more Latin Americans to get citizenship here legally. They would if they could. We are more encouraging of the raving Muslim hate-America immigrants than we are of Latin Americans. A huge proportion of "new citizens" are Muslims from the ME, because we are so restrictive on Latin Americans.
Is that really what you all want?
El Presidente, Jorge Bush es mucho magnifico!
Me so glad me voted por heem.
Adios USA!
Memo to Mel: Mexicans aren't too fond of Cubans or Puerto Ricans.
You can always move to Canada....There's just as much to complain about there but they have no illegals. You ought to be very comfortable there.
Why? Looks to me like Canada and Mexico are moving here...
Replace him with Tiger Woods, the admitted Caublasian!
GOP = The Stupid Party. They have learned NOTHING.
Wake up, you idiots!
Our duty is primarily to ourselves as a nation. When it conflicts with our duty to humanity in general, even kids, it must come first. In which case, this supposedly difficult "dilemma" about illegals' kids largely melts away. We can't just look at guilt and the fact that the kids are innocent in the sense that the border crossing wasn't their choice. We need to look at what's best for us. What's best for us is to make it difficult to be an illegal in the U.S., and, of course, difficult to get illegally into the U.S. If we exempt kids in any major way, we make a sane immigration policy all but impossible!
The kids are -- or should be -- the illegals' problem, not ours.
Once again, the GOP sells out it's base. Once again, it will look shocked when the base doesn't show up to the polls.
Yeah, he's brazenly conflating the two issues.
By the way, we need a moratorium on legal immigration as well.
And a substantial military presence on the border.
A moot point, yes?
There is nothing of substance that can be done since they are legal and there is no ex post facto.
I would say that the decision on these children is not ours to make. - it is up to the parents to decide what to do if they have to leave.
Which will never happen. I'm quite sure its a matter of time before a solution will be reached making all illegals legal.
One point that Bill O said long ago that I'll never forget:
"It doesn't mean anything to be an American anymore.
If we aren't going to close the border and get rid of the illegals, then just declare everyone in the world a citizen of America and stop the pretense that we have a sovereign nation."
I certainly do not feel any longer that my being an American citizen means anything more than being a Mexican.
Something confuses me on this thread.
Since NOTHING is more important than defeating Hillary, how does any of this address her position on the matter?
btt
Imbécil.
And for the first time, America will face Socialism because the base wouldn't compromise on winning the election.
Hunter has been on the border issues and authored the Fence bill long before others jumped on the band wagon.
He just authored the bill the other day and got over 76 co sponsors to have to Border Patrolmen pardoned.
Also as a VN war vet and his son 2 tours in Iraq and former chairmen of the Armed services comm. has more knowledge and the military and what is going on than anyothers running.
There is another word for defeatism but it escapes me.
Give them a choice - adoption, or be shipped back with their parents. I don't want to support them.
I think we are all in big trouble. The Democrats are also but they see it as the beginning of Socialist Utopia and couldn't be happier.
I think the problem is - no matter what legal hispanic americans say (in polls for example) about being against illegal immigration - the real truth is that they are not against it, its lip service. and they are voting accordingly against anyone who tries to do anything about it. and I'm not talking about forced deportation, I don't think that is possible. but even simple disincentives in the system for illegals to return home, or better border security - legal hispanic americans will vote against you if you propose it.
that's the political box the Rs are in.
We have compromised too much, and have nothing to show for it. The Corporate Cons have had everything their way, and the social cons have gotten nothing but used. Maybe a few terms under Democrat "socialism" will focus the party leaderships little minds on NOT taking it's base for granted.
It's not up to the voters to compromise - it's up to the politicians to act according to the will of the electorate. The republicans have not over the last few years. That may ultimately cost us this once-great country.
yes, that may well be true. but how can you operate an orderly legal immigration program, along side a massive illegal influx. you can't.
I will vote Republican in the general election but there were so many more good Republicans to choose from for GOP Head. Lt. Gov. Steele, Newt, and others rather than Martinez.
Every third-worlder on the planet wants in here too. What makes Latin America so special?
We're admitting one-million legal immigrants every year.
Is that not enough?
I'm not falling for the muslim immigrants are going to get us scare tactics either.
Illegal will always be easier than legal. Allowing more in legally hasn't stopped the flow of illegals in the past and it won't in the future.
I'm no longer a Republican - I left the party today. Doesn't mean I won't vote for a republican candidate, but I won't consider party as part of my choice for candidate any more. I've voted almost straight R for the last several years, and for what? So that they, instead of the democRATS could give this country away.
They'll never out pander the Democrats.
Never.
They may as well disband and join them.
Hunter might well be a good president, but because he's so identified with the immigration issue, he'll never raise the bucks needed to compete in the primaries. (The base and the money boys, as you probably know, see this issue from VERY different perspectives.) Our best bet is to see him appointed to Defense or Homeland Security in a Republican administration.
You're missing the obvious logic of this thread. If the GOP reaches out to Hispanic voters, Hillary will win. We want all Hispanics to cast their votes for Hillary so she will lose.
The math on amnesty is scary.
Under Reagan, the amnesty proponents swore that it was "only" for a million illegal aliens. Three million ultimately availed themselves of the reward for their invasion and lawbreaking. The secondary result is that at least twenty to thirty million invaders have followed, secure in the knowledge that the politicians would get around to "regularizing" them.
This time, the proponents say that it is "only" for twelve million. You can bet that at least thirty million will sign up for the Bush Citizenship for Invaders program.
This is bad enough. The vast majority of these legalized invaders will go straight into the Dem electoral column. But it is the next phase that has the potential to bury the country for good. By that I mean the hundred million or so invaders that are going to be coming on their heels...
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