Posted on 06/25/2007 4:35:52 AM PDT by Ultra Sonic 007
TAMPA - When 1,000 Hispanic elected officials and community leaders from across the country gather in Orlando later this week, they'll hear from seven major Democratic candidates for president, but none of the major Republican candidates.
All of the GOP candidates except dark horse Duncan Hunter declined invitations to appear at this year's annual conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, or NALEO.
Even Arizona Sen. John McCain, a hero to some Hispanics because of his stance on immigration reform, won't be there.
Democrats are portraying that as a snub of Hispanics by the GOP candidates.
"Republicans Giving Up On Latinos" was the headline on a Democratic Party news release about the event. The release called it a "sign of conceding the Latino vote in Florida to Democrats," and noted that in 2006 Democrats won the Florida Hispanic vote for the first time in 30 years.
Leaders of the association say they're disappointed.
But some Florida Republicans, who acknowledge they would prefer that their candidates show up, scoff at the idea that GOP-oriented Florida Hispanic voters suddenly have converted or that the presidential candidates are giving up on them.
The reason the candidates aren't coming, said state Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, is that NALEO, even though it's nonpartisan, "absolutely is a Democratic-oriented organization - just because most Hispanic elected officials outside Florida are Democrats."
Rivera said he still would encourage Republicans to attend: "There's a case to be made for stating your position in a hostile environment."
He said a mostly Democratic gathering isn't a great place for a Republican to find support in a presidential primary, though.
Another Miami Republican state legislator, Rep. Juan Zapata, a board member of NALEO and chairman of the state's host committee for the conference, has lobbied for three years to hold the conference in Florida.
"To go through all that and then see all the Republican candidates are a no-show, it's a huge loss for the Republicans," Zapata said.
Zapata said the Democratic orientation of most Hispanic political figures "is not going to change if the Republicans don't engage."
Florida Has Unique Demographics The issue emphasizes the demographic differences between Hispanics in Florida and those elsewhere.
In Florida, Republican-leaning anti-Castro Cubans have long dominated Hispanic politics, and most big-name Hispanic politicians are Republican, including Sen. Mel Martinez and state House Speaker Marco Rubio, both speaking at the conference.
Hispanic communities in other states are made up of more residents from Central and South America and Puerto Rico, and leaders are more likely to be Democrats.
Arturo Vargas, executive director of NALEO, acknowledged that most of the group's members are Democrats, but denied the organization was Democratic-oriented.
"The strength of NALEO is that when they come to our events, they leave their party registration outside the door," he said.
Vargas said NALEO's president, former Pontiac, Mich., official John Bueno, is a Republican, as are four other members of its 20-member board.
Only about a tenth of the Latino elected officials who are NALEO members hold partisan offices, Vargas said, which means it's difficult to determine the membership's party breakdown.
Vargas said invitations went out in January, and the Republican presidential candidates who were invited - Sam Brownback, Rudy Giuliani, Mike Huckabee, McCain, Mitt Romney, Tom Tancredo and Tommy Thompson - cited scheduling conflicts or prior commitments in declining.
"We know scheduling is a matter of priorities," he said. "This clearly sends a message that Latino elected officials are not a priority for the candidates."
Representatives for the leading Republican candidates denied that.
"It's nothing like that from us," said Giuliani spokesman Elliott Bundy, noting that his candidate will meet with Hispanic supporters Thursday night at a Hialeah restaurant.
A spokesman for McCain, Danny Diaz, said the senator likely would be welcomed at the conference because of his work on immigration.
"It would be hard to say he's ducking the Hispanic audience," Diaz said, noting that McCain chose Miami as the site of a major speech on immigration recently.
Romney's Hispanic outreach spokesman, Alex Burgos, himself from Miami's Cuban community, said Romney "chose to honor a prior commitment" for a dinner in Iowa. He said Romney "has campaigned among Florida Hispanic voters and counts on the support of an impressive group of national Hispanic leaders."
DH isn't "anti-immigrant", and as one of his rationales for his strong border stance has given a humanitarian reason I have yet to hear articulated by any other candidate: People are dying in the desert heat. That sounds to me like compassion, not xenophobia.
His decision to appear at this particular event is rational because many (LEGAL) immigrants are quite rightfully ticked that others are leapfrogging the system and getting a pass.
“Hunter isn’t planning anything, I would bet. The man has courage.”
Yep, he is a man’s man.
“People are dying in the desert heat. That sounds to me like compassion, not xenophobia.”
I read that Duncan Hunter’s brother passes out water to illegals, and Duncan Hunter strongly supports this.
I wish I saved the link.
“Duncan Hunter appears at Latino event. Mel Martinez is a no show and it’s in Orlando? What up with that?”
Good point, and Hunter lives all the way over in California.
“Ann Coulter just did a GREAT job on GMA...mentioning Duncan Hunter as her FAV!”
And another lovely conservative lady likes Hunter too, Laura Ingraham.
BUILD THE FENCE. Then we won't need to attempt to resuscitate and hydrate all these dying Mexicans.
The reason the candidates aren’t coming, said state Rep. David Rivera, R-Miami, is that NALEO, even though it’s nonpartisan, “absolutely is a Democratic-oriented organization - just because most Hispanic elected officials outside Florida are Democrats.”
Explains why there won’t be any Repubs showing up. It’s already bagged and tagged for the RATS.
“Right. While I don’t like illegal immigration, I would never wish death or dehydration on these folks. This opinion might attract the ire of some here on FR, but I don’t think killing them is either compassionate or a viable solution.
BUILD THE FENCE. Then we won’t need to attempt to resuscitate and hydrate all these dying Mexicans.”
I, too, am strongly against illegal immigration, but, of course, I would give them water, and so would Duncan Hunter.
One of the reasons that Hunter was adament about building the ENTIRE fence that his bill covered. was because he wanted the fence to be built to include Texas, so that these folks wouldn’t be able to go thru the desert, and die of dehydration.
The Dem-controlled Congress wants to cut the fence in half.
I don’t think I would appear at a racist organization, but more power to him... I still like Hunter.
jw
If Repubs go they will be mocked. If they don’t go they will be called racist.
He has walked into much worse, well, not walked, jumped. :)
Going to this kind of event won’t help him win the nomination, but if he wins the nomination, it will help him in the general election. Going to the event shows that he’s willing to fight for every vote and campaign to every voter.
Would be great to have a first person account from you!
Thanks for the flag. Please ping me if someone gives you a follow-up.
I can’t wait to hear the results of this gathering.
Please update if you hear anything.
“Right. While I don’t like illegal immigration, I would never wish death or dehydration on these folks. This opinion might attract the ire of some here on FR, but I don’t think killing them is either compassionate or a viable solution.
BUILD THE FENCE. Then we won’t need to attempt to resuscitate and hydrate all these dying Mexicans.”
I agree with you on this. The only thing about providing water in the desert to those coming here illegally that I do not support is if the Government funds it. Private funding is fine with me.
But then, I really do support private funding and generally do not like Government funding.
The quarter is almost over. Please contribute to Duncan Hunter’s campaign:
http://www.gohunter08.com/Home.aspx
Duncan supports his brother’s passion because it is his brother. I believe he has even donated a small amount of money to help his brother, John, even though Duncan is opposed to illegal immigration.
Here is John Hunter’s website:
http://www.desertwater.org/
Thanks for that interesting link.
Here’s another excerpt with link:
“John Hunter of San Diego organized the initial waster-supply efforts, WITH HELP FROM HIS CONSERVATIVE CONGRESSMAN BROTHER, Rep. DUNCAN HUNTER (emphasis mine) from the Imperial Valley, because he “had to do something” about people dying virtually in his own back yard.
Congressman Hunter has opposed illegal immigration for his entire 18 year tenure, and believes that great border patrol is the way to go. Nevertheless, he supports his brothers efforts to save lives.”
http://immigration.about.com/library/weekly/aa073100a.htm
I have heard that Duncan Hunter is very kind.
I think that tough, but kind, is a pretty great combination.
Have done so.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.