NCLR: GOP Declining Our Conference Invite ‘May Demonstrate A Lack Of Commitment To Our Community’
NCLR: GOP Declining Our Conference Invite ‘May Demonstrate A Lack Of Commitment To Our Community’
The National Council of La Raza (NCLR), the nation’s largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, has been holding its annual conference over the past few days in Chicago. Speakers have included Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien, Rep. Luis Guitierrez (D-IL), and others.
Republicans are conspicuously absent from the line-up. Greg Sargent spoke with NCLR spokesperson Marie Watteau, who said that it wasn’t for lack of trying. In fact, the group invited RNC chairman Michael Steele, Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, and Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuno, but they all “declined the invitations through the RNC.” Sargent reports:
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.“
ThinkProgress followed up with Watteau, who said that the four men cited “scheduling reasons.” RNC spokesperson Gail Gitcho told Sargent that Steele had to attend the RNC Summer Meeting which “begins this week,” but the party “remains fully committed to growing its Latino coalition.” It’s unclear whether Steele would have attended the conference otherwise. When we asked Watteau whether NCLR plans to work with the RNC down the road, she replied:
We don’t know what the future holds. But we hope that they will reach out and make a serious effort. That means talking about the issues that matter to Latinos and articulating a vision for improving the lives of Latino families.
Some Republicans have urged the GOP to increase party outreach to Hispanics. Former RNC chairman and Bush Cabinet secretary Jim Nicholson said that Republicans “have to better inform and motivate and align with the Hispanic voters.” Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) believes that part of the reason he lost the 2008 election is because he lost the vote of Latinos.
Many Republicans, however, seem to be alienating rather than reaching out. After months of making racist attacks against Supreme Court nominee Judge Sonia Sotomayor, all Republicans (except one) on the Senate Judiciary Committee voted against her. Even Steele said “God help you if you’re a white male” coming before her in court. Conservatives are already gleefully plotting how they can exploit their opposition to Sotomayor — who may become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice — in the 2010 election season.
Meanwhile, as Sargent points out, DNC chairman Tim Kaine is set to deliver a speech at the NCLR conference today. Politico has a story out today with the headline, “Democrats have huge day with Latinos.”
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The tiny tent party. The flap is so small ants have a tough time squeezing through it.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:23 pmMeanwhile, as Sargent points out, DNC chairman Tim Kaine is set to deliver a speech at the NCLR conference today. Politico has a story out today with the headline, “Democrats have huge day with Latinos.”
They should put an empty chair on the stage with a “GOP” sign on the back, showing their absence – really rub it in when Tim Kaine speaks.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:24 pmNCLR: GOP Declining Our Conference Invite ‘May Demonstrate A Lack Of Commitment To Our Community’
– - That’s some fine outreachin’ there, Mr. Steele. Continue wandering in the political desert, stick in your head in the sand, and ignore the nations fastest growing ethnic minority. That’s real strategery.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:25 pmGreat than the Repugs have nothing to complain about with the Latino voters.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:27 pmbarfly says:
That is a great idea! It could also illustrate just how absent the GNOP is when it comes to reaching out to the Latino vote.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:27 pmAs Molly Ivins so eloquently pointed out, “The fight is not between left and right it is between up and down” and I welcome the people of all colors and cultures to the movement for fair, equitable and honorable treatment by our gov’t. Let the Repugs represent those that don’t care.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:28 pmThe GOP has all but declared that not only do they not need the Hispanic vote, they don’t want it.
It would get in the way of their going after the xenophobic vote.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:28 pmIf every Republican invited really did have a scheduling conflict (not likely) I still can’t believe the RNC wouldn’t go out of its way to offer a substitute. Not surprising the RNC didn’t want its gaff-o-matic chair to speak though. Not sure exactly what he would say but after his comments about attracting black voters I suspect the word “taco” would be involved.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:29 pmI guess the RNC didn’t want to give the impression they are palin around with dem dar pesky immigrants!
Stay classy RNC!
July 28th, 2009 at 2:29 pmRepublican party members only accept PAYING speaking engagements.
If they start giving it away, who’s going to want to pay for it?
July 28th, 2009 at 2:31 pmWow. This is going to be a turning point. The GOP is going to make this move,and in doing so, turn off Hispanic voters.
Expect the GOP to try and turn “La Raza” into another “ACORN.”
It won’t work though (just as it failed with ACORN) in part because the GOP still has not learned that going negative is not the way to go, and more importantly, because many Hispanics are familiar with La Raza and will this GOP move as the borderline racism that it is.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:31 pmCan’t Sarah Palin see Mexico from Alaska?
July 28th, 2009 at 2:31 pmRepugs. You are missing a great opportunity here. Some of these brown folk make great water carriers, take Alberto Gonzalez for example.
I know the names are tough to pronounce, and you want to be sure they don’t get too close to your women, but you have to admit they keep the lawn looking nice and the kids fed.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:33 pm.
I thought the G(no)P distances themselves from Hispanics, anyway.
.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:33 pmWill the last moderate Republican please turn off the lights when they leave the party?
July 28th, 2009 at 2:34 pmNice work, Republicans!!
*flush*
July 28th, 2009 at 2:35 pmRepublicans don’t want to be involved with a ‘racist illegal alien society’ like NCLR. ….
… these republics project so often and so accurately they ought to rent themselves out to movie theatres.
Better yet, the republics should rent themselves out as crash test dummies.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:35 pmlinkwray says:
I miss Molly Ivins. She was my favorite read for a long time.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:35 pmLeave it to Republicans to double down on the stupid.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:36 pm*handing Republicans a bigger shovel*
July 28th, 2009 at 2:36 pmCagey, the point of crash test dummies is to test the effect of crashes on HUMANS.
Not sure that Republicans would provide much data in that regard.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:37 pmRantingTommy says:
Cagey, the point of crash test dummies is to test the effect of crashes on HUMANS.
Not sure that Republicans would provide much data in that regard.
Curse you and your smartey-pants ways!!!!
You’re correct, of course. But, lawdy, it sure would be amusing to see.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:38 pmWhich will only point out to Latinos that they are making progress in this country in spite of Republicans, not because of them.
I don’t blame the pubbies for not showing up. They’ve been slamming Sotomayor for the last couple of months and even THEY are fast enough to realize that they’ll have no friends at any Hispanic conference and certainly not at the National Council of La Raza.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:40 pmZooey —
they don’t seem to need anyone’s help in digging their hole.
That’s the one thing they seem to do quite effectively.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:40 pmThere is no reason why any minority should vote repugniscum because – because, according to their words and actions – there will never be a minority equal to a WASP.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:45 pmMinorities have been given by God to repugs to be used as props, as tokens, and as false indicators of a non-existent “big tent.”
Steele willfully denies that he is being used by the repugs – his stupid comments that don’t have him recalled by the party, is evidence that they want to use his skin color as a prop.
Hispanc groups should use this event one in an ongoing series of slights and offenses against them; repugs are not sincere – it is not in their make-up. They are inherently a self-centered collection of think-alikes – suspicious if not outright hostile toward all minorities.
Cagey,
I like to help those in need — but not always in the way they most need it. ;)
July 28th, 2009 at 2:46 pmTypo Error in previous post –
Repugs believe that minorities have been given by god ….
July 28th, 2009 at 2:47 pmConservatives are already gleefully plotting how they can exploit their opposition to Sotomayor — who may become the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice — in the 2010 election season.
Translated from RepublicanThink™ into English: “Conservatives are plotting how they can appeal to racism and xenophobia in the 2010 election.”
Cheers,
July 28th, 2009 at 2:47 pmDidn’t the Publicans used to be better at getting folks to vote against their own self interest?
July 28th, 2009 at 2:48 pmJim Wolf359 says
July 28th, 2009 at 2:35 pm
I miss Molly Ivins. She was my favorite read for a long time.
___________________________________________________________
Me, too. In fact, my TP handle came about because I miss her. And I have to wonder what she’d have to say about:
– Rick Perry threatening to secede from the U.S.
– The GOP completely dissing Hispanic Americans
– Sarah Palin (!!!)
– The Obama birth certificate nonsense
– Fellow Texan Louis Gohmert’s ideas on health care reform
– Republican governors blasting the stimulus but handing out giant checks with their name on them
– Etc.
If we could just bring her back for a day…
July 28th, 2009 at 2:49 pmThe Publicans have lots of good things they can point to in swaying the Latino vote.
What? “Heckuva job Brownie” doesn’t count?
oH.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:50 pmFYI-Leonard Peltier was set up big time and has been punished beyond any rational definition of the word justice. The FBI may not like the bad P.R. related to their political machinations but this case stinks to high heaven. Think about his parole hearing and ask yourself: Ollie North, Dick Cheney or other Killers To Be Named vs. Leonard Peltier?
July 28th, 2009 at 2:51 pmRUCeriousMaggot! says:
No, but remember she couldn’t name the countries that make up North America, despite the fact that she lives in one in a state that is adjacent to another one.
PEACE
July 28th, 2009 at 2:52 pmZooey says:
*handing Republicans a bigger shovel*
Hand them some more rope, while you are at it, they need some more to hang themselves with.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:53 pmWayne, I think they’re saving the rope for other purposes.
The GNOP is banking on continued economic hard times and blaming hispanics as a whole for coming to this country, legally or not, and “taking” jobs from “real” Americans.
They can’t play that card and support the hispanic community at the same time.
PEACE
July 28th, 2009 at 2:55 pmSpencer’s Mom, thanks for reminding me how big an idiot was nominated to be a heartbeat (or less) away from the Presidency by the moronic Publican.
July 28th, 2009 at 2:56 pmThe Republican Party not being here may demonstrate a lack of commitment to our community.
As David Duke demonstrated a lack of commitment to the African-American community by not appearing on “Oprah.”
July 28th, 2009 at 2:59 pmThe Republican Party not being here may demonstrate a lack of commitment to our community.“
The Latino community should realize the only committment the GNoP has to them is to underpay them for the yard work and wet nursing, while trying to find a way to not pay taxes or contribute to their social security.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:08 pm***
retiring sen. george voinovich (r) nails it
on the head about the gop’s problem in
this article from the colombus dispatch.
-The GOP’s biggest problem? “We got too many Jim DeMints (R-S.C.) and Tom Coburns (R-Ok.). It’s the southerners. They get on TV and go ‘errrr, errrrr.’ People hear them and say, ‘These people, they’re southerners. The party’s being taken over by southerners. What they hell they got to do with Ohio?’ ”
***
the republicans lived by the southern strategy
and now they’ll die by it.
. . .
h/t salon.
*
July 28th, 2009 at 3:09 pmThe republican party has done everything in its power to trample, belittle, ignore, and deride the hispanic population. They don’t care about them and the attitude that comes across to me is that they are “the scum of the earth.” Listen to Jeff Sessions, John Kyl, John Cornyn, even Kay Bailey Hutchinson….they figure they don’t need this growing bloc and if I were hispanic, I’d tell them all to go to hell.
A very old friend of mine 92 yo, told me that it reminds him of the way the Irish and the Italians were treated when they first arrived here. I just hope these hispanic people remember this as they prosper and make their way in this country…because the republican party has done everything it can to make life difficult and a living hell for these people.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:28 pmThe Republicans have a long history of bias against immigrants and Catholics. It was the Republicans who called for immigration quotas when they saw a flood of Italian immigrants in the 1920’s. Their anti-Catholic bias started with Al Smith who ran for president and this continued up to the Kennedy election. There is no surprise that Republicans are not willing to court the Latino vote. The bigotry is barely concealed with Obama, so there is no reason for the Latinos to think they will fare any better.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:33 pmYou have to wonder what the Republicans campaign plan IS for 2010 & 12:
“Vote for us because we killed health care reform in 2009?”
“A vote for us is a vote against your own self-interest?”
“Vote for us if you enjoy having your loyalties questioned and your constitutional rights abused by racist fascists?”
“Vote for us to insure a steady supply of service industry jobs?”
July 28th, 2009 at 3:36 pmThat corner that the Republicans have painted themselves into? The one based on demonizing every possible hate object, human or otherwise?
Not looking real comfortable, practical or even survivable at this point. Ladies and gentlemen, about thirty years late, but welcome nonetheless, I give you: The Implosion of the Party of Lincoln, once and for all.
Hallelujah!
July 28th, 2009 at 3:45 pmSonia Sotomayer is the most qualified person in terms of experience to be name to the Supreme Court in several decades yet only 1 Republican voted her out of Committee. Would you want to be a Republican on that stage under these circumstances.
Just as I thought.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:48 pmRepublicans have problems with race, but it’s ironic this circumstance is used to highlight that notion.
I believe ‘La Raza’ translates literally to ‘The Race’. And it’s a national organization that exists to further the cause of just one race of people. Hispanics.
Consider this from its national website:
Now, imagine if conservatives had an organization named ‘The Race’, with an explicit charter to advance the condition of only white people.
And then the absurdity of progressives being labeled racist for not accepting a conference invite to join with that organization.
Conservatives have a problem with race. But, more and more it’s becoming obvious that Democrats have a problem with race, too.
Democrats see every dispute that transpires between conservatives and non-whites, as racism. Whether it has anything to do with racism or not.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:49 pmYou beat me to it, Paleo. They didn’t even bother to recommend someone else. Whatever the Republicans are so busy doing right now, it ain’t governing and it doesn’t involve the slightest touch of “class”. No manners. No charm.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:49 pmWhen a beaten down minority turns to it’s culture to provide some semblance of self worth, it’s not quite the same as a Klan meeting.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:53 pmThe GOP’s “big tent” is only big enough to hold straight (until caught soliciting for sex in public bathrooms), middle-aged & middle-class, Christian, Caucasian males and their wives. Contempt for dark-skinned people required.
Everyone else needs not apply. Plus, Hispanics talk funny.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:54 pmNow, imagine if conservatives had an organization named ‘The Race’, with an explicit charter to advance the condition of only white people.
That would be an outrage! But luckily they call it the “Republican Party”, so nobody blinks an eye.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:55 pmbackup says:
Now, imagine if conservatives had an organization named ‘The Race’, with an explicit charter to advance the condition of only white people.
July 28th, 2009 at 3:49 pm
___________
That would most likely be racist. See, when you create an organization to advance the condition of a people that has historically been and continues to be the oppressor, it is racist.
When you put together a national association for, say, the advancement of colored people (let’s call them the NAACP, for short) it’s not racist. Because people of color have historically been and continue to be oppressed.
It’s what we call a double standard. Get over it.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:00 pmtoasterhead. Doesn’t the double standard conflict with real equality?
July 28th, 2009 at 4:03 pmThe GOP made this same mistake when they shirked the conference of the Log Cabin Republicans. When Steele became head of the RNC, he promised to try to reach out to disenfranchised voters and to try to be more inclusive. I figured he would definitely try to have at least a representative at events like this one, the LCR conference, CAIR, GLAAD, or NAACP events. I was wrong. It seems that the GOP has decided they can win elections without any minority votes at all. I can’t wait to see how that works out for them.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:12 pmbackup says:
toasterhead. Doesn’t the double standard conflict with real equality?
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<,
No it doesnt. Not even close. White America HAS the power. To keep their power is to deny it to others. To GAIN the power is to expand it to others. The one is racist and the other is egalitarian. There is no way to even make the argument that you are inferior because you are white. No one in the larger context of this society would take that argument seriously and this argument is the basis of racism. BECAUSE OF THIS there is no need for a white persons civil rights group. It would be both ridiculous AND an excuse to expand white privelege. Hispanics are not IN the same yacht. There IS a need for a hispanic civil rights group because civil rights and equality are sometimes denied hispanics BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE. To pretend we have to treat white civil rights and minority civil rights the same is flatly stupid because THEY. ARE. NOT. THE. SAME.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:17 pmI think they did not attend because they would have had to face the very people they had made racist comments about just a few short weeks ago. They’re usually so bold about rubbing their hate in people’s faces. IMO this is just another example of GNOP cowardice.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:18 pmBuzz off, brown people! The lily-white GOoPers got no time for you terrorists!! Go back to Mexico!
/snark
July 28th, 2009 at 4:22 pmChris LeJeune says:
I was wrong. It seems that the GOP has decided they can win elections without any minority votes at all. I can’t wait to see how that works out for them.
They are betting on the discontent with the Dems to win the election, rather than try to grow the party. Obama was elected because of the anger toward Republicans and Bush. The Republicans are putting everything into this strategy. Various Republicans like Gingrich, Romney, Huckabee, Palin, etc., are already laying the groundwork for 2012. The moderates like Pawlenty are sitting on the sidelines because they do not want to be perceived as a candidate at this early stage. The whole strategy could backfire if the economy is getting better and the health care plan is viewed as a major Obama accomplishment. Alternatively, Palin could win the nomination and scare the hell out of moderates and middle of the road voters.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:24 pmGOP Declining Our Conference Invite ‘May Demonstrate A Lack Of Commitment To Our Community
I do hope the statement was released as a political statement rather than a simple statement of the obvious.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:35 pmLa Raza is a racist organization.
July 28th, 2009 at 4:46 pmconservative guy says:
No they arent. But YOU are an ignorant racist piece of garbage and a stupid punkass troll
July 28th, 2009 at 5:00 pmHi conservative guy.
July 28th, 2009 at 5:01 pmEugeneDebs.
I initially didn’t spend much time thinking about the Valley Swim Club incident where the club denied entrance to the black kids. I didn’t spend much time thinking about it, because it seemed obviously wrong.
It seemed obvious to me that a predominately white membership or management wanted to deny access to the black kids, simply because they were black. The kids and their parents were upset, racism was apparent, news coverage was extensive and there was a call for congressional investigation into the incident.
I agreed with the public opinion that what happened was wrong and any reoccurrence should not be permitted.
Since then, I have considered groups like ‘La Raza’. I’m sure they do great work and have no significant disagreement with the group.
But, why is it that we condone and even applaud, minorities and women’s groups when they self segregate; but we demonize that same behavior in whites and men?
I googled ‘black organizations and clubs’ and this came up:
http://www.aawc.com/aao.html
It’s a list of 30+ black organizations.
then, I googled ‘white organizations and clubs’ and this came up:
http://whitega.ourlittle.net/OrganizationsClubs/
It’s a list of organizations in White, GA. I couldn’t find a comparable list or white organizations and clubs.
Additionally, there are many examples of clubs that are exclusive to women. Places where men are not welcome.
If we believe that there is value in women and minorities being able to band together in exclusive groups – why wouldn’t that same idea apply to whites or men?
Conversely, if we universally see the wrongheadedness of the private white club members for demanding the exclusivity of their club, why don’t have the same objection to those that want to self segregate in minority or women’s groups?
It should be one way or the other. People should be allowed to associate with whomever they please or efforts to discriminate by race or gender should be universally dismissed.
July 28th, 2009 at 5:05 pmbackup says:
This is why I gave up answering your posts. You are intentionally obtuse and toss out ridiculous strawman arguments. My point was obvious and you completly ignored it to argue something that isnt happening. Is La Raza NOT open to anyone but Hispanics? Did you know there were white people who were founding members of the NAACP? No it is not close are they arguing for Hispanic only swimming pools? Why no they are not. They are supporting the civil rights of Hispanics. So your entire post had absolutly NOTHING to do with my point. Dont bother to go on an entirely new tangent having nothing to do with the point. Your entire argument was ludicrous and I am tired of following you down Alice in wonderland like rabbit holes and endless debates that go nowhere because you keep doing this. Either address the point or just go away
July 28th, 2009 at 5:18 pmEugeneDebs, If you don’t think La Raza is racist check out the La Raza studies in the Tucson Arizona school district.
July 28th, 2009 at 5:43 pmI’m sure the repiglicans did really want to be there. They just couldn’t find their way out of that “Big Tent” they been hangin’ out in since brutha Steele was put in charge.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:17 pmconservative guy says:
You are a racist moron. La Raza is a large hispanic civil rights group analogous to the NAACP. YOu are a moron who regurgitates the brainwashing you are programmed with by rightwing screechmonkeys.
July 28th, 2009 at 6:27 pm***
gene,
put backup on your ig list.
he’s as bigoted as a birther
and not worth the effort.
:|
July 28th, 2009 at 6:45 pmSTFU, backup. You’re seedy little seeds of doubt are pernicious.
July 28th, 2009 at 7:26 pmRepublicans don’t have time to appear at the NCLR conference. They are all busy at the White Peoples’ Fascist Party cookout.
July 29th, 2009 at 12:01 pmMany of the people that the writers and bloggers of this site are calling conservatives are actually neoconservatives. LaRaza has been a group with a shady history and radical beliefs. Their agenda goes into areas which can not be considered civil rights or advocacy. McCain is a supporter of LaRaza. LaRaza itself has roots in racism and it is unwise for any politician to support this group.
July 29th, 2009 at 2:59 pmTo dinglebe (#68) that’s a very funny comment. Unfortunately for us, Fascism has spread and taken over the Democratic party as well. When the government is hand-picked by elitist bankers, financiers, such as Soros, Rockefeller, Rothschild, owners of the Federal Reserve, most of whom own large shares of the stock of the largest American mainstream media corporations, it spawns Fascism. The very Fascism that we are experiencing now in this nation. I think the problem is seeing clearly that there is a element within the Republican Party who are Statists and phony conservatives, just as there are phoney liberals within the Democratic party.
It has come down to the Statists versus lovers of Liberty and defenders of the U.S. Constitution. We are witnessing a melange of National Socialism and Fabian Socialism on both sides of the fence, this element has clearly infiltrated both major political parties in the United States.
July 29th, 2009 at 3:09 pm