By GottaLaff The Party of No better take note, President Obama is getting a big "si se puede" from a voting block that can make a difference:
MIAMI, April 21 (UPI) -- A Florida-based poll Wednesday indicated Hispanic Americans are more optimistic about the future of the U.S. economy than the general population.
The Telemundo poll in Miami reported that almost four out of five Hispanics think the economy has stabilized or that it has already begun to improve.
The 44-member Mexican American Legislative Caucus [in Texas] is upset not enough historically significant Latinos are part of the curriculum. They also are concerned about proposed standards that lend less weight to the contributions of founding father Thomas Jefferson and give more to conservative leaders such as Sen. Joe McCarthy.
State Board of Education Chairwoman Gail Lowe is encouraged, and that's all that really matters:
"We are encouraged by the positive responses we have received about the social studies standards we adopted in March," Lowe said. "We also understand there will be some who disagree with our decisions, regardless of the content of our curriculum."
Yeah, those whiners. Kvetch kvetch kvetch. Who do they think they are, demanding that American history be taught accurately, representing people of influence in a fair and balanced way that comports with, you know, facts!
He e-mailed me with some observations of that, and a couple of other things.
Tiggrr got to the Mesa rally just as the police released the two kids who had been forced out.
He grabbed a quick snapshot (see above) before the crowd started looking, er, askance at him.
He took some video (I'm not sure if I'll be able to get my hands on it), but one included a man with a sign that said, "Pull your head out Sarah". [Added note: Tiggrr tells me that the guy at the beginning of the video was the one holding the sign, including a slash through his McCain picture.]
He also shot some footage of Ron Paul supporters protesting the Afghan war (above).
Other video moments included a few pro-forced pregnancy advocates at a nearby Catholic church.
Tiggrr also encountered some anti-immigration protesters who decided to spontaneously blurt out their feelings to him. They were disappointed with Speaky McHellNo, and were angry that she is backing, as they call it, "pro-immigrant McCain". And he quotes:
"I know that Palin doesn't want these illegals in our country."
That from a man who was carrying a Going Rogue book.
Another said:
"I'm real disappointed they (McCain & Palin) didn't talk about the Mexicans overrunning Arizona."
Tiggrr decided to ask some of the Tea Baggers who they considered to be their Arizona hero. The answers: Pearce, Thomas, Arpaio, and J.D. Hayworth... for standing up to illegal immigration (see top photo)
As Tiggrr tells it, he "has lived in Arizona for 50 years, growing up with Hispanic immigrants in Mesa. There was a farming town in which many immigrant children were born, and are U.S. citizens."
But, he goes on, now these same hard working people are portrayed as "illegals, dope dealers, and gang members by the GOP and the Tea Baggers." He wonders "how many Hispanics have they been around? My guess is they don't see American Hispanics as equals."
As we all know, one of the next big issues pending in Congress is immigration.
MIAMI -- President Barack Obama is on track to name more Hispanics to top posts than any of his predecessors, drawing appointees from a wide range of the nation's Latino communities, including Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans and Colombians.
(snip)
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is by far Obama's most famous Hispanic appointee. In less than a year in office, the president has also tapped at least 48 other Hispanics to positions senior enough to require Senate confirmation. So far, 35 have been approved.
That compares with a total of 30 approved under Bill Clinton and 34 under George W. Bush during their first 20 months in office, according to U.S. Office of Personnel Management data.
The personnel office does not track appointments of judges or ambassadors. Early indicators suggest Obama is naming many Hispanics to those positions as well, though he has been slow to appoint judges in general.
"He's really captured our trajectory, and the vast, vast array of Latinos that make up our country, whether it's Mexicanos, Puertorriquenos or Dominicanos," said Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, the Cabinet's first Hispanic woman.
Something that should add some gas to the fire under the Dems butts, but I'm sure they'll screw this up too.
Latino voters in the United States see health care reform as the most important priority for the country and a solid majority expresses support for universal health care that includes a public option.
(snip)
"Health care reform is now expected by Latinos and [is] very important to them. The issue is on the national agenda and they definitely want to see action on this bill", said associate professor of political science, Matt Barreto of the University of Washington, and a partner in Latino Decisions.
The findings indicate that health care reform is now more important than the economy and immigration for many Latinos: 32% said health care is the most important issue, followed by 27% who said the priority should be the economy. Only 14% mentioned immigration as the top issue and just 8% think the most important issue is the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It is the first time since Latino Decisions began conducting this type of polling that health care has risen to the top of the list. This reflects, according to the experts, a sense of urgency in a community that historically has found access to good health care to be difficult. It also reflects a concern for the larger community: 75% of the sample has insurance and still believe reform is urgent.
Stop me if you've heard this one before. A racist white guy with shockingly racist white veneers decides to run for office and lies with abandon on a radio show:
Balloon floating must be his new hobby now that he's unemployed. Come to think of it, maybe Balloon Boy's dad can be his running mate.
It gets better:
ThinkProgress spoke with Lisa Navarrete, vice president at the National Council of La Raza, the nation’s largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. Navarrette said that Dobbs had not yet reached out to the group at all.
A Dobbs run would immediately activate Hispanic voters who are predominately Democratic party supporters [...] and, if Dobbs runs, not only will they be weighing all of the issues that are important to all voters, they'll also be facing a candidate whose careless smears of illegal immigrants and embrace of Minutemen groups have made him a symbol of xenophobia. If that doesn't boost turn-out among that community on election day, I don't know what will.
The first column is the week that Justice Souter retired, which was soon followed by speculation of Sotomayor's nomination (she was the frontrunner). That is the reference week. The second is this week.
Who were these geniuses trying to cultivate, because it sure wasn't Latino voters.
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. [...]
“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.”
Add the fact that all but one Rushpublic (Lindsey Graham) gave the thumbs down to Judge Sotomayor today, and it becomes pretty claro that the GOP has a real problema.
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.”
Sure it does. Tell it to Judge Sotomayor and the rest of the "growing [sic] Latino coalition".
I've seen this in my own family, the Latinos (esp PR's) are dropping off like flies. Via Taegan.
Politico: "Republicans' dilemma in connecting with the growing Hispanic electorate will be on vivid display Tuesday: GOP members of the Senate Judiciary Committee will vote overwhelmingly against confirming Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latino nominee to the Supreme Court. And the Democratic Party chairman will address the nation's largest Latino political group -- partly in Spanish. No national GOP official is speaking."
Oh this is going to chap my sisters butt, but it's effective.
(CNN) — As the Senate Judiciary Committee begins hearings on Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, a Latino group is launching a radio ad in Florida highlighting Republican opposition to the first Hispanic nominee to the high court.
The ad, sponsored by Presente.org and Progressive Change Campaign Committee, features past remarks from conservative talk radio host Rush Limbaugh declaring Sotomayor a 'racist," and attacks Republican Rep. John Mica of the Florida's 7th Congressional District for not denouncing the remarks.
The group says the ads will target other key congressional districts in the future.
U.S. President Barack Obama has selected far more Hispanics for his administration than any previous president in American history, observers say.
The Houston Chronicle reported Sunday that Obama has tapped significant numbers of Latinos from California and Texas to serve in his administration. [...]
The newspaper said Latinos have comprised 11 percent of Obama's first 300 nominees for senior administration positions requiring Senate confirmation.
Former President George W. Bush had appointed 5.5 percent Latinos during his first 18 months in office, while former President Bill Clinton filled 4.5 percent of his confirmable positions with Hispanics, the report said.
As promised. It's a rough cut, but if I find a better one I'll put it up.
WASHINGTON— President Barack Obama told the viewers of a popular Latin music awards show Thursday that they must "stay involved and make your voices heard" as the nation fights its way out of troubled times.
"I want you to know that I will always be listening and my administration is working hard so that we can expand opportunity for all Americans and reach that better day," the president said in a prerecorded message broadcast during the "Premio Lo Nuestro" show on the Univision Spanish-language television network.
(snip)
He wished the viewers good evening in Spanish and he celebrated the diversity of Latin music. The president closed by offering another line in Spanish. Translated into English, the president said, "And for all those nominees wondering if tonight is their night, let me just say, yes, you can!"
Hispanic voters turned out in droves last fall to elect Barack Obama and his Democratic allies on Capitol Hill.
Those allies get their first chance to return the favor on Wednesday when the House takes up a children’s health care measure that would grant Medicaid coverage to children of new immigrants whose families came to the U.S. legally.
The immigration status of Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner’s former housekeeper might dominate the headlines, but this House vote has a much deeper impact on the country’s immigrant population and could set the tone for future debates.
“We really believe that this is the first opportunity for the president-elect and the Congress to demonstrate their commitment to the Latino community,” said Jennifer Ngandu, a spokeswoman for the National Council of La Raza.
Another example of why it's important to give P.E. Obama the time he needs to come through for us.
President-elect Obama has already broken White House records for the number of top Hispanic officials, and is expected to name two more in the next day or two, according to transition officials.
“Based on what I can cull from records, we have more Hispanics in senior positions in this White House than under either President Bush or President Clinton,” incoming White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel said in an interview.
“Diversity wasn’t the driving force here," Emanuel added. "I’m proud of the fact that it is a diverse staff. But most importantly, the quality is of a single standard. We wanted to make sure that we got a great staff of seasoned people — both on the policy front and on the political front — who know their stuff.”
In his latest blog, NBC's Luke Russert breaks down the youth vote from Tuesday's election and finds good news for the Democratic Party.
"In swing states, the youth turnout greatly helped Barack Obama beat John McCain," he writes. "Latino youth went for Obama 76%-19%, showing that Democrats have firmly entrenched themselves with the nation's fastest-growing voting bloc. And Obama's margin of victory in the 18-29 demographic was astronomical (66%-32%), and suggests that the Millennial generation is convinced by the policies and direction of the Democratic Party."
I'm looking forward to not giving a shit about polls real soon.
(Reuters) - In the final stretch to the presidential election, more than three quarters of likely Hispanic voters say they support Democrat Barack Obama over Republican John McCain, a study found.
The Univision/Reuters/Zogby poll released on Tuesday said that 78 percent of a sample of 1,016 Latino likely voters favored Sen. Obama, with 13 percent supporting McCain, an Arizona senator.
The poll, which was conducted between October 30 and November 2, found that 54 percent of respondents said the economy and jobs were the most important issue in deciding who to vote for, followed by health care and immigration, with 12 percent and 11 percent respectively.
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