Morning NewsTaco
Wednesday August 29, 2012
Jeb Bush chides Republicans to stop ‘acting stupid’ with Hispanic voters (The Miami Herald): With Mitt Romney trailing Barack Obama badly among Hispanic voters in the polls, Republicans paraded out their top Hispanic political celebrities Tuesday and tapped the financial and influential heft of former Gov. Jeb Bush to help suture the gap. Speaking at a panel discussion at the Republican National Convention, Bush repeated his frequent warning that the party must change its tone, an admonition he has frequently raised about the party’s hardline position on immigration.
Republicans struggle to improve standing with Latino voters (Los Angeles Times): The tableau was one that any political group making an appeal to Latino voters would want — two Latino governors onstage speaking to activists in town for the party convention, flanking a former governor who speaks fluent Spanish, all discussing their party’s appeal. The fact that it took place here, at the Republican convention, and that Democrats lack the Latino officeholders to put on any similar display, underscores a political paradox: Democrats hold the loyalty of the vast majority of Latino voters, but they lag well behind the GOP in electing nationally recognized Latino political figures.
GOP Convention: At First Latino Press Conference, it’s the Economy vs Immigration (Fox News Latino): The Republicans wanted to talk about the economy. The press wanted to talk about immigration. In the first Republican National Convention daily briefing for Latino press, the RNC and campaign of presumptive presidential nominee Mitt Romney stressed the need to revitalize the economy.
Romney still struggles to attract Latino voters (Associated Press/Seattle Times): It may have been a partisan barb from a Democrat, but Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s pointed criticism of the array of Hispanic speakers at the Republican National Convention laid bare a truth that could hurt the GOP: Mitt Romney is having a tough time winning over Latino voters.
Cruz Appeals to Hispanics in Prime-Time Speech (Texas Tribune): U.S. Senate hopeful Ted Cruz, basking in the national spotlight since defeating Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, appealed directly to Hispanics and portrayed his smashing primary victory as part of a “great awakening” of American voters during a prime-time speech at the Republican National Convention Tuesday night.
Cruz May Help Harness Hispanic Support for GOP (National Journal): Ted Cruz seems ready to join a group of young Washington pols who combine tea party conservatism with scholarly style. After beating Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in the GOP runoff last month, Cruz is expected to easily win a general-election contest to replace retiring Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.
Mayor Villaraigosa: Pres. Obama will get “close to 70% of the Latino vote” (CNN): Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) talks to CNN Anchor John Berman live at the CNN Grill during the RNC Convention in Tampa about Tropical Storm Isaac, 2012 race and the Latino vote.
Jan Brewer: Obama Is ‘Race-Baiting,’ Pandering To Latinos (Huffington Post): Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, an immigration-hardliner who signed the state’s controversial SB 1070, said Monday that President Barack Obama is attacking Republicans for their views just to pander to Latinos.
Texas voting maps drawn by GOP lawmakers rejected by federal court as discriminatory (Associated Press/Washington Post): Stadiums and hospitals removed from the districts of black congressional members and country clubs newly drawn into those of white incumbents. A lawyer emailing “No bueno” to a Republican staffer about plans that risked leaving a paper trail and jeopardizing the legality of a voting map. Those were among the evidence a Washington federal court used to determine that Texas Republican lawmakers discriminated against minorities while drawing new political boundaries, throwing out the maps as violations of the Voting Rights Act but likely not in time to affect the November elections.
Immigration bills in California Legislature (Contra Costa Timees/San Jose Mercury-News): The Legislature has sent one immigration-related bill to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk on Friday and is debating three others in the final week before it adjourns for the year. Here are the four bills:
California Sheriffs Oppose Bill on Illegal Immigrants (New York Times): Some California sheriffs are pushing back against a proposed state law that would bar law enforcement officers from detaining illegal immigrants for deportation if they have not been charged with serious or violent crimes.
Gay, Latino activists form coalition to promote Maryland ballot measures (Washington Post): As a gay, undocumented immigrant from Guatemala, Edwin Guil, 22, says he is used to being discriminated against. But when a gay friend recently said he was not going to vote for President Obama because of his program to stop deporting some undocumented immigrant youths, Guil, a student at Montgomery College, decided it was time for some cross-cultural education.
In Arizona, young illegal immigrants battle governor’s policy (Los Angeles Times): Lilia Romo will tell you plainly: She didn’t ask for this fight, but now that the immigration war has been declared in this politically conservative state, the confident 24-year-old says she intends to win it.
Hispanics Using Spanish Scrabble as Educational Tool (Hispanically Speaking): Created in the late 1930s by U.S. architect Alfred Mosher Butts, Scrabble has been sold in more than 120 countries and translated into more than 20 languages including Spanish. Mexican journalist Norma Garza says Scrabble is an educational tool that encourages learning and trains the mental faculties of people at all ages.
