Hispanic leaders chafe at RNC chairman

Share on Facebook

By John Byrne

Published: May 21, 2009
Updated 6 months ago

They’ve had it up to here.

Republican National Committee Michael Steele, who’s often tangled with members of his own party, is now facing boos from yet another crowd. This time, it’s Hispanic GOP leaders, who are peeved that he hasn’t appointed any high-profile Hispanics to top positions.

In a Mar. 6 letter acquired by a news site Wednesday, Hispanic leaders said they “were extremely disheartened that no Hispanics were considered for the post of Coalitions Director and that, to date, no Hispanics have been appointed to any other high-profile leadership roles within the party.”

“If the RNC’s outreach effort to Hispanics consists simply of appointing a Hispanic to serve as Director of the Hispanic Coalitions, then this plan is a recipe for disaster,” said the letter, co-signed by seven Hispanic group leaders (which according to Politico’s Ben Smith included the Republican National Hispanic Assembly, the Hispanic War Veterans of America, and the National Coalition for Latino Clergy and Christian Leaders).

The letter was circulated after Steele hired a black Republican to lead the GOP’s diversity efforts.

“Republicans have yet to seriously engage in the task of wooing back Hispanic voters, some 44% of whom, according to exit polls, voted for President George W. Bush in 2004,” Smith notes. “Hispanics, whose growing power could put much of the West and any plausible road to the White House out of reach for the GOP, fled the party amid the charged 2005 battle over federal immigration reform legislation, and could not be wooed back even by pro-immigration Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who won just 31% of their votes.”

On the Democratic side of the aisle, Hispanic leaders are stewing too. Leading lawmakers are criticizing Obama for what they consider to be his “slow-walking comprehensive immigration reform.”

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Nydia Velázquez (D-NY) lauded Obama in Roll Call Thursday as being “clear and strong on the issue,” but she said her caucus would push for immigration reform this year.

“We understand that he has been dealing with many issues,” Velázquez said, “but we also understand the politics. It is going to be more difficult next year.”

“For those who are looking to expand the ranks of the party, the Hispanic community will remember this moment,” she added.

One comment