Marco Rubio Says No To Vice President, Talks Immigration

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) clamped down on VP rumors, telling reporters he was “not going to be the vice presidential nominee” for the Republican Party. Speaking at the Washington Ideas Forum at the Newseum in Washington, D.C., he provided advice to his fellow Republicans on the complicated immigration issue, saying the GOP can’t be “the anti-illegal immigration party.”. Rubio was also asked about the Univision controversy.

Discussing the Vice Presidential rumors, ABC’s The Note reported:

When asked… Rubio repeated twice for emphasis, “I am not going to be the Vice Presidential nominee. I am not going to be the Vice Presidential nominee.”

Asked during the forum if he would turn down an offer if the Republican presidential nominee asks him to, Rubio responded, “Yea, I believe so,” adding again, “the answer is gonna be no.”…

“I’m not focused on that,” [Rubio] said. “I don’t crave it. I wanted to be a United States Senator. I didn’t run for the Senate as an opportunity to have a launching pad for some other job. I think one of the things that I lament is that people somehow come to the conclusion that United States Senator is not enough. Listen, the United States Senate is still an important, I think very important institution.”

With immigration becoming an ever-present issue during the GOP Presidential primary, Rubio offered his Republican colleagues some advice on the issue. He warned Republicans to pay attention to their tone and to not have primary focus on immigrants who entered the country illegally. The Huffington Post reported:

“We cannot be the anti-illegal immigration party. We have to be the pro-legal immigration party,” [Rubio] said. “We have to be a party that advocates for a legal immigration system that’s good for Americans, good for America and honors our tradition both as a nation of immigrants and as a nation of law.”

Immigration has become a main issue in the GOP Presidential Primary, to the disappointment of many Hispanic Republican and GOP leaders. Many Republicanos worry that the GOP will squander a unique opportunity to connect with Latino voters who are disillusioned with President Obama, suffering through high-unemployment and looking for a Presidential candidate that can fix the economy.

Mitt Romney has attacked Texas Governor Rick Perry for supporting legislation in 2001 that provides in-state tuition for some of Texas’ undocumented students.  In 2003, as a member of the Florida legislature, Marco Rubio supported legislation that would

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Growing Support for a “Limited” Dream Act: Governor Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio?

There is growing support among Republican leaders for a limited version of the Dream Act, according to Florida’s Shark-Tank.net. The state-level Dream Act allows children who grew up in America, yet as minors entered the country illegally by no fault of their own, to receive in-state college tuition, in the state in which they reside and graduated from high school. The state version of the Dream Act does not deal with immigration status.

Read the full post by Shark Tank’s Javier Manjarres: “Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush In-Line With a Limited Form of the Dream Act?“

Governor Rick Perry’s support for in-state tuition for children of illegal immigrants is now getting the blessing of former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who always has had a soft spot for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in Florida. Governor Bush stated to the National Journal that he thought that Perry’s Texas tuition measure was “fair policy.”

By all accounts, the illegal immigration debate is ready to explode onto the 2012 election season, as many groups, both pro and anti-illegal immigration begin to make their cases for their respective causes. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio was ridiculed several years ago for not helping to pass (6) immigration reform bills that eventually died while he was the Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives.

According to the Journal, in 2003 and 2004, Senator Marco Rubio sponsored a similar bill offering tuition assistance to the children of illegal immigrants. During his 2010 Senatorial campaign, Rubio ran to the right on the illegal immigration issue, and fast became the pro-legal immigration candidate, winning the both the Tea Party and Conservative votes.

“Senator Rubio does not support blanket in-state tuition benefits for students who are in this country illegally. As he said throughout the 2010 campaign and continues to say today, he believes that a consensus exists to help a limited number of young people who were brought here by their parents as young children and have worked hard, exhibited good moral character, and want to contribute to our nation’s future in a meaningful way by becoming part of American society and attending college or joining our armed forces,” said [Senator] Rubio spokesman Alex Burgos.

READ MORE: http://shark-tank.net/2011/09/27/19912/

Several versions of the “Dream Act” exist, with very different rules when implemented at the state or federal level. State based “Dream Acts” are in-state tuition measures and usually only impact a student’s ability to attend college. Most versions of a federal DREAM Act deal with college admission, military service and a student’s immigration status. According to the National Journal, “…Rubio opposes the federal DREAM Act, which would allow children of illegal immigrants who go to college or serve in the military to earn legal status. Perry also opposes that legislation.“

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Which GOP Candidate Can Win the Latino Vote?

On paper, the field of GOP presidential candidates is a unique sort, especially in the context of “Latino issues.”

Of the Republicans currently declared for president, we have four candidates hailing from states with high Latino populations (over 10%), two are border-state governors, one is married to a Mexican-American, another launched a conservative Latino news site, and one candidate’s father was born in Mexico.

While these tidbits of trivia do not paint a complete picture of the GOP candidate’s efforts to court Hispanic voters, they do highlight one reality: Latinos are an integral part of American life.  According to the U.S. Census one out of every six people living in America are of Hispanic descent.

Latino turnout in 2012 is expected to reach a historic 12.2 million voters about 8.7% of the national electorate. A projected 26% increase from 2008.

Already, the 2012 election has been marked by a renewed focus on courting the growing Hispanic vote.  The first major political ads buys of the 2012 cycle talked about the dismal economy – in Spanish.

Republican groups, like Crossroads GPS and the Republican National Committee (RNC), have earmarked millions of dollars for political advertising in major media markets with dense Latino population, pushing ads in English and Spanish. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) reacted by mimicking GOP efforts with their own multi-million dollar Spanish-language media buy targeting Hispanic voters.

For President Obama to claim victory in 2012, he needs heavy turnout from his base and a repeat level of support from the Latino voters. In 2008, Obama won 67% of the Hispanic vote while Senator John McCain only captured 31%.  Since taking office Obama’s approval has plummeted among Latinos, losing as much as 30% since 2009.

This upcoming election will be about margins. Small margins. An August 2011 Gallup Poll shows that as many as 12 states are in play. While logic would dictate many of these states will turn deep Red or Blue in the next 15 months, a core group of states, many with significant Latino populations, will likely be too close to call until the final hour. Some of these swing states include:

• Florida (29 Electoral Votes) – 15% of eligible voters are Latino
• Arizona (11 Electoral Votes) – 18% of eligible voters are Latino
• Nevada (6 Electoral Votes) – 14% of eligible voters are Latino
• New Mexico (5 Electoral Votes) – 38% of eligible voters are Latino
• Colorado (9 Electoral Votes) – 13% of eligible voters are Latino

Keys to Winning Hispanic Voters:

For the GOP to connect with Hispanic they must understand three key things:

1) Latinos are not a monolithic voting bloc and like all things in campaigns, politics is local. Hispanics in Florida are different from Latinos in Nevada.

2) Don’t change your message, but be culturally relevant and consistent. The last things Latinos want is a slick pandering politician that says one thing in English and another thing in Spanish. (P.S. most Latinos are bilingual.) Candidates must offer honest solutions to the problems plaguing Hispanics, and all Americans.

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SURVEY: Young Latinos Favor Limited Government, Reduced Spending

The Washington Examiner reports on a new survey stating young Latinos, ages 18 – 29, favor a more fiscally conservative message, which includes reduced government spending and decreased regulation of business.

Thanks to Google + and friend Samuel Rosado I saw this new data on young Latinos political leanings and it started an interesting conversation on the lack of GOP efforts, as well as failures by the Democrats. The reality is the GOP should be inspired by this information and finally implement a real program to engage Hispanics. A program that includes connecting with Latinos on a cultural level, engaging directly with the community, promoting GOP talent and recruit strong Hispanic candidates /surrogates.

Read more from the Washington Examiner: “New survey finds young Hispanics open to conservative values”

“The survey, which has a four percent margin of error (plus or minus), interviewed 600 people was conducted April 16-22 by Kellyanne Conway’s the polling company inc./Women Trend survey firm for Generation Opportunity, a recently launched conservative activist group that aims to educate and mobilize young Americans about the economic challenges facing their generation.

Among the results were these:

• By nearly a 3:1 ratio, Hispanic young adults prefer “reducing federal spending” (69%) to “raising taxes on individuals” (27%) in order to balance the federal budget.

• 70% of Hispanic young adults would decrease federal spending if given the chance to set America’s fiscal priorities.

• A 57%-majority of Hispanics agree that “if taxes on business profits were reduced, companies would be more likely to hire.”

• In a separate question, a 56%-majority concurred “the economy grows best when individuals are allowed to create businesses without government interference.”

The survey results are more proof that young Latinos, much like the rest of the Hispanic population, are respective to the Republican message, especially when it includes individual rights, free markets and limited government. 

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Road Trip: San Antonio Fotos

Pictures from San Antonio:

Will Samuel order Lulu’s famous 3 lb cinnamon role? (thank you Andy Lee for the tip)

Children dancing to Mexican folkloric music in typical clothing from Veracruz, Mexico. Taken at San Antonio’s Market Square/ Mercado outside of Mi Tierra Cafe and Bakery.

Below, a photo of San Fernando Cathedral in downtown San Antonio. San Fernando Cathedral was founded in 1731 and is the oldest, continuously functioning religious community in the State of Texas.

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Road Trip Day 3: Big Hats, Bad Translations in Big Texas

It’s true when they say everything is bigger in Texas. The food is bigger, the days are hotter, the hats are massive and the experiences are more elaborate…

The day started with the largest waffle I had ever attempted to eat. And yes, it was in the shape of Texas. Dad and I soon got on the road for the short drive from Hidalgo to San Antonio.

We spent a total of 20 hours in San Antonio, arriving at our hotel around 11 am on Tuesday.

The visit started a bit humorous, like out of a National Lampoon vacation movie. We stayed at a small hotel I found on a travel site and it seemed to have decent reviews. The description listed its’ location as “steps from the Alamo.” While the staff was great, nothing could have prepared me for the lack water in the room. When I checked with the front desk, they just said “oh yeah I forgot to tell you we are working on the pipes for the next hour.” …umm ok?…. I decided to just go along with my day, praying we would have clean running water upon our return. We headed to the Alamo. Thankfully, we took the car, because “steps away” apparently means a mile in 104 degree weather.

San Antonio has a lot to offer and we did all the basics, The Alamo, River Walk, San Fernando Cathedral, El Mercado and much more.

We ate a large lunch on the River Walk at the famous Casa Rio Mexican Restaurant for some proper TexMex. After a River Walk cruise we strolled the shops, until my dad decided he needed a large brim hat to protect himself from the sun. We were now on a mission for a hat… We finally stumbled upon a place right across from The Alamo that appeared to have every Mexican wrestling mask every created (we bought one for my brother). It was there that my father found his hat.

The monstrosity of a sombrero couldn’t have been any bigger, if not it would have been an umbrella on his head.

My dad loved the hat. It reminded him of a sombrero he has in Mexico which he uses when he works in the farm. He said it would be a “sensation” (una sensacion) especially as he planned to use it for our upcoming trip to the Grand Canyon. (I will say a few people did complement my dad on the hat. Others just looked in bewilderment.)

These are the moments that it’s much better that I’m an adult and not a teenager traveling with my father. The 15 year old version of me would have been mortified and would have VERY vocally protested the massive sombrero. My current adult self still thinks the hat is silly, but am more concerned that my dad is happy and is protected from the sun with the sombrero/umbrella.

Now accompanied by his hat, we continued on our San Antonio adventure to San Fernando Cathedral. The historic church is amazingly beautiful. There we lit a candle in front of La Virgen de Guadalupe. (MORE PICTURES AFTER THE JUMP)

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New US Census Brief Details Growing Latino Population

The Hispanic population in the U.S. accounted for more than half of the total population growth in the country outpacing other demographic groups, according to a new report by the U.S. Census Bureau – Hispanic Population: 2010.

Among the many findings, include that the Hispanic population grew by 43 percent, or at a rate of four times faster than the rest of the U.S.

The Hispanic population, accounting for over 15.2 million,  has continued to remain concentrated in the same three states: California with 27.8 percent, Texas with 18.7 percent and Florida with 8.4 percent. Yet, Hispanics are branching out with the most increase in population being seen in the South and Midwest. In the South, the Hispanic population grew by 57 percent, and the Midwest saw a jump by 49 percent.

While the largest Latino group continue to be Mexican and Mexican-Americans,  many of today’s Hispanic immigrants come from a variety of countries including over 1 million individuals from Salvadorans, Dominicans and Guatemalans.

Read the full report here: http://www.census.gov/prod/cen2010/briefs/c2010br-04.pdf

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Pres Obama Immigration Dance: Will Latinos Accept The Offer?

In a speech in El Paso, Texas President Barak Obama discussed his long-shot “new” push on immigration reform (and kick-offed his Obama 2012 Latino Outreach campaign).

It was the first time the President had visited the U.S.-Mexico border since winning the White House – 26 months ago. In his speech, he declared the border safer then ever and mocked Republican lawmakers for wanting more border security. The President said the GOP wouldn’t be happy until they get a moat with alligators along the border. The ridiculous statement by President Obama seemed like part of a messaging campaign aimed at saying it was those Republicans who were blocking immigration, not him….  hmmmm

The campaign stop in El Paso was purely political. With eyes set on November 2012, the question is, will Latinos re-elect a President who has broken every campaign promise made to them? In 2008 candidate Obama promised a better economic future, more jobs and the passage of immigration reform… the economy is worse, Hispanic unemployment is high and President Obama has not proposed immigration reform legislation.

In an interview in 2008, candidate Obama told anchor Jorge Ramos on Univision Network News: “What I can guarantee is that we will have in the first year an immigration bill that I strongly support and that I’m promoting.” Ramos has not let Obama, nor the Latino community, forget the President’s (broken) promise on immigration reform.

President Obama’s new immigration speech was mostly met with the same response – same old thing from a worried Politico.

Syndicated Columnist Ruben Navarrette penned a piece for Real Clear Politics, appropriately named “Same Old Tune on Immigration.” Navarrette criticizes the Obama administration current deportation tactics and for Obama’s “cynical and dishonest” approach when dealing with the immigration issue.

“This week, in El Paso, Obama again pledged to fix a broken system but not without an assist from Republicans. And again, he bragged about cracking down on illegal immigration. We’re a nation of immigrants, but also a nation of laws.  Blah, blah….

As someone who believes that illegal immigrants should be deported, what concerns me is that Obama is being cynical and dishonest. For example, after suing Arizona over the principle that enforcing immigration law is the job of the federal government and not local or state law enforcement agencies, the administration is using those agencies as a force multiplier and scooping up illegal immigrants arrested by them to boost the deportation tally.”

In columnist Esther J. Cepeda piece, “Obama Shouldn’t Take Latinos For Granted,” she states the President has not shown any real leadership on the issue of immigration. She opens the piece saying:

“President Barack Obama thinks Latino voters are stupid. There’s no evidence to the contrary, based on how he’s mishandling his campaign promises on comprehensive immigration reform.It’s already becoming a problem for him as he maneuvers toward the 2012 presidential election.”

Several Hispanic conservative groups spoke out on Obama’s statements including:

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Peña: Hispanic Conservatism And Its Emergence in Texas Politics

This week Latinovations “La Plaza” Blog highlighted a guest post by Texas State Representative Aaron Peña titled “Hispanic Conservatism: Its Emergence in Texas Politics.” The blog invited Rep. Peña to write about why he switched to the Republican Party. Rep. Peña, along with four other Republicans of Hispanic decent, have formed the Hispanic Republican Conference of Texas.

Below is an excerpt of the post, read the full piece at Latinovations here

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Texas Latino Republicans Growing In Political Strength

Texas’ Hispanic Republicans are growing in numbers and strength. Five Republicans of Hispanic decent were elected to the Texas state legislature in 2010 mid-term elections. The freshmen legislators are joining forces to form the Hispanic Republican Conference. (Follow them on twitter @HRCofTexas)

There were no Latino Republicans in the Texas House in the 2009 legislative session.

The Hispanic Republican Conference, led by the newly elected conference Chairman State Rep. Aaron Peña, a legislature who switched to the Republican Party in December, is trying to redefine how the GOP communicates with Latinos. The group is also meeting with Attorney General Abbot, who is helping lead outreach efforts in Texas.

According to reports from AP, the group is “taking a careful walk through the minefield of hot-button immigration and cultural wedge issues that are sure to spark debate, and possibly legal reforms, in the Texas Legislature this year.”

In an interview with The Monitor Representative Peña said the Republican Party needs to listen to the viewpoints of Hispanics if it wants to increase its attractiveness to the state’s fastest-growing population.

“Demographically speaking, if Republicans do not get in tune with the Hispanic population, they will cease to exist as a relevant party in this state,” Peña said. “But the same is true for Democrats, who for decades took us for granted. Now because of the leverage we achieved in the last election cycle, they’re forced to compete (for the Hispanic vote).”

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