Our Endorsement of Raul Labrador for Majority Leader

Dignitas News Service ^ | June 14, 2014 | Paul M Winters

[dignitasnews]

In the wake of Eric Cantor's shocking primary election loss to Dave Brat earlier this week, the choice to replace him as House Majority Leader seemed a foregone conclusion, as Pete Sessions (R-TX) decision to bow out appeared to seal the decision and ascend Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to the second highest position in the House. This changed yesterday as Raul Labrador (R-ID) announced he will challenge for the role, a move Dignitas News Service both applauds and has no reservations in providing our endorsement for.

Not only would the second-term Representative from Idaho bring solid conservative credentials and voting record to the role, he would provide the Republican Party with a capable spokesman to bring clarity to the conservative position on issues such as immigration, energy and land rights, but he would also join Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio in a growing list of young Latino GOP leaders to help us expand the base by properly articulating what the party offers families of America's fastest growing demographic group.

Raúl Labrador has a compelling and a very American story of achieving one's dreams through a combination of faith, family, community and perseverance. Born to a single mother in Puerto Rico, Labrador had a humble childhood in which early on found his mother working various odd jobs to keep the two of them afloat. While he says times were tough, he notes that his childhood was filled with love and constant encouragement that through hard work and a positive attitude, he could achieve his particular American Dream.

The small family moved to Las Vegas, Nevada and his mother, while continuing to work full-time, eventually earned her degree and became a teacher. This further inspired Labrador and he graduated from Brigham Young University (BYU) with a degree in Spanish and later his a law degree from the University of Washington.

Prior to graduating from BYU he performed missionary work in Santiago, Chile and upon return married his wife Rebecca, who he met while at BYU. Upon earning his law degree he and his wife moved to her native Idaho, where he set up a small law firm specializing in immigration law and representing those seeking legal citizenship. This experience is key and provides Labrador, who does not favor blanket amnesty, the moral credibility to argue the conservative position on this all-important issue.

On Hugh Hewitt radio show Friday, Labrador suggested that any action on immigration reform should wait until 2015, particularly given the recent border crisis in Arizona, calling on Republicans to focus on pressuring President Obama to seal the borders before embarking on a long-term strategy to deal with changes in immigration law, "We need to make sure that the President is serious about enforcing the law, because right now he has a welcome sign out there saying that anybody who wants to come to the United States, they can stay here because we're going to grant them amnesty," he then stressed, "I think that is the wrong message and I think he needs to start enforcing the law." He added that he believes that Americans are fair people who recognize that he system is broken and he acknowledged the need to fix it, but was clear that it needs to be done "the right way."

"I have rejected any kind of conference with the Senate," Labrador declared, "the only bill that could or might go to the floor is the bill that we drafted as Republicans and we tell the Democrats this is the only bill, and its not going anywhere. If you want, conference that." It is this sort of leadership that is needed among the Republican caucus, combined with the real-life experience and understanding of the needs and desires of the individuals who truly desire to become full-fledged Americans and are willing to do so in a legal manner.

In addition to strong and principled conservative leadership for a party desperately in need of such men and women, Raúl Labrador will also provide Republicans with an effective advocate as it reaches out to new voters, particularly to break the stranglehold of the Democratic Party among working class and minority voters. He makes good points in that the GOP can not only speak to job creation, but that a combination of conservative economic policy as well as philosophy is the key to winning both he hearts and minds of poorer Americans, "There's people that are suffering in the United States right now. The middle class, people that are poor want a better life and we need to show them how to get that better life." He continued by tying in the principles taught to him by his mother as they key to success in this blessed nation, "That better life is not through government dependency, its through personal accountability. And it's through actually making sure that these people work hard and play by the rules."

While the Republican Party balances out the ironic circumstances of being a party splintered and without a cohesive message on one hand, and having the opportunity to achieve historic electoral success both nationally and on statewide levels on the other hand, it needs strong, young conservative leaders in key positions to bring about a revival of American exceptionalism and provide future generations a legitimate chance at achieving the American dream. We at Dignitas News Service believe that Raul Labrador possesses the intellect, the experience and the integrity to bring true change in Washington DC needed to achieve these dreams and he has our endorsement for the position of House Majority Leader.

Opinion by Paul M Winters

Editor in Chief, Dignitas News Service

Sources:

WashingtonExaminer Politico CongressmanRaúlLabrador BreitbartNews RareMedia (via YouTube)

[Aetius]

Doesn’t he support increasing already too-high levels of legal immigration? Which of course is the same as saying he supports hastening the demographic destruction of conservatism.