Free Republic

Appearing before Mexico's drug-fighting Federal Police, John McCain promised Thursday that as president, he would quickly implement a U.S. aid package to give the officers more helicopters, technology and training. Mr. McCain, visiting the federal force's new command center as he concluded a three-day trip to Colombia and Mexico, paid his condolences to the hundreds of officers who have died in the drug fight since President Felipe Calderón took office 19 months ago. Those deaths, Mr. McCain said, "will not be in vain." "I want to thank President Calderón and the people of Mexico for their efforts in making our...

WASHINGTON — Besieged Texas sheriffs have vowed to press the White House and Congress to deliver emergency assistance to law enforcement officers battling drug cartels along the Mexican border to match the $400 million on its way to Mexico. The sheriffs said they were frustrated that President Bush and Congress agreed to provide assistance to Mexico as part of the Merida Initiative, without offering additional federal help to their departments. The officers said they'd seek direct federal assistance, as well as changes in Department of Homeland Security restrictions to permit local law enforcement departments to use homeland security funds to...

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush will join presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain in Mexico City Thursday morning on the last day of McCain's three-day visit to Latin America. Gov. Bush was in Mexico City on business and wanted to spend time with the candidate. He will not spend the day with Sen. McCain, R-Ariz., who has several other events today, including a media availability this afternoon. Gov. Bush's name has been floated in Republican veepstakes chatter. On Good Morning America Wednesday, however, McCain pushed back on any talk of his vice presidential pick.

The San Diego City Council will vote next Tuesday to declare July 8 “National Council of La Raza Day.” Well, they already gave their blessing to “Happy ACLU Day” despite the litigious group’s long-standing efforts to take down the Mount Soledad cross. Might as well put their weight behind the ethnic supremacist group fighting against assimilation, funding reconquista schools, advocating speech suppressiong, and promoting lawlessness, too!

In their June 28 speeches to (NALEO), John McCain and Barack Obama seemed to be competing to see who could do a better job of pandering to open-borders advocacy groups..... .....Mr. McCain called for creation of a "temporary" worker program; declared that "comprehensive immigration reform" will "be my top priority yesterday, today and tomorrow"; and called for a way to turn illegal aliens into citizens of the United States. .... In response, the McCain campaign attacked Mr. Obama for proposing "poison pill amendments" that would undo the efforts of Mr. McCain and Sen. Edward Kennedy to pass a "bipartisan" immigration...

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton introduced former rival Sen. Barack Obama to her Hispanic supporters and fundraisers Thursday night, and he got an earful from a group that remains skeptical nearly a month after their Democratic primary battle ended. “We were offering constructive criticism that will help him in the fall,” said Ingrid Duran, a Falls Church consultant who advised Clinton on Hispanic issues. “At the end of the day, we’ll support the nominee. The question is how actively.” About 25 members of Clinton’s Hispanic Leadership Council and Hispanic Finance Council met with Obama at the Mayflower Hotel at the invitation...

With an eye on the fast-growing Hispanic market, State Farm Insurance Cos. will announce Thursday that it will be the lead sponsor of the largest national campaign thus far to encourage Latinos to become U.S. citizens and register to vote. That will make it the first mainstream U.S. corporation to put money behind the massive mobilization effort ahead of the November presidential vote. State Farm, one of the country's top home and auto insurers, will inject $1 million into the "Ya Es Hora" (It's About Time) campaign. The drive -- backed by the largest Spanish-language broadcast and print media in...

Leaders across Latin America have reacted angrily to a new EU law that could jail illegal immigrants for up to 18 months before they are deported. One president called it a hate initiative. Another said it was an attack on people's rights and lives. Hundreds of thousands of Latin Americans live and work in Europe, many of them without permission. Many do jobs that Europeans do not want to do, providing a vital source of income for poor families back home. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez led the reaction, threatening to cut oil exports to Europe unless the EU retracted the...

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Comments from bloggers that say, "Hartford is a piece-of-scum city populated by animals," and, "It is the African/ Latino people that have ruined our country,” are the kind that Mayor Eddie Perez said he no longer wants to see on www.hartford.com. Perez and community leaders held a rally Friday afternoon in front of the Broad Street headquarters of the state's largest newspaper, the Hartford Courant. Perez said he's asked the Courant to better monitor comment from readers

In the meeting, attendees said McCain promised that, if elected, Congress would pass a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

I was one of the 150 people at the Drake Hotel in Downtown Chicago Wednesaday night who came to hear John MC Cain speak to Illinois Hispanics. I had e-mail in my request to attend after seeing an article in the news paper announcing this event. This is what i received.......... We are pleased to confirm your invitation to attend the "Hispanic Voices Reception" with Republican Presidential candidate John McCain. The event will take place on June 18, 2008, at The Drake Hotel, 140 E. Walton Place, Chicago, Illinois, in the Drake Room. A volunteer will call you in the...

Portland, Oregon, possibly vying to be the most liberal city on the west coast, recently set up a day labor site for American employers to come and hire Illegal Immigrants looking for work (here and here) The site opened for “business” Monday, June 16, 2008, with little initial interest from local employers, shy of possible media exposure. The second day brought a little interest and a local man protesting the city of Portland encouraging Illegal Activity within city limits. He called the Victoria Taft Radio Program this evening to report that for sitting on the curb in the driveway, holding...

Click photo to enlargeTwo young girls play hand games as Congresswoman Barbara Lee and a panel of community leaders...«12345»OAKLAND — Pledging to "take them on big-time," Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Oakland, sharply criticized the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency Friday and declared she would push for measures to reduce the fear she said agents have caused East Bay immigrant families. The Oakland Democrat told a packed North Oakland church that she wants to "ensure that ICE is following the rules and that those rules are well-known and publicized — especially when it comes to actions at schools, hospitals, religious centers...

Dozens of Fox Valley Hispanics will get the chance to talk with Sen. John McCain, the Republican Party's nominee for president, later this month. And they'll get to do it for free. McCain will be in Chicago on June 18 for a fundraiser at the Drake Hotel, but he'll stick around that night to hold a town hall meeting with Illinois Hispanics. » Click to enlarge image John McCain to speak in Chicago More than 100 are expected to attend, according to the meeting's organizers, Julie Brady and Gabriela Wyatt. Brady, of St. Charles, is the deputy co-chairman of McCain's...

The City Council's Trinity River Corridor Project committee should open its meeting in about 10 minutes. First item up - a briefing on the name change plan for Industrial Boulevard. There should be some interesting back and forth after a city sponsored survey ended in an overwhelming win to rename the road Cesar Chavez Boulevard. We'll be live blogging the debate. Hope you can join us. Also, in the next blog item, we'll invite your comments and hopefully start a single thread.

SAN DIEGO – Presidential candidate Barack Obama will travel to San Diego next month to join opponent John McCain in speaking at the annual convention of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization. Both senators are expected to address immigration and other issues pertinent to Latino voters, NCLR President Janet Murguía said during a visit to San Diego promoting the convention. Obama's plans were announced yesterday; McCain had agreed earlier to address the convention. The fact that both candidates will attend “speaks to a number of things, not only to the importance...

WASHINGTON-The United Nations plans to examine Prince William County’s aggressive crackdown on illegal immigrants during a visit next week. Jorge Bustamante, the United Nation’s special rapporteur on migrants’ rights, plans to tour Manassas and Woodbridge, receive briefings on local enforcement measures, and attempt to meet with local officials. He contacted immigrant leaders in the county two months ago to begin preparing for a visit, saying he was interested in the landmark nature of the county’s actions. Special rapporteurs are tasked with reviewing human-rights issues of international concern to raise political pressure and shape public opinion, but cannot issue sanctions. The...

A Dallas man faces a charge of murder after he was involved in a traffic accident about 1:30 p.m. Monday that killed an 83-year-old Dallas woman. Eddie Ramirez, 28, allegedly stole a police "bait" car Monday which subsequently crashed into a car driven by Annie Reyes, according to police reports. Reyes, whose 2000 Honda was broadsided in the wreck, near the intersection of 12th Street and Montreal Avenue in the Oak Cliff area of southwest Dallas. She was pronounced dead at 2:15 p.m. at Methodist Dallas Medical Center, according to reports. The bait cars, which are used to catch vehicle...

Melissa Green's mother spoke Spanish, but she never learned - her father forbid it. Today, that's a frequent problem in this city where the English-speaking population is outnumbered. The 49-year-old flower shop owner and Miami native said her inability to speak "espanol" makes it difficult to conduct business, seek help at stores and even ask directions. She finds it "frustrating." "It makes it hard for some people to find a job because they don't speak Spanish, and I don't think that it is right," said Green, who sometimes calls a Spanish-speaking friend to translate for customers who don't speak English....

From his bag of tricks for converting right-thinking conservatives into Republican leftists, John McCain has injected God, love, and compassion into the non-stop wrangling about amnesty for as many as 38 million illegal aliens. During a recent debate in St. Petersburg, Florida, McCain said the following, in part: "We need to sit down as Americans and recognize these are God's children as well. And they need some protection under the law; they need some of our love and compassion." In other words, Americans who believe in law and order and other right wing foolishness are the problem. A spike of...

Reader A.F. e-mails the chart of the day. He writes: “Michelle, I work peripherally for the insurance industry and get the industry’s magazine National Underwriter. The May 8 issue contains a cover story titled: “Workers Comp for Illegal Aliens Sparks Debate Among the States.” A box within the text describes which states already provide WC for illegal aliens: “CA, FL, NV, NY, TX and UT expressly include illegal aliens in the WC coverage” —- UTAH??? So you can come to the US, work illegally, complain of headaches caused by a little slip and fall and you can go on drinking...

Bexar County commissioners voted to support a Texas Border Coalition lawsuit to block the Department of Homeland Security border fence, but their action Tuesday fell short of actually joining it. “We’re lending our name in support of this, not our finances,” Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said. The county is not part of the Coalition, but Wolff attended a May 16 news conference announcing the lawsuit and said the county “was directly affected by what happens on the border” and should support it. The lawsuit seeks an injunction to stop construction on the grounds DHS violated constitutional law to acquire...

Noteworthy, not because this is the first time he’s said something this vile but because it’s not. He floated it to our favorite liberal in February during an interview on Fox News radio (and, sad to say, wasn’t called on it) and thought so highly of his bon mot that he recycled it for his new book. Either no one’s taken him aside to explain how disgusting it is or someone has taken him aside but he thinks it’s so important and righteous that he’s going to keep deploying it anyway. I don’t know which is worse. Bear in mind,...

Mr. McCain has launched a Spanish-language Web site, aired TV spots in Spanish emphasizing his military service and, at a Cinco de Mayo event in Phoenix, declared "everything about our Hispanic voters is tailor-made to the Republican message." Gil Cisneros of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of Colorado, who is vice chairman of the McCain campaign in the state, said the Arizona senator has a reputation among Hispanics as patriotic, family-oriented and moderate on immigration. He said Mr. McCain's sponsorship of last year's failed legislation to create a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants will be a strong selling point.

<p>MEXICO CITY — The U.S. Congress has scaled back on President Bush's anti-drug plans for Mexico and put human rights conditions on some of the aid, drawing fire from some Mexicans who accuse American lawmakers of meddling in their country's internal affairs.</p>

Republican presidential candidate John McCain said Wednesday the Senate should apologize for slavery and segregation, calling them “dark chapters in our history.” McCain said he would support a planned resolution by fellow Republican Sen. Sam Brownback, who is also seeking the presidency, to apologize for racist laws, some of which ended more than a century ago. “They were federal policies,” Brownback told the Boston Globe on Monday. “They were wrong. The only way for us to move forward . . . is at the end of the day acknowledging those, taking ownership for it, and asking for forgiveness.” McCain agreed...

In another case of politicians not having a clue what's really going on in this country, an interesting exchange took place in Washington this week. Three Democrat legislators spoke to reporters about what they claim is "anti-immigrant coverage" by conservative media outlets. Apparently, they think floods of illegal aliens crossing into America and the crime and violence at the border are just overblown incidents developed by conservatives to attack our neighbor to the South. After they spoke, the Democrats were asked if they realized that the State Department had issued a "travel alert warning Americans about military-like 'combat' along the...

NION CITY - Republican presidential candidate John McCain joined Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in calling today for comprehensive immigration reform, including guest worker visas to bring employees to California's Silicon Valley and the state's vast agricultural fields. The two men brought up the issue at McCain's prompting during a global competitiveness roundtable featuring California technology executives and entrepreneurs. Asked by Silicon Valley panelists on what he would do to grant more visa for skilled technology workers, McCain broadly advocated the comprehensive immigration reform plan he had backed with Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy in Congress. The same issue brought McCain intense criticism...

Three Valleys Municipal Water District Director Javier Alvarez was asked to resign by Director Brian Bowcock Wednesday May 21, 2008 during the boards monthly meeting. ((Will Lester/Staff Photographer) ) • Photo Gallery: Alvarez asked to resign• PDF: Alleged lies told by AlvarezCLAREMONT - A local water representative Wednesday called for the resignation of Director Xavier Alvarez, who has pleaded guilty to falsely claiming he won the Medal of Honor.At a meeting of the Three Valleys Municipal Water District, Director Brian Bowcock called Alvarez a "disgrace," read from a lengthy list of what he called Alvarez's lies and urged him...

OUR OPINION: U.S. MUST SUPPORT EFFORT TO DEFEAT NARCOTICS CRIMINALS The outpouring of drug-related violence in Mexico over the last few months has made it indisputably clear that President Felipe Calderón's government is engaged in a fight to the death against the powerful criminal gangs that run the cross-border drug trade. For Mexico, the stakes are all too clear: Either it prevails or the country becomes one big sanctuary for druglords. With Mexico reaching out to the United States for help and the Bush administration eager to comply, Congress must make assistance to Mexico an urgent priority. Last week, the...

Decision '08: John McCain's big speech on Latin America Tuesday projects a leadership that will go down well in our southern hemisphere. Instead of focusing on dictators, he aims to shun tyrants and champion people.Zeroing in first on democracy's biggest black hole, McCain in Miami warned the Castro oligarchy that "Cuba is destined to be free" and he didn't intend to stand passively nor buttress the Castro regime on its last legs by inviting them to tea in the White House. Winds of change are coming. "I will provide more material assistance and moral support to the courageous human rights...

WICHITA, Kan. — Four Hispanic families are suing St. Anne's Catholic School over a policy that requires students to speak English at all times while at school. The lawsuit, filed Monday, calls for an end to the policy and asks for an order barring similar policies at other diocese schools. It seeks the return of one student to the school who was allegedly kicked out for refusing to sign the "English only" pledge. And it asks for court costs and unspecified damages for discrimination and emotional suffering.

For the third May in a row, the U.S. Senate is trying to force another amnesty on the country. In May 2006 and 2007, the Senate attempted to cram Teddy Kennedy’s and John McCain’s so-called “comprehensive” mass amnesty down the American people’s throats. Last September, the Senate tried again with amnesty for younger illegals. Known as the DREAM Act, it included in-state college tuition for illegal aliens. Now, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) has attached the perennial AgJOBS amnesty to the must-pass Iraq War appropriations bill. This was part of the “comprehensive” amnesty bill. She is carrying water for those in...

Sen. John McCain used the anniversary of Cuban independence from Spain to declare his opposition to talking to the Castro government until extensive Democratic reforms take place, while sounding his support for a free trade agreement with Colombia. The presumptive Republican presidential nominee also attacked his Democratic rival, Barrack Obama, saying the Illinois senator was "naive, inexperienced and lacks judgment." McCain won applause from the mostly Hispanic audience of 700 at the Sheraton Miami Mart Hotel when he lambasted Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez. He touched on other themes as well including Haiti. "We have not been successful, and there are...

The United States' 43 million Latinos are the fastest-growing minority group in the country. For Emilio San Pedro, travelling from coast to coast talking to fellow Latinos has also allowed him to reflect on his own identity. Right from the start it felt like a perfect fit for me, an assignment that would take me across America, reporting on the lives of Latinos from all walks of life. People from all over Latin America who have settled, legally or otherwise, in the United States. I met Flor Crisostomo, an illegal immigrant with no official documents, who faces deportation from the...

WASHINGTON — President Bush's attempt to win $560 million in aid this year to assist Mexico's anti-narcotics efforts has run into a rebellion from some Texas Republicans worried about corruption, inefficiency and now defections among Mexican police officials. Wednesday's disclosure that three Mexican police chiefs are seeking asylum in the United States prompted the Texans to push Thursday for congressional hearings on the bloody border war among Mexico's drug cartels and a reassessment of U.S. anti-drug assistance to the country. "Our first priority must be to secure our own border and equip our own personnel before we even discuss sending...

For many conservatives, John McCain is not their favorite Republican. They think he's built a career at their expense, painting them as fools and bigots. They resent his holier-than-thou attitude. And they're not inclined to trust anyone who has been so fawned over by the national media. Curiously, a lot of liberal Democrats feel the same way about McCain. He isn't their favorite Republican either - but it's because they know he'll be tough to beat in November. They would have preferred to run against someone more extreme and easier to demonize. That's not John McCain. I first met McCain...

PHOENIX -- Gov. Janet Napolitano has ordered the state to end an anti-illegal immigration contract with the Maricopa County sheriff so she can pay for a larger effort to track down thousands of felons around Arizona. The sheriff, Joe Arpaio, on Tuesday criticized the governor's decision as a maneuver to thwart his efforts against illegal immigrants. "Dirty politics are at work right now," said Arpaio, who was flanked by Maricopa County Attorney Andrew Thomas, state House Speaker Jim Weiers and state Rep. Russell Pearce at a news conference. All four men have staked out hawkish positions on illegal immigration...

Dear John, I'm writing because these are crucial times for my country – our country. I don't take political campaign shenanigans lightly, even though I know the whole business costs too much money, takes too much time, avoids critical issues and ultimately gets too dirty. But it leads to the White House and the presidency and "President John McCain" sounds awfully good to you. Yes, yes, I know. Both you and Cindy have said that you want to keep it all on the high road until Election Day – that you don't want to run a negative campaign. I think...

John McCain appeared in the “No-Spin Zone” tonight–and spun, spun, spun his way through a few, scant, superficial questions about immigration. Asked whether he would do anything about illegal alien sanctuary cities, he shrugged off the question by muttering that “of course” he didn’t approve of them (but was silent on taking any proactive measures to cut off their funding). Having dispensed with that, McCain then quickly gave his new slippery, flip-flop formulation about how we need to “secure the borders” AND have “comprehensive immigration enforcement/” “temporary guest work plan” (translation: amnesty) and “deal with the 12 million people already...

Reader Edgar spots a news article in El Universal about McCain Hispanic outreach advisor Juan “bloc, not a nation” Hernandez. He’s hard at work raising money for McCain, most recently for Cinco de Mayo campaign events. And he must be undoubtedly thrilled, of course, with his friend’s decision to speak to their fellow open-borders radicals at La Raza/The Race. Here’s the Spanish version of the article: Amigo de Fox pide dinero para McCainAmigo de Fox pide dinero para McCainJuan Hernández, un antiguo miembro de la administración del presidente Vicente Fox, dedica la mayor parte de su tiempo a recaudar fondos...

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain's presidential campaign today released a new Spanish-language ad, entitled "McCain, Plan Economico," highlighting ways in which his economic plan will help small businesses flourish during these uncertain economic times. The ad will air on the internet.   "John McCain recognizes the role that Latino small businesses and entrepreneurs play in our country's economic success in an ever-changing global marketplace," said former U.S. Treasurer Rosario Marin.   The ad follows the Cinco de Mayo announcement of John McCain's participation in the La Raza Annual Convention in San Diego on July 14, 2008 and the...

House Republicans are spreading the word about the La Raza earmark in the pork-laden housing bill that I’ve been reporting on (see here and here). Fresh from the desk of House GOP leader John Boehner: Democrats are prepared to bring to the House floor legislation purportedly written to assist Americans impacted by the recent housing slump. But in recent days, it has become increasingly clear who this legislation is really out to serve: scam artists, speculators, and trial lawyers. That’s right: the bill forces taxpayers to pay for a massive $300 billion bailout at the expense of innocent victims who...

ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain today issued the following statement on Cinco de Mayo as his campaign announced several new Spanish efforts: "Cinco de Mayo commemorates an important moment in the history of Mexico's path to freedom. On this day in 1862, a small group of Mexican troops overcame overwhelming force to win the Battle of Puebla. Today, we join together to remember the sacrifice that these Mexican patriots endured, as well as the struggles of all those around the world striving for freedom. We recognize as well the important friendship that exists between our country and Mexico,...

PHOENIX (Reuters) - John McCain reached out to Hispanic voters on Monday as he sought to win over a constituency that has moved away from his Republican Party but could prove key in swing states in a close U.S. presidential election in November. The Arizona senator's campaign launched a Spanish language Web site to mark the Mexican Cinco de Mayo festival and McCain told reporters that "everything about our Hispanic voters is tailor-made to the Republican message." "I am confident that I will do very well," he said. "I know their patriotism, I know the respect for the family, the...

When Ms. Murguia of the National Council of "The Race" announces that "when free speech transforms into hate speech, we've got to draw that line " we don't know whether to laugh or cry, since her own organization's very nomenclature "The National Council of La Raza" is hate speech to the core. No other ethnic organization these days would dare to refer to themselves as "The Race." Despite all the contortions of the group, Raza (as its Latin cognate suggests), reflects the meaning of "race" in Spanish, not "the people" — and that's precisely why we don't hear of something...

The John McCain campaign celebrated Cinco de Mayo today by launching a Spanish-language version of its website–and announcing that McCain will speak at the annual conference of the National Council of La Raza (that’s “The Race”). The campaign justifies his appearance by framing it as a gesture of inclusiveness and outreach that is “part of his commitment to talking with all Americans.” Yes, they see it as an act of tolerance to legitimize the militantly open-borders, anti-immigration enforcement, ethnic nationalists who call themselves “The Race.”

PHOENIX (AP) - Republican presidential hopeful John McCain says the focus on illegal immigration during the Republican primary season harmed his party's image among Hispanics. Speaking to reporters in Phoenix on Cinco de Mayo, McCain said that Hispanic citizens want America's borders secured and illegal immigrants to be treated humanely. He says low-income Hispanic citizens are vulnerable to losing their jobs to the lower wages accepted by illegal immigrants. On the subject of broader immigration policies, McCain says local governments would not have to take on immigration problems had the federal government overhauled the country's immigration policies. McCain spoke at...

The anti-immigration views of CNN host Lou Dobbs have made him a darling in the ratings but a nemesis among US Latinos, whose frustration has risen to the Washington corridors of power. After their requests for a meeting with the chief executive of CNN's parent company were rebuffed, Latino members of Congress condemned the TV network for failing to recognise the "potentially dangerous" consequences of Dobbs's "divisive commentary". Dobbs has become a sensation thanks to his populist outbursts against undocumented immigrants, whom he calls "aliens" and accuses of "invading" America to steal jobs. The TV host also has targeted the...

Alex Gillis has become the face of immigration activism in Madison The roar of "Si, se puede!" ("Yes, we can!") that galvanized immigrant workers has been replaced this season by the plea "No mas redadas!" ("No more raids!"). But when workers and their allies rally Thursday at Brittingham Park in Madison, Alex Gillis again will be in the thick of things -- greeting the demonstrators, leading the cheers, talking with the media. Gillis has no illusions about a resurgence of the mass marches that spilled into streets across the country in spring 2006 to mark the emergence of immigrant Latinos...