Democrats court Hispanic vote in Univision forum

Washington Times ^ | September 10, 2007 | Christina Bellantoni

[3AngelaD]

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The Democrats running for president pledged last night to tackle immigration reform their first year in office, courting Hispanic voters in a live forum that offered little new substance. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York said she would add border patrols and consider physical barriers on both the northern and southern U.S. borders. She said she favors a "pathway to legalization," but her policy would focus on keeping families together.

Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language network, sponsored the forum...,

Mrs. Clinton excoriated Republicans for doing a "great disservice" with their immigration proposals. "It is being demagogued ... it is being used to bash immigrants, and that must stop," she said. Sen. Barack Obama said that in addition to stronger border security, he would push an employer-verification system and craft a pathway to citizenship for the millions of illegal aliens already in the country. He also would work to reform the system for legal immigrants...Obama equated their struggle to the civil rights movement, quoting from a Martin Luther King letter to Cesar Chavez: "Our separate struggles are one."

Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina said the immigration debate should focus on...a path to earn citizenship for those who are living here and who are undocumented."...

Mr. Richardson said he was disappointed that "Univision has promoted English only in this debate," and received applause, before continuing in Spanish and prompting a rebuke from the moderator....

Rep. Dennis J. Kucinich of Ohio got big cheers for his line, "Our troops need to be brought home now." Former Sen. Mike Gravel of Alaska said that if elected he will "reach out" to Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez, and criticized border-security plans, saying he is "embarrassed" by border-fence proposals.

[3AngelaD]

Richardson totally pi**ed off the moderators and insulted Univision! I though Jorge Ramos was going to jump out of his chair and throttle him. It is interesting that NONE of them thought to talk about the welfare of the country as a whole, or the interests of the American people as a whole. Very divisive. I really would have preferred to hear this in Spanish, because that way the true pandering would have been apparent.

[Old Sarge]

Why court it? They already have it.

Bush’s fault. (no sarcasm)

[Right Cal Gal]

“it is being used to bash immigrants”

Sing with me now:

“Everybody panders for some-thing...
But nobody panders like Shrill-er-eeee!”

[Jedi Master Pikachu]

Ended up taking up a nap through it.

Apparently Bill Richardson continued to push the racist 'he's one of them' route. And surprisingly, Senator Dodd is supposedly fluent in Spanish.

[3AngelaD]

It wasn’t exactly riveting, was it? Not one surprise except for the flap over not letting them speak Spanish.