Free Republic

DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO – The National Council of La Raza spends most of its time protecting and advancing the rights of Latinos through advocacy and community work. But as it wraps up its convention downtown, it has found itself defending its name. That's because activists who oppose illegal immigration are saying in e-mails, during street protests and through the media that “La Raza” means “The Race,” and have been calling the organization a hate group. The accusations have prompted soul-searching among NCLR supporters as to what the name actually means and stands for. Most say the situation is the result...

Sen. Barack Obama promised yesterday that he would make overhauling immigration policy a top priority of his first year in office if he is elected president as he chided Republican John McCain for backing away from his own comprehensive immigration bill. Obama addressed the four-day National Council of La Raza conference, which has attracted more than 20,000 people to the San Diego Convention Center. McCain, a senator from Arizona and the Republican presidential nominee-in-waiting, will address the convention today. “I know Senator McCain used to buck his party on immigration in fighting for comprehensive reform, and I admired him for...

"But I do ask for your trust that when I say, I remain committed to fair, practical and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it. I think I have earned that trust." —John McCain

Presidential Candidates Blame Each Other for Failed Immigration Reform Legislation Addressing the nation's largest Latino rights group today, Sen. John McCain will accuse Sen. Barack Obama of distorting his record and remind Latino voters that he championed immigration reform legislation that ultimately failed in Congress last year. McCain and Obama are locked in a fierce battle for Latino voters — a Democratic-leaning minority group that could have considerable influence in key battleground states this November. Obama leads McCain among Latinos by 30 percentage points, according to a recent Gallup poll, despite heavy support from Latinos for Sen. Hillary Clinton in...

Presidential hopeful John McCain address La Raza Unida, in attempts to swing the Hispanic vote his way. When the moderators of the event attempted to end questioning John McCain refused handing his microphone to members of the audience to allow their questions to be presented and answered. Obama then attempted to hit McCain's record (again) by saying he admired McCain & Kennedy's legislation regarding immigration, but stated that McCain wasn't likely to make that same move again because it wouldn't be politically sound for his Presidential run. Evidently, Obama believes everyone in the race for Presidency has his John Kerry-esque...

July 14, 2008 ARLINGTON, VA -- U.S. Senator John McCain will deliver the following remarks as prepared for delivery to the 2008 National Council of La Raza Convention in San Diego, CA, today at 12:45 p.m. PT (3:45 p.m. ET): Thank you, Jane, for that kind introduction. Thank you, also to the leadership of the National Council of La Raza, and its board of directors. I'm very pleased to be with you again to discuss some of the issues in this campaign that most concern you. As you know, this isn't my first address to La Raza. I'm proud to...

SAN DIEGO – Republican presidential candidate John McCain on Monday vigorously disputed his opponent's assertion that he had backed away from his own comprehensive plan to overhaul the nation's immigration laws. “I do ask for your trust that when I say I remain committed to fair, practical and comprehensive immigration reform, I mean it,” the Arizona senator told the National Council of La Raza convention here. “I think I have earned that trust.” On Sunday, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, told the same group at the San Diego Convention Center that McCain backed off his...