A member of the House Democratic leadership said Wednesday that Latinos view President Barack Obama with "suspicion" for failing to meet expectations.
Rep. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), the House Democratic Caucus vice chairman, offered stern words for Obama, saying that the Latino population wants to see more from the White House on issues that are important to them.
"I think there’s a lot of suspicion, a lot of doubt, a lot of concern," he said on KPCC Radio of Obama's image among Latinos. "The president made a promise. He hasn’t fulfilled that promise. Rightfully, I think a lot of folks are questioning where the president’s priorities are."
Latino groups have been pressuring Congress and the White House to act on comprehensive immigration reform amid doubts that legislation will be passed this year.
Becerra's comments are one of the most significant broadsides from a lawmaker against Obama's sway with Latinos.
During the 2008 presidential race, Obama was able to galvanize Latinos into a solid Democratic voting bloc after President George W. Bush attracted a record level of Latino support for a GOP presidential nominee in the 2004 election.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who has been negotiating immigration reform with the White House and Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), said last month that the issue is "dead" in the Senate this year because the contentious healthcare debate left Republicans with a sour taste in their mouths.
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F-the Latino vote. If you only want to support politicians that will support the illegal colonization of the US by your cousins jumping the fence, we don't need you voting.
ReplyDeleteObama gave a speech at the 2008 NCLR convention in which he promised to pass immigration reform. He made that promise to get the Latino vote, whose votes he needed (and still needs) to win the presidency. Nobody forced Obama to make these statements. He made them himself. So don't whine because people are now holding Obama accountable for his campaign promises.
ReplyDeleteNAFTA has unleashed a human rights catastrophe along the border. Just because the media ignore it, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist.