PRESS RELEASE from Log Cabin Republicans

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2012 Contact: Christian Berle
To Win the White House, Republicans Must Rebuild the Big Tent

(Washington, DC) - Log Cabin Republicans statement on Governor Mitt Romney's victory in the Florida Republican primary.

 

"After hearing such a dismal State of the Union, more voters are looking for a candidate who can defeat President Obama. The sooner the Republican Party unifies around a nominee focused on job creation and economic growth, the better prepared we will be to retake the White House," said R. Clarke Cooper, Log Cabin Republicans Executive Director. "With a strong showing in Florida, including a win at the Florida Log Cabin Republicans straw poll on Saturday, Romney proves he can build a coalition of conservative voters. Our local chapter leaders report that, like Florida voters overall, Log Cabin members in the Sunshine State were drawn to Romney's business sense and clear plan to return America to prosperity through a strong private sector. Still, there remain serious reservations about recent statements by Romney to so-called "pro-family" groups. The real question now is whether Romney can win a majority of Americans, including younger voters, independents and disaffected Democrats. The 2010 midterm election, in which Republicans campaigned on smaller government and cutting spending, is a model for victory in 2012. Republicans of all stripes are strongly committed to replacing President Obama, there is no need or excuse for engaging in antigay pandering or divisive social politics. Log Cabin Republicans are looking for a candidate who can rebuild the big tent, unite our party and claim a mandate to restore liberty and fiscal responsibility to the United States. Whether that candidate is Romney remains to be seen."


 

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PRESS RELEASE from Somos Republicans [endorsed Gingrich on Jan. 16, 2012]

For Immediate Release
February 1, 2012

Contact: Communications
info@somosrepublicans.com

FLORIDA 2012 PRIMARY ELECTION STATEMENT

We were hoping our Cuban American and Puerto Rican brothers would disregard their leadership lead to support anti-immigrant Mitt Romney. The Florida primary results show the total disregard a good majority of Cuban Americans have for conservative Mexican Americans, South Americans, and Central Americans who aspire, like Cuban Americans, to be an integral part of this country. This vote shows the lack of solidarity with the majority of Latinos, even while Cuban Americans and Puerto Rican serve themselves with the big spoon when it is time to distribute the political and economic/business opportunities/leverage generated by the critical mass of Latinos, mainly Mexican Americans (65%), but also Central Americans and South Americans. These latter don’t have the same opportunities of citizenship that Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans enjoy, and thus, in general, Cuban American put aside the priorities of the majority of Latinos. For a long time we have put the Latino agenda in the hands of Cuban Americans, and look where we are. It has been a tremendous disaster; we could not be more despised and disadvantaged in this country, in spite of our numbers and great contributions.

The overwhelming vote of Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans for anti-Latino immigrant Mitt Romney should open the eyes of conservative Latino Republicans not belonging to the Cuban and Puerto Rican communities, to the fact that we do not count on their support for our political, economic/business agenda, and thus, they should not count on us, except on a previously negotiated basis on which we, Mexican Americans, hold our votes and power in the hands of our own leadership. For this, we must accelerate the pace to build this Mexican American leadership that this major ethnic group needs to hold to represent the interests of its constituency within the Republican party. No more leaving our issues in the hands of other “Latinos”. If the Republican Party wants the votes of the largest Latino Group, Mexican Americans, and its brothers Central and South Americans, they will need to negotiate with us, not with Cuban or Puerto Rican Americans. In Light of the Cuban American leadership support for anti Latino immigrant Mitt Romney (“illegal immigrant” is a code word for Latino immigrants, and Cuban Americans fool themselves if they think the Latino haters do not put us all in the same basket – as as small sample, you just had to hear the expressions of disgust within the Georgia Republican party when Mel Martinez was head of the RNC; Latino students at GA state reported that a professor coming from Florida said in class, in front of all the students, that Miami was a third world country infested with Cubans).

We welcome the friendship and brotherhood of those few Cubans and Puerto Ricans who embrace us, and who will accept our rightful leadership role. The Republican Party should know, and we will make it evident through our organization and future coalitions, that we will not align with Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans any longer, except when there are clear mutual interests, and that Mexican Americans no longer consider themselves represented within the party by Cuban Americans and Puerto Ricans. If the Republican Party wants the Mexican American community’s support, the by far largest Latino group, they need to have one of us, Mexican American.

Republicans must acknowledge that if Mexican Americans are marginalized, we will not fulfill our potential as a key pillar to America’s economic and political future in the world. America will be poor if Mexican Americans are poor and powerless. We will not allow this. To the innuendo and racist rhetoric through the construction of code-alkaloid language such as “illegals” and “Anchor babies”, we will respond with harder work, greater love for this country, and greater organization. We will not give up the Republican Party because these are our values, but we will support only those who embrace us. We will identify and clearly explain to Republicans that they have substituted Republican values for hate, and that the “hate coalition” which has taken over the party uses hate to hide and distract from the fact that they are big spenders, big government, big brother policy. They use a minor civil violation to dehumanize “some” immigrants. Those who call themselves Reaganites do not belong in the immigrant hate coalition. We Mexican Americans are more than willing to work hard to contribute to build the bright future of this country, and warmly embrace all of those who embrace us. Likewise, we will be well aware of those who do not.

About Somos Republicans:

Somos Republicans is a national watchdog group and the largest Hispanic Republican grassroots organization in the nation because of our leadership that is pro immigration reform. The Mission of Somos Republicans is to promote political education and information needed to make more informed political decisions. To inspire the Hispanic people to make a difference in their lives and the lives of their neighbors through collaborative political education, volunteer commitment and responsible participation in society.