Democratic - but not GOP - candidates to appear at Mexico-linked NALEO gathering

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials has at least one link to the Mexican government: they nominate persons for Mexico's highest award to those outside Mexico, the Ohtli award. That's certainly not as objectionable a link as other groups have, but it's a link nonetheless.

At the end of the month they'll be holding a shindig in Miami and all the Democratic candidates have announced they'll be there. However, all of the Republican candidates can't make it for some reason. That's despite other supposed Republicans who'll be there: U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, Florida Governor Charlie Crist, and Florida House Speaker Marco Rubio.

Details in this report from Beth Reinhard; note the ethnically-oriented sales job:

All of the Republican presidential contenders have turned down an invitation to speak in Orlando to the nation's largest gathering of Hispanic elected officials, at a time when their constituents are poised to be a powerful force in the 2008 election.

...About 1,000 Hispanic leaders, representing the fastest-growing part of the electorate, are expected at the conference. Hispanic voters could be particularly influential this year because of their strong presence in big states that have scheduled early presidential primaries, including Florida and California.

..."The Republican presidential candidates turning their back on this event is kind of shameful,'' said [Republican state Rep. Juan Zapata of Miami], who represents a heavily Republican Cuban-American district. "Politically, it could have been huge for us. I want to know why they're not coming."

Maybe they read somewhere that NALEO has a link to the Mexican government or something? At least, that's what I'd hope.

Immigration2007a · Tue, 06/12/2007 - 09:04 · · Importance: 1