RSS Feed MenuAt 9:55 am (EST) on September 11th, just after the second World Trade Center was struck, Jo Moore, former British press officer sent an email to her colleagues which read “It’s now a very good day to get out anything we want to bury. Councillors’ expenses?.” It is in her honor that I identify one story every Friday afternoon that our wonderful government tried (and failed) to bury.
This week’s Friday afternoon bombshell has been delivered by Florida Senator and Republican Mel Martinez, who apparently will be resigning, effective once Florida Governor Charlie Crist appoints someone to fill his seat. Senator Martinez revealed little about why he is quitting the Senate nearly a year and a half prior to his term expires in January 2011. In a letter to supporters, Martinez said only that “After nearly twelve years of public service in Florida and Washington, it’s time that I return to Florida and my family.”
Since it’s not often that politicians just up and quit (unless Sarah Palin is involved), there will undoubtedly be speculation as to why the senator is resigning. Regardless of what he tells the press at this afternoon’s press conference, there are good reasons to believe that Senator Martinez has grown rather frustrated with many fellow Republicans’ hard line on immigration.
Senator Martinez recently pushed very hard for comprehensive immigration reform that would create a path to citizenship for the nation’s 12 million illegal immigrants, most of whom are Hispanic. However the legislation failed, primarily due to opposition from his fellow Republicans. That one of Senator Martinez’s last major acts as senator was to buck the majority of Republicans and vote to confirm soon to be Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court Sonia Sotomayor will no doubt add to this speculation.
No matter what the Senator says at this afternoon’s press conference, Republicans across the country should call upon whatever spirits they possibly can in hopes that this story might not stay in the news cycle for too long. Senator Martinez is the only Hispanic Republican in the Senate and on the heels of the Sotomayor vote, speculation that our one Hispanic Senator is quitting over disagreements over an issue as important to Hispanics as immigration could be devastating.
Martinez’s resignation also puts Florida Republicans in an awkward spot since Governor Charlie Crist, who will appoint Martinez’s successor, announced that he would be vying for Martinez’s seat in 2012. This raises the rather awkward possibility that Crist could resign the governorship and appoint himself as senator… or he could appoint a placeholder to keep the seat warm for him. Neither option is particularly desireable.
But the awkwardness pales in comparison to Senator Martinez’s resignation. Ladies and gentlemen, Republicans officially have a full blown Hispanic problem. Senator Martinez’s resignation should serve as a wakeup call to Republicans everywhere that it is time to seriously think about whether the way that many Republicans deal with issues like immigration is in the party’s best interests. If a broader party line on immigration and other issues important to Hispanics drives away Mel Martinez, I can only imagine what the broader Hispanic community must think of us.
barker13 // Aug 9, 2009 at 8:50 pm
Re: Midcon // Aug 9, 2009 at 6:27 pm –
Hmm… I have to say, Dave… I’m a bit disappointed that you ducked my questions, comments, and points.
(*SHRUG*) (*FROWN*)
“Now as to why the military would take on non-citizen volunteers, well the military of many nations have always done that.”
That’s not an ANSWER, Dave… that’s sidestepping the question by simply throwing out a fact that relates to what “many” nations have “always” done.
As you may imagine (correctly), I know my American history as well as my world history. (*SMILE*)
So… back to my actual questions… should I expect ANSWERS anytime soon…???
(*CHUCKLE*) (*WINK*)
“…but, what I was really doing is using it as means to counter the “never” statement because one should never say never. ”
Ahhh…!!! Well in that case strike all of my above comments! You’re back to being the most brilliant man on God’s good green earth… besides me of course.
(*ROFLMAO*)
OK. Actually… let’s come up with one “exception” off the top of my head. Let’s say “Paddy” (*GRIN*) the illegal alien who has been here illegally for three years comes upon the scene of a fire and risking his own safety and indeed life rushes in and rescues darling little seven year old Lakisha whom he found hiding in a closet hugging her Teddy Bear.
Well… Paddy gets citizenship. (*WINK*)
So, yeah… seriously… we understand each other. (Well… actually… I’m still not 100% sure I totally get your position, but…) (*SHRUG*) (*GRIN*)
BILL
ottovbvs // Aug 10, 2009 at 9:15 am
BA McCormick // Aug 9, 2009 at 8:06 pm
……….Interesting answer, but you’re rather missing the point that Gingrich wasn’t trying to discredit her with the left. He was trying to discredit her with the right and hopefully the center…….the fact that the charge was ludicrous and likely to backfire with the center escaped his notice (a not unusual occurrence with Gingrich) and that was why he subsequently had to apologise and retract!
DFL // Aug 10, 2009 at 12:27 pm
The 44 % figure with regards to Bush’s share of the Hispanic vote in 2004 is almost certainly exaggerated. As detailed by Steve Sailer, the poll cited was a written form that was quite lengthy. More than likely, the more affluent and educated Hispanics filled out the form at higher rates than poorer and less educated Hispanics. That would mean that Cubans and Hispanics with long ties to the USA(remember, many New Mexican Hispanics have ties to New Mexico that surpass the ties of Massachusetts Yankees) would have been more heavily represented in the poll than second-generation Hispanics living in California, North Carolina or Georgia. Cubans and Hispanics with long historic ties to the USA are more likely to vote Republican than Hispanics living in the barrios of East Los Angeles and Fresno or in the meat processing towns of the Mid-West, Great Plains and South. More than likely, George W. Bush won 35-40 % of Hispanic votes in 2004 and not 44 %.
ottovbvs // Aug 10, 2009 at 5:28 pm
dfl // Aug 10, 2009 at 12:27 pm
“More than likely, George W. Bush won 35-40 % of Hispanic votes in 2004 and not 44 %.”
………you may be right but as a general proposition but it would be hard to disagree that the GOP is in broad terms probably in worse shape with the hispanic vote than it’s ever been…….this can be put down to two factors the campaign against immigration reform with all that that implies and the weakening of the Cuban issue…….By the end of Obama’s presidency I would not be surprised to see a full normalization of relations with Cuba and this along with the perceived general Republiican antagonism to hispanics will pretty much turn Florida (which is a sort of east coast CA) into a solid blue state
BA McCormick // Aug 11, 2009 at 12:12 am
ottovbvs,
good point, however I think Sotomayor was already discredit on the Right. I truly believe he thought that if could just prove how “racist” Sotomayor is, that the Democratic leadership would be forced to turn away from her. By doing this Gingrich showed a general lack of understanding of what the concept of “racism” truly represents in America.
Very simply “racism” has no real meaning in a conceptual sense. Its purpose is purley to smear whites who show dissent towards Left-wing racial polices (and its very effective). I’ve even noticed lately that the “racism” charge is now being used to smear people who show any opposition to the Left. It used to be only for people who opposed affirmative action, illegal immigration, or forced busing. In the last few days I’ve noticed Krugman and Chris Mathews make the claim that opposition to health-care signified “racism” as well.
ottovbvs // Aug 11, 2009 at 9:32 am
BA McCormick // Aug 11, 2009 at 12:12 am
“Very simply “racism” has no real meaning in a conceptual sense”
………..Totally disagree……I had a house in the south for years and the folks I drank with, played golf or went sailing with were basically upper middle class Republicans and most were fairly racist in their views at least according to my understanding of the term ….there’s nothing like a week on a sailboat to learn a lot about your fellow man…..it’s also obvious from all this coon and magic negro stuff that has come out of elected officials in the GOP that it’s fairly endemic……when I was a kid in fifties one occasionally used to see news reports of black lynchings……we’re all familiar with the events of the sixties…..racism is very real I’m afraid even if you don’t want to hear the cock crowing
DFL // Aug 11, 2009 at 11:16 am
Defining loaded words like racist or racism seems to be about as difficult and controversial as defining pornography, art or music. I wouldn’t even want to try. But in nearly fifty years of living, I can confidently say that most interracial violence is one-way. Even FBI statistics point to this. So who is the more racist? A black who targets a white for a mugging because the white is likely easy prey? Or a white that flees to the outer suburbs in what Michael Barone would call “white flight”?
BA McCormick // Aug 11, 2009 at 11:49 am
thank you ottovbvs,
your reply summed up perfectly the point I was making. The concept of “racism” to you only applies to whites (of course those Southern whites are REALY BAD) . Therefore its not a real word that has universal meaning that can be applied to anyone who displays a certain behavior. Its used to characterize and control white people. It doesn’t matter what kind of language or behavior comes from blacks or Hispanics (or even Obama’s Church for 20 years), all you hear and/or see is white “racism.”
The good news is that whites are starting to wake up to this “cock crowing” more and more everyday.
ottovbvs // Aug 11, 2009 at 2:51 pm
BA McCormick // Aug 11, 2009 at 11:49 am
” The concept of “racism” to you only applies to whites”
………I didn’t actually say that but just gave you a take based on my personal experiences in the South……..Of course racism is present in all ethnic groups……the germans and jews in the thirties….the serbs and bosnian muslims more recently……it’s very present in the black community and people like Jackson and Sharpton feed off it……it’s just less widespread and given the last three hundred years of history you could say they have a bit of an excuse for the attitude…..Whites don’t have much of an excuse really……you’re obviously suffering from a fairly bad case of paranoia and denial……In political terms this is getting increasingly destructive for the GOP which is going to have to function in an increasingly multi racial society…..more difficult for you too by the sound of it