by Alex Meneses Miyashita
Janet Murguía
Only four presidential candidates—all Democrats— showed up at a forum sponsored by the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Oct. 3 during its annual Hispanic Heritage Month activities in Washington’ D.C., spurring 5criticism from some Latino leaders at the event.
“It’s a mistake for the other candidates not to have been here’ Janet Murguía’ president of the National Council of La Raza, told Weekly Report. “It’s a missed opportunity.”
All Democrat and Republican candidates were invited to participate, according to the CHCI. This includes eight Democrats and ten Republicans.
The quartet of Democratic candidates who spoke at CHCl’s 2007 public policy conference included Sen. Joe Biden (Del.), Sen. Hillary Clinton (N.Y.), former Sen. Mike Gravel (Alaska) and Rep. Dennis Kucinich (Ohio).
Democratic leaders at the event sharply criticized the absence of Republican candidates, stressing it was not the first time that they failed to address members of the Latino community.
“Republicans have been completely absent and I think that is an insult to our community’~ Sen. Robert Menéndez (D-N.J.) told a group of reporters in Spanish. ¢¢lf they… have rejected the opportunities to communicate with our community why they should be the president of the United States, I think the people will reject them in November of next year.~Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-Calif.) also chided them’ noting that all of the Republican candidates, except for Rep. Duncan Hunter (Calif.), refused to attend the National Association of Elected and Appointed Officials conference in Orlando in June. “This is a very clear message to the Latino community that the Republican candidates in particular do not value the Latino community and are not interested in trying tc have R diRlQ9Ue’’’She told Weekly Report.
Other recent instances in which Republican candidates have not participated in a public forum addressing issues of concern to Latinos and communities of color include a debate on PBS end another sponsored by Univisión with instant translation.
The Republican National Committee rejected the notion that the party is not interested in reaching out to Hispanics and earning their vote.
“That s just a political campaign that the Democrats want to do,” Hessy Fernandez, the director of Hispanic communications with the RNC, told Weekly Report.
Fernandez emphasized it was “ironic” that Democrats went on to criticize Republican candidates when only four of their candidates showed up at a forum put together by a “Democrat” organization.
“This organization tends to serve the interests of the Democratic Party,” she said.
The CHCh chaired by Democratic Rep. Joe Baca (Calif.), defines itself as a nonprofit nonpartisan organization.
But its 13 policy sessions were hosted by members of the all-Democratic Congressional Hispanic Caucus.
Roybel-Allard said there were probably “very valid” reasons as to why four of the eight Democratic candidates failed to confirm their presence at the forum.
“It was probably a result of the (legislative schedule) conflict we have here in Washington’” she said, adding that Democratic candidates “have made an effort to show up at other events that have been put on by the Latino community.”
New Mexico GQV. Bill Richardson (D)’ the only Latino running for president, was among the absentees.
Campaign spokesperson Tom Reynolds confirmed to Weekly Report they had a prior scheduling in Nevada.
Richardson also missed the CHCl’s gala the evening of Oct. 3, an event he was confirmed to attend, because of “plane malfunctions,” Reynolds said.
An Associated Press article on Richardson’s campaign stop in Boulder City’ Nevada stated the governor “is hoping for a strong showing in Nevada, scheduled to hold the second caucus in the nation Jan. 19.”
One report had Obama’s camp excusing his absence to celebrate his wedding anniversary at home, but he made campaign stops in IOWR that day. The RNC’s Fernandez maintained the GOP candidates “ere putting forth a positive agenda that benefits Latinos,” and criticized in particular Clinton’s universal health plan as e proposal that Hispanics “don’t want.”
Clinton, the leading presidential candidate among Democrats and Republicans according to recent polls, was the only candidate at the forum who received a standing ovation from CHCI conference attendees, which to~ taled more than 600 at the forum.
“This was an opportunity for her to talk to the Latino community that really has been very supportive of her,” Fabiola Rodríguez Ciampoli, director of Hispanic communications for Clinton’s campaign, told Weekly Report. “It was definitely an invitation we could not have missed.”
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