Garden State Patriot

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As a conservative, we are accustomed to the Left hurling vicious, one-liner attacks our way.

Sexist. Homophobe. Racist.

These are always the default arguments for Leftists bereft of any logical thought and an inability to put forth a coherent counterpoint to conservative views.

However, I have to admit. The one attack that irks me most is being called racist, for nothing could be further from the truth. Nothing. Nor is it true of most people I have conversed with in my life who share similar views. Conservatism, as it were, is a color-blind ideology.

Thus, when someone like Alicia Menendez, daughter of our fair Senator Bob Menendez, pens an article baselessly accusing Republicans of not caring about Latinos I can’t help but be angered. Not just as a conservative, but as an American who wants nothing but prosperity for all citizens.

You see, the real race-baiters are people like Alicia Menendez who do not treat people as individuals. Rather, Menendez prefers to segment us into groups and then pit us against one another; all, of course, with one aim - gaining political power.

For demogogues like Miss Menendez, pointing to the widespread appointments of Hispanics throughout the Bush Administration will not matter. Pointing to the appointment of Alberto Gonzales as the first ever Attorney General, fruitless.

You see, to Miss Menendez, GOPers are anti-Latino if they do not send a representative to a meeting held by the controversial group La Raza; a group that favors open borders and amnesty and consists of Mexicans who believe that the Southwest territory rightfully belongs to Mexico. And, of course, no such current attack is complete without a mention of Sonia Sotomayor.

This inability (or unwillingness) to connect with Latino voters brings back sweet, sweet memories of 2008, when right-wing extremists alienated Hispanics by pulling the GOP rhetoric to the right on immigration. Last fall, the contenders for the Republican Presidential nomination, save John McCain, all declined invitations to a Univision-sponsored presidential debate. Here we are, a year later, and the GOP is still turning down invites.

I’m a progressive Latina—I should be throwing a fiesta, right? Democrats have an opportunity to lock-down the fastest-growing, most brand-loyal group in the country and Republicans aren’t even trying to compete. On paper, it’s great.

But regardless of which party Latino voters show up for on election day, our community needs Democratic and Republican lawmakers to care about our issues the other 364 days of the year. And if the GOP cannot get it together enough to send a high-profile representative to one of the largest gatherings of Latino leaders in the country, what should we expect when comprehensive immigration reform hits the House floor? More of the same rhetoric? Another no-show?

Just as the story of Sonia Sotomayor, a Puerto Rican, overlaps with the story of so many Americans, the concerns of Hispanic-Americans are shared by much of the country. When a community who voted for health care reform, economic revival and comprehensive immigration reform is ignored, we are all ignored.

That’s bad for Latinos, it’s bad for immigrants, and it’s bad for America.

Somehow, I’m sure, Democrat opposition to Miguel Estrada was not ‘anti-Latino’ in Miss Menendez’ mind. Another fact to be ignored in the quest for political power.

All of this would be of little consequence if this tactic were not effective. Unfortunately, all too many Leftists seem to buy into it hook, line and sinker. Ergo, you see vicious comments from her readers such as…

The problem is not that the Republicans don’t care about Latinos. The problem is they consider Latinos to be sub-human law breakers and either dislike or actively hate them.

Its not just Latinos that the GOP hates, they also hate blacks, gays, Arabs, Muslims, Canadians, Europeans (especially the French), Asians, and liberals. Did I leave anyone out? That’s basically the whole world and 70% of America that they hate. GOPers are one sad pathetic, bigoted, racist hate filled group of people.

The republicans and especially those like buchanan, limbaugh, hannity, coulter, and beck firmly believe that white people are superior to people of color – any color. They are terrified of losing their presumed preeminent position and therefore spew anger, hate, and racism. They have not yet come to grips with the declining demographics of the GOP base.

…to name a few.

Miss Menendez, let me tell you this. What is bad for America is not that the GOP doesn’t address La Raza. It’s not that Republicans or conservatives oppose your socialist agenda. What is bad for America is when you accuse fellow Americans of not caring a whit for their brethren, without possibly knowing what is in their hearts. What is bad for America – truly bad for America – is when people like you attempt to stoke the fires of race in order to promote your agenda.  For so doing, you ought to be utterly and unabashedly ashamed of yourself.

Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude!

Representative Charlie Rangel appeared on New York 1 last night to discuss next year’s Democrat primary in New York. During the discussion Rangel lashed out Andrew Cuomo, the state’s current Attorney General because he has not ruled out a primary challenge against sitting governor David Paterson. Rangel went on to say that the prospect of such a challenge could cause ‘racial polarization’ within the Democrat Party.

Rep. Charles Rangel Friday warned of “racial polarization” if Attorney General Andrew Cuomo challenges Gov. Paterson in a primary next year.

Rangel, who is close to the poll-challenged Paterson, ripped Cuomo on New York 1 last night for flatly not ruling out a run for governor next year.

“You cannot support the governor, prepare for reelection and at the same time say that you’re keeping your options open for a primary,” Rangel said.

Cuomo has repeatedly said he expects to run for reelection, but has noted that next year is a long way off.

Should Cuomo run, Rangel said, it would create a divide that could be “devastating” to New York Democrats.

“I think that there might be an inclination for racial polarization in a primary in the state of New York,” Rangel said.

“Since we have most African-Americans registered as Democrats, and since you would be making an appeal for Democrats, it would be devastating in my opinion.”

Paterson, of course, was appointed to the governorship after Elliot Spitzer’s sex scandal led him to resign. However, since taking over, Paterson has grown increasingly unpopular. His budget proposals, laden with increases in taxes and fees, have not been well-received.

So, according to Rangel, a Cuomo challenge would be racially polarizing. How this is not dealing the race card from the bottom of the deck, I don’t know. Just what is the meaning behind Rangel’s statement?

• Is Rangel saying an incompetent governor, or any governor for that matter, is above a challenge merely because he is black?
• Is he saying that black voters within his own party would not understand the reasons for Paterson being challenged?
• Is he saying black voters are all drones who vote in lock step?
• Is he saying black voters in the Democratic Party will revolt because a white man challenged a black incumbent?

It’s hard not to read at least some of the above into Rangel’s comments, none of which can be viewed as anything but race baiting.

However, it’s also quite ironic to witness this kind of politics play out within the Democratic Party. After all, this is how Democrats like use race to attack Republicans. In fact, it’s not really any different than the warnings from Democrats or liberals in the media for Republicans not to oppose Sonia Sotomayor’s nomination to the Supreme Court now, is it?

Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude!

Could you imagine John Ashcroft making an inflammatory statement like this and not seeing a full-blown attack from the Left, with accusations of racism?

WASHINGTON (AP) – Attorney General Eric Holder described the United States Wednesday as a nation of cowards on matters of race, saying most Americans avoid discussing unresolved racial issues. In a speech to Justice Department employees marking Black History Month, Holder said the workplace is largely integrated but Americans still self-segregate on the weekends and in their private lives.

“Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards,” said Holder, nation’s first black attorney general.

This reminded me of a little controversy with Bill O’Reilly back in 2007. O’Reilly was having an open and frank discussion about race with Fox News contributor Juan Williams on his radio program. Williams, of course, is an African-American.

Well during the discussion O’Reilly made some remarks about his expereience while at a diner in Harlem with Al Sharpton that weren’t exactly well-put. 

 O’Reilly told his radio audience that he dined with civil rights activist Al Sharpton at Sylvia’s recently and “couldn’t get over the fact that there was no difference” between the black-run restaurant and others in New York City.

However, this was only a brief snipet of the entire conversation; a conversation which was actually critical of racism. Yet the media and groups like Media Matters jumped all over him for it.

My point is this: If we are a nation of cowards when it comes to race relations, as Holder says, then a lot of blame lays with the media and certain segments of the American Left. When groups such as these are so quick to accuse people (whites in particular) of being racists the minute they make the littlest comment on race relations (let alone take their comments out of context), then it tends to suppress the dialogue and only serves to inflame both sides.

Cross-posted at Conservatives with Attitude!