Morning NewsTaco

Thursday June 21, 2012

Latino vote looms larger in this and future elections (The Washington Post):  As Mitt Romney prepares to travel to Orlando on Thursday to address a large gathering of Hispanic political activists, the Republican Party is still struggling to respond to President Obama’s announcement last week that he would halt deportations of young illegal immigrants — a decision that could help the president with Latino voters in this fall’s election.

Hispanics hold key to swing states in presidential election (McClatchy/St. Augustine Record):  Hispanic voters are poised this year to be the swing votes for president in many of the nation’s swing states. They’re expected to vote in big numbers again for President Barack Obama, and their numbers are growing. In Colorado, Nevada, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, they very well could determine whether Obama wins another term or is succeeded by Republican Mitt Romney.

Survey finds Latino backing for Obama in swing states (McCatchy/Sacramento Bee):  Latino voters are poised this year to be the swing votes for president in many of the nation’s swing states. They’re expected to vote in big numbers again for President Barack Obama, and their numbers are growing. In Colorado, Nevada, Florida, North Carolina and Virginia, they very well could determine whether Obama wins another term or is succeeded by Republican Mitt Romney.

Obama’s Shift On Immigration And The Latino Vote (NPR): Among the issues raised by President Obama’s new plan to defer deportation for some young undocumented immigrants is growing political outreach to Latino voters. He and Governor Romney both plan to speak at the annual conference of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.

Latino boom makes Orlando proving ground for Obama (CNN):   President Obama and Mitt Romney are set to make appearances beginning Thursday at a major gathering of Latino officials and activists in Florida, a moment that campaign-weary Democrats have awaited for weeks.

Mitt Romney, the veepstakes and the Hispanic vote (The Washington Post):  Mitt Romney on Tuesday pushed back on reports that Sen. Marco Rubio is not on his vice presidential short list, a move that once again thrusts the junior senator from Florida back in the political spotlight.

Romney campaign cuts press call short after immigration questions (The Hill):  Mitt Romney’s campaign cut a press call short Wednesday after reporters started asking questions about immigration. The conference call was set up to focus on the economy and knock President Obama’s comment that the private sector was “doing fine.”

RNC stays the course on Hispanic voters (Politico):  The Republican National Committee has produced a Web video targeting Hispanics on the issue of the economy, signaling that GOP messaging toward Hispanic voters won’t change dramatically after the White House announced a major policy shift on immigration.

The eight states where Latinos could sink the GOP (The Washington Post):  Republicans’ emerging problem with Latino voters looks even worse when you factor in the electoral college. A look at Latino population trends in swing and key red states shows just how ominous the GOP’s future could be if it doesn’t do something about its current struggles with Latino voters.

Obama, Romney in Orlando this week to talk to Hispanic leaders (Orlando Sentinel):  The year’s first big national showdown over Hispanic voters plays out in Orlando this week, with Gov. Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama making their cases to more than 1,000 leaders of the National Association of Latino Elected Officials.

Obama’s Immigration Misstep (The Wall Street Journal):  When Barack Obama last week used his presidential powers to temporarily block deportations for some young illegal immigrants, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio warned that the president’s “election year action” would have “negative consequences” for these immigrants in the “long-term.” He was speaking of the potential for a lasting and bipartisan legislative fix to the problem. And what has grown clear in the days since the announcement is that the president has well and truly blow up any possibility of such a deal.

Supreme Court Could Pose New Challenge for Romney on Immigration (The New York Times):  As Mitt Romney sought support among conservatives in his party’s primary races this year, he pledged to back an immigration law in Arizona that has drawn a fierce legal challenge from President Obama and the federal government.

Speaking of the Economy, Let’s Talk About Immigration (The New York Times):  What’s on the mind of a campaign’s message machine may not be the burning issue in journalists’ minds. When Mitt Romney’s campaign held a conference call with reporters on Wednesday morning to discuss what it called President Obama’s “record of failure on the economy,” the first three questions from reporters were about Mr. Romney’s views on immigration. Campaign press aides abruptly ended the conversation.

Is Arizona the Worst Place in the Country to Be a Latina? (Huffington Post):  Any day now, the United States Supreme Court is expected to issue two landmark decisions — concerning the Affordable Care Act health reform law and the harsh Arizona anti-immigrant law SB 1070. Collectively, these decisions will have a profound impact on the lives of millions of Latinas. Both cases point to relentless and harmful legislative attacks that have targeted women and immigrants and distracted policymakers from addressing the real issues Latinas, and most Americans, care about: the need for comprehensive immigration reform and health care policy that keeps women and our families safe and healthy.