Nbadan
05-29-2007, 04:19 AM
WP: Hispanic Groups Reconsider Their Support for Gonzales
By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2007; Page A03
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/05/28/PH2007052801327.jpg
Brent Wilkes said LULAC "hoped for better" from Alberto Gonzales. (Alex Wong)
Two years ago, major Hispanic groups broke with other civil rights organizations and supported Alberto R. Gonzales's nomination for attorney general, primarily because he would become the highest-ranking Latino ever in a presidential Cabinet.
Now, these groups say they are suffering from buyer's remorse.
"I have to say we were in error when we supported him to begin with," said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. Gonzales, Wilkes said, has not aggressively pursued hate crimes and cases of police profiling of Hispanics. "We hoped for better. Instead it looks like he's done the bidding of the White House."
Janet Murguia, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic rights group, called Gonzales "a follower, not a leader." In the Hispanic community, she said, "people are conflicted. They are excited that a Latino had a chance to serve as the attorney general." But, she added, "I think we've been disappointed with his record so far."
Activists have criticized La Raza and LULAC for backing Gonzales. Critics questioned how these groups could support, in the name of ethnic solidarity, a man who had a role in permitting more aggressive interrogation techniques to be used on terrorism suspects held in Cuba and elsewhere.
A few rights organizations that once backed Gonzales now refuse to talk about him. Gilbert Moreno, president of the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, said, "We're not really in a position to comment." Gonzales once sat on his organization's board.
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, which offered enthusiastic support for Gonzales, also declined to discuss him. William Ramos, director of the organization's Washington office, said, "We provided a support letter, yes," then hung up....
Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052801139.html?hpid=moreheadlines)
It's too bad those groups let straight line identity politics cloud their judgements. This is like the NAACP supporting Clarence Thomas as a Supreme Court justice.
By Darryl Fears
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2007; Page A03
http://media3.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/photo/2007/05/28/PH2007052801327.jpg
Brent Wilkes said LULAC "hoped for better" from Alberto Gonzales. (Alex Wong)
Two years ago, major Hispanic groups broke with other civil rights organizations and supported Alberto R. Gonzales's nomination for attorney general, primarily because he would become the highest-ranking Latino ever in a presidential Cabinet.
Now, these groups say they are suffering from buyer's remorse.
"I have to say we were in error when we supported him to begin with," said Brent Wilkes, executive director of the League of United Latin American Citizens. Gonzales, Wilkes said, has not aggressively pursued hate crimes and cases of police profiling of Hispanics. "We hoped for better. Instead it looks like he's done the bidding of the White House."
Janet Murguia, president and chief executive of the National Council of La Raza, the nation's largest Hispanic rights group, called Gonzales "a follower, not a leader." In the Hispanic community, she said, "people are conflicted. They are excited that a Latino had a chance to serve as the attorney general." But, she added, "I think we've been disappointed with his record so far."
Activists have criticized La Raza and LULAC for backing Gonzales. Critics questioned how these groups could support, in the name of ethnic solidarity, a man who had a role in permitting more aggressive interrogation techniques to be used on terrorism suspects held in Cuba and elsewhere.
A few rights organizations that once backed Gonzales now refuse to talk about him. Gilbert Moreno, president of the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans, said, "We're not really in a position to comment." Gonzales once sat on his organization's board.
The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, which offered enthusiastic support for Gonzales, also declined to discuss him. William Ramos, director of the organization's Washington office, said, "We provided a support letter, yes," then hung up....
Washington Post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/05/28/AR2007052801139.html?hpid=moreheadlines)
It's too bad those groups let straight line identity politics cloud their judgements. This is like the NAACP supporting Clarence Thomas as a Supreme Court justice.