Media
The rise of the Hispanic super-PAC
By Josh Lederman and Rachel Leven
http://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/207561-the-rise-of-the-hispanic-super-pac
There’s a new phenomenon in Washington: the Hispanic super-PAC, which aims to give political voice to the nation’s fastest-growing demographic.
Two have cropped up since the beginning of the year. Another that formed as a regular PAC in 2010 has relaunched as a super-PAC, expanding its efforts from a single House district to 15. And at least one other Hispanic PAC is considering making the leap to super-PAC status.
Some are liberal, some conservative. Some plan to target House and Senate races, others the presidential race. All share the belief that they are uniquely positioned to empower Hispanics in a way that the political parties have not and cannot.“We see an opportunity, because there’s a gap here,” said Angelette Aviles of Hispanic Vote PAC, a conservative group that formed the third week in January. “Even with the Republican Party, they say they have Hispanic outreach, but they never dedicate a budget to it. We’re helping to bridge that gap.”
Their arrival creates an unusual conundrum for good-governance advocates: The under-representation of Hispanics in American politics is widely recognized, and any effort to engage Hispanic voters is generally met with applause. But the rise of the Hispanic super-PAC represents an even greater influx of the unaccountable, unlimited election cash against which both parties have railed.
“McCain-Feingold was supposed to increase transparency in our campaign finance,” said a Republican Party source. “It clearly hasn’t. These super-PACs are funneling money all over the place.”
Those doubting the increasing importance of the Hispanic electorate need look no further than swing states such as Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico. And in Florida, the GOP presidential candidates have been actively courting the Hispanic vote with Spanish-language ads and vicious attacks on each other’s immigration policies. Almost 1.5 million Hispanics are registered to vote in Tuesday’s presidential primary in Florida — more than 13 percent of the electorate there, according to the Pew Hispanic Center.
A heterogeneous population representing multiple ethnic backgrounds and cultures, Hispanics are difficult to pigeonhole politically but have historically trended Democratic. But growing evidence suggests the potential for that to change, creating an opening for Republicans and a dilemma for Democrats.
“Republicans don’t need a large number of Hispanics. All they need to do is get a few points in each of these states and shave off that margin, and Democrats have a problem,” said Joe Velasquez of the American Latino Alliance PAC.
Velasquez’s group formed in mid-January and is putting together a muscular fundraising and campaign structure, bringing on the polling firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner and Hispanic media guru James Aldrete. The super-PAC plans to support President Obama’s reelection and Democratic Senate candidates in seven states: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Arizona, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico.
“We’re a very, very, very partisan Democratic operation,” Velasquez said. “We’re going to be heavy with the president.”
Another group, the American Worker PAC, intends to spend at least $5 million during the cycle, concentrating its efforts on 15 marginal House districts that have Hispanic populations of 25 percent or higher.
“2012 is the first time in American history that Latinos will have a chance to flex their power,” said the PAC’s leader, former union operative Chuck Rocha.
The PAC’s Latino Project went on the air in Texas this month against Rep. Francisco “Quico” Canseco (R-Texas) with radio ads blasting him as a bank executive who has forgotten whom he represents in Congress.
“Not surprising,” the ad says. “This is the same Quico Canseco who was slapped with over $700,000 in liens for unpaid taxes and fees, but refuses to consider raising taxes on himself and fellow millionaires.”
Canseco spokesman Scott Yeldell dismissed the Hispanic character of the group, calling it a consortium of big labor groups shilling for Democrats who despise Canseco’s pro-growth policies.
“While they may have decided to call themselves the ‘Latino Project,’ this is a misnomer for their super-PAC,” Yeldell said. “Ethnicity has nothing to do with this group or the issues they are wrong about.”
What is striking about these Hispanic super-PACs is their lack of emphasis on immigration policy. The conservative Hispanic Vote PAC isn’t going to touch the issue, while other groups said immigration may or may not be one aspect of their advocacy.
Polling consistently shows that Hispanic voters prioritize issues like jobs, education and healthcare over immigration. But candidates and parties generally center their outreach to the community on immigration, in the absence of another specific issue they feel speaks directly to the Hispanic community.
A Democratic National Committee spokesman declined to comment for this story. But a Democratic official in a Southwestern state said Hispanic super-PACs could succeed where the parties have struggled, by tailoring a broad-based economic message to the concerns of Hispanic voters and targeting the Spanish-language media.
“Those groups will be more effective, if they are able to do it right, than frankly our party or any others, because they can focus on a specific set of needs,” the official said.
By law, parties and candidates cannot coordinate with super-PACs, which can accept unlimited contributions from corporations and individuals to spend supporting candidates and attacking their opponents. But Republican National Committee spokeswoman Alexandra Franceschi said the GOP wants to see Hispanics involved at every level of the Republican Party.
“We think the fact that these super-PACs are focused on the Hispanic vote shows the growing importance of the Hispanic electorate, and how important it will be in the 2012 election,” she said.
The difference that super-PACs could make in ushering in a new era of influence for Hispanics in American politics could be profound.
David Mason, a former Federal Election Commission chairman now with the Aristotle consulting firm, said Hispanic super-PACs should be wary of party-oriented politics. But if they can develop into a mature grassroots movement with the ability to raise money internally, they could parallel the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, whose influence transcends elections and helps set the legislative agenda in Washington.
And Joseph Birkenstock, former chief counsel for the DNC who has also advised Stephen Colbert’s super-PAC, said the phenomenon could help the Hispanic community achieve its goals quicker than African-Americans, who faced a lag of more than a century between the Civil War and their community’s emergence as a potent political force.
“Happily, it’s not going to take that long for the Hispanic community to find its voice,” he said.
PoliticsinStereo.com Launch- New Political News Site Features Both Sides
Just in time for the 2012 elections, a new website offers political news from both sides. PoliticsinStereo.com [link: http://politicsinstereo.com] features state-based political news from the Left, the Right, and non-partisan sources, all in one place. The simple, three-column set-up makes it easy for readers to understand each Contributor’s perspective.
Politics in Stereo launched in December with five states (Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Florida, and Nevada) and will be adding more states in the weeks and months ahead to create a network of quality, state-based news sources from across the ideological spectrum and across the country.
The Politics in Stereo network already includes prominent state newspapers (including the Des Moines Register, Tampa Bay Times, Las Vegas Review Journal, and the Charleston Post & Courier), contributors on the Left (such as Blue Hampshire, Steve Sebelius, Florida Progressive Coalition, and others) and contributors on the Right (The Iowa Republican, Granite Grok, the Shark Tank, and more).
Nathan Gonzales is Founder and Publisher of Politics in Stereo. He’s also Deputy Editor of The Rothenberg Political Report [link: http://rothenbergpoliticalreport.com], a well-respected non-partisan newsletter that covers campaigns and elections, and a Contributing Writer for Roll Call, the Capitol Hill newspaper. He’s also worked at CNN and with ABC News.
Website: http://politicsinstereo.com
Twitter: @PoliticsnStereo
Email: nathanlgonzales@gmail.com
AT&T Receives High Rating for Inclusion of Hispanics
DALLAS, Jan. 11, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – AT&T has received the highest rating for all telecommunication firms on the 2011 Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility’s Corporate Inclusion Index (HACR CII). AT&T was one of only two companies to achieve a 95 rating, the highest in the 2011 HACR CII. The HACR CII rates Hispanic inclusion by Fortune 100companies and its corporate partners in the areas of workforce, procurement, philanthropy, and governance.
“AT&T continues to demonstrate its commitment to diversity with policies that ensure the inclusion of Hispanics at all levels and in every one of its varied business lines,” said Janet Murguia, chairperson of the HACR Board of Directors and president and CEO of National Council of La Raza. “AT&T is one of the few companies moving the needle in advancing full inclusion of Hispanics in this country.”
Examples of AT&T’s commitment to Hispanic inclusion are:
- A 12 percent representation of Hispanics in the AT&T workforce. The total U.S. AT&T workforce is 40 percent female and 38 percent people of color.
- Sponsorship of an award-winning employee resource group, HACEMOS (the Hispanic/Latino Employee Association of AT&T).
- A top-rated global supplier diversity program that spent more than $9.2 billion with minority, women and disabled-veteran suppliers in 2010, representing 18.8 percent of the company’s procurement base. AT&T’s goal is to achieve 21.5 percent of its procurement from diverse suppliers.
- Strong focus on the Hispanic Consumer Market, which includes converting more than 700 retail stores in high-density Hispanic markets including California, Florida, New York and Texas to a bilingual (Spanish/English) format; full onlineand social media presence in Spanish; a strong advertising investment in Hispanic media; and sponsorship of top-rated Hispanic music, television, sports and entertainment programs and events.
- Support of the Hispanic community by investing resources to advance education, strengthen communities and improve lives. In 2010, AT&T contributed more than $148 million to the diverse communities it serves through corporate, employee and AT&T Foundation giving programs.
- Significant representation of Hispanics in the company’s most senior ranks including Ralph de la Vega, president and CEO of AT&T Mobility and Consumer Markets; Thaddeus Arroyo, chief information officer; Jose Gutierrez, president, advertising and publishing; Carmen Nava, senior vice president-Consumer Marketing; and Angie Wiskocil, senior vice president, Wi-Fi services.
“We are honored by HACR’s recognition of our holistic approach to diversity and inclusion,” said Debbie Storey, AT&T senior vice president of Talent Development and chief diversity officer. “At AT&T, diversity and inclusion are woven into all our business strategies and are key in achieving our business goals.”
For employment opportunities visit www.att.jobs
About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) is a premier communications holding company. Its subsidiaries and affiliates – AT&T operating companies – are the providers of AT&T services in the United States and around the world. With a powerful array of network resources that includes the nation’s fastest mobile broadband network, AT&T is a leading provider of wireless, Wi-Fi, high speed Internet and voice services. A leader in mobile broadband, AT&T also offers the best wireless coverage worldwide, offering the most wireless phones that work in the most countries. It also offers advanced TV services under the AT&T U-verse®and AT&T | DIRECTV brands. The company’s suite of IP-based business communications services is one of the most advanced in the world. In domestic markets, AT&T Advertising Solutions and AT&T Interactive are known for their leadership in local search and advertising.
Additional information about AT&T Inc. and the products and services provided by AT&T subsidiaries and affiliates is available at http://www.att.com. This AT&T news release and other announcements are available at http://www.att.com/newsroom and as part of an RSS feed at www.att.com/rss. Or follow our news on Twitter at @ATT. Find us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/ATTto discover more about our consumer and wireless services or at www.Facebook.com/ATTSmallBiz to discover more about our small business services.
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SOURCE AT&T Inc.
Lobbyists' group objects to new rule banning gifts to all federal employees
The American League of Lobbyists on Monday called for the withdrawal of a new ethics regulation that would prohibit all government employees from accepting gifts from lobbyists.
The regulation, proposed two weeks ago by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), follows a tough executive order issued by President Obama in the early days of his administration banning political appointees from accepting gifts from lobbyists. The proposed rule expands the ban to career employees.
“The administration has offered no reports of even a single abuse of its current regulations to warrant the severe restrictions it has proposed on the mutual flow of information and expertise between lobbyists, their employers, and federal workers,” said Howard Marlowe, the lobbyists’ group president, in a statement. “If it is not withdrawn, this rule will prevent government workers from having even casual social contact with registered lobbyists. Does that mean if they find themselves at a luncheon table at a professional conference that they have to ask the others to raise hands if they are a lobbyist?”
Watchdog groups are pushing for the proposed rule to be stronger, but several lobbyists believe the regulation could hinder communication between K Street and the executive branch. Trade associations have begun to worry that federal workers will no longer be able to attend their trade shows and conferences.
“Lobbyists and their employers have knowledge that federal employees can use and they have knowledge that we want to tap. Federal workers develop policies and regulations that affect every aspect of our society. To prevent interaction of almost any kind between lobbyists and federal employees is not in the public interest. It will result in the dumbing-down of government at a time when public trust is at an all-time low,” said Marlowe, also president of lobby firm Marlowe & Co.
OGE is accepting public comments on the proposed rule until Nov. 14.
Source:
http://thehill.com/business-a-lobbying/183817-lobbyists-group-objects-to…
Link to the proposed rule here:
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011-09-13/pdf/2011-23311.pdf
What Keeps Latinos from Helping Other Latinos?
A frequent complaint I hear from Latinos trying to break into power circles is that other Latinos who are already there don’t extend a helping hand. I’ve seen it myself. And if you wonder, like I do, why there aren’t more visible Latino leaders or why our share of power is nowhere near the percentage of the Latino population in this country, part of the answer might lie in the lack of a helping Latino hand.
Unfortunately, like most of you, I have often heard renowned Latinos give public speeches about the importance of pulling up those who follow in their footsteps–then seen them turn around and cut the rope when they are asked for help. A few days ago, I ran into an acquaintance of mine, one of those well-positioned Latinos, who I had personally heard saying repeatedly that more diversity was needed in the newsroom. Only a few days earlier I had sent him an email asking for help introducing me to one of his producers and he had responded with a suggestion that was not particularly helpful. When we met, he said ‘hello’ from a distance of only five feet and then turned and walked away as I was opening my mouth to follow up on our email exchange. The introduction I was hoping for wasn’t going to happen.
I know the world doesn’t revolve around me and my agenda. That people are protective of their connections and their turf. That many are extremely busy, understaffed and underpaid. That most high-ranking Latinos receive an overwhelming number of requests that they cannot possibly fulfill, and that these requests often come from people who are not the right candidates for the help they seek.
But nobody builds a successful career alone. No matter how smart you are, all successful careers are built upon a large, strong network and with the help of sponsors who at some point champion you as the right candidate for that awesome opportunity. So why do people find it so hard to help others who are respected professionals in their fields when they reach the pinnacle of their careers and it’s within their power to do so? And I’m not talking about helping other Latinos only because of their ethnicity. No, I’m talking about giving access to corporate networks to accomplished professionals who are still developing their networks given their more recent entry into the corporate world.
I can’t help question people’s motives. Whenever any one of us resists opening a door, we are shrinking the pie instead of expanding it for everyone. You may do it because you are one of very few Latinos in your company and you don’t want others to perceive you as an activist. You may do it because you don’t want your bosses to think your personal network is mainly Hispanic. You may do it because you fear that if other Latinos walk in they may take something away from you. Or because you feel that if they do a less than stellar job it will reflect poorly on you. Whatever the reason, it may be worth re-examining.
The truth is that if you have to protect yourself in such a way, it probably means you’re not as indispensable as you think. Or you are the “token Latino” in the wrong company and eventually they will get rid of you, too. In practical terms, you are putting up a stumbling block for all Hispanics trying to move into circles of power, something that in the end affects all of us. Because as long as we continue to have such poor representation at executive levels in the private and public sectors of this country, the Hispanic community will continue to be discounted. We don’t need one leader. We need many leaders who can carry the very diverse voices of this community.
So, while you’re busy making sure nobody else climbs the ladder next to you, you are missing the chance of a lifetime: to become the power broker for every Latino and Latina of high caliber. To create a legacy of leadership beyond your own and be remembered as someone who helped set the stage for a new conversation in this wonderful country of ours.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mariela-dabbah/latinos-helping-latinos_b_9…
