Media
USHLI Presents Inaugural Medallion For Excellence in Government Relations and Public Affairs to Mickey Ibarra
Ibarra Honored During USHLI’s 30th National Conference,
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – The United States Hispanic Leadership Institute (USHLI) presented its inaugural Medallion For Excellence in Government Relations and Public Affairs award to The Honorable Mickey Ibarra on Saturday, February 18th at the organization’s Latino Officials Recognition Luncheon in Chicago, Illinois. The award will be named in honor of Mickey Ibarra and presented annually to an individual who has excelled in government relations and public affairs on behalf of the Latino community.
“Mickey Ibarra is the consummate professional who combines experience, savvy, interpersonal skills, leadership, vision, passion, class, knowledge and compassion,” noted USHLI President Dr. Juan Andrade, who presented the award. “Whether serving clients, advising friends, or lending a helping hand to those in need, Mickey sets the highest standards in the field of government relations.”
After serving as Assistant to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs at the White House from 1997-2001, Mickey Ibarra established the Ibarra Strategy Group, a government and public affairs firm based in Washington, DC. He represents a range of clients, including Fortune 200 corporations, associations and non-profit organizations. In 2006, Ibarra founded the Latino Leaders Network, a non-profit organization dedicated to bringing leaders together. He serves as a member of the Board of Directors for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF), the Board of Directors for the Ibarra Foundation and the Board of Directors of eLeaderTech, Inc. He is the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Utah and was named among the “25 Most Powerful Hispanics in Washington, DC” by Hispanic Magazine.
“Mickey has excelled in government relations by establishing and maintaining relationships that help both policymakers and clients better serve the public,” said Dr. Andrade. “He has helped create a climate more responsive to the needs of the Hispanic community by giving Hispanic-serving non-profit organizations a stronger voice in the policy arena. Through his Latino Leaders Network, Mickey has facilitated closer interaction between Latino leaders and policymakers and corporate leaders, and enabled Latino leaders to better collaborate with each other. A great humanitarian and philanthropist, Mickey gives back to the community by supporting worthy causes and inspiring all Latinos who have achieved success to pay it forward.”
The Honorable Henry Cisneros provided keynote remarks for the lunch, which was held during USHLI’s 30th National Conference in Chicago.
CONTACT: Jennifer Devlin, 703-876-1714; Dr. Juan Andrade, 312-427-8683
About USHLI
USHLI is a Chicago-based national nonpartisan, non-profit organization that promotes education, civic participation, and leadership development for Latinos and other similarly disenfranchised groups. USHLI is a member of the Board of Directors of HACR, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility, and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda.
###
Hispanics poised for big gains on Hill
By Alex Isenstadt:
Hispanics are poised for major gains in Congress this fall, ensuring a boost to their clout on Capitol Hill.
Latinos are positioned to seize at least a handful of new House seats, thanks to redistricting. California has three new Hispanic-majority districts, and Texas, depending on the final outcome of legal wrangling over congressional maps, is expected to have one or two.
Democrats also are fielding at least six strong Hispanic recruits in other districts currently represented by white members. And the GOP has a high-profile candidate of its own in former California Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado, who’s trying to unseat Rep. Lois Capps, a white Democrat.
Taken together, the Hispanic delegation could see its ranks swell. Hispanic lawmakers currently hold 25 House seats, according to The Almanac of American Politics, and after the election, that number could reach well over 30.
Gonzalez, a former judge and son of the late former Rep. Henry Gonzalez, a longtime Hispanic civil rights leader, estimated that Latinos would hold between four and seven additional seats in the next Congress — what he called a major achievement for the community.
“It’s a significant increase in clout, a significant increase in influence, and I think will result in more attention to issues central to the Hispanic community,” said Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of MALDEF, a Latino legal civil rights group, who projected there would be six to 10 new Hispanic members. “In the long run, I think it means a cadre of new Hispanic members in the pipeline for leadership positions.”
The prospect for widespread gains reflects the explosion in Hispanic population over the past decade. In Texas, Hispanics now comprise almost 40 percent of the state’s population, according to census figures. In California, Hispanics now account for nearly a third of the state’s residents.
California is expected to be the epicenter of the gains. Last year, an independent redistricting panel threw out the state’s notoriously gerrymandered map and, recognizing the influx of minorities, established a new plan that positioned political up-and-comers — some of Hispanic descent — to take the place of incumbents who have resided in Congress for decades.
Hispanics currently hold six of California’s 53 congressional seats, but those in the Hispanic political community say they could seize about four more in 2012.
California congressional hopefuls this year include Democrats José Hernandez, a retired NASA astronaut, Redlands Mayor Pete Aguilar and Raul Ruiz, an emergency room physician.
“I think it’s a very strong opportunity. It’s an indication of the leaps and bounds that candidates have made over the last 25 years,” said Roger Salazar, a California-based Democratic consultant and onetime top aide to former Gov. Gray Davis. “You’re seeing it not only in the demographics of the district and also the quality of the candidates.”
The enthusiasm is also palpable in Texas, where a handful of Hispanic Democrats, including former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez and Bexar County Tax Assessor Sylvia Romo, are lining up to run in what is expected to be a newly created, 35th District seat.
But Texas has emerged as a legal battleground for Hispanic activists, who have filed a lawsuit in federal court, accusing Republicans in the state Legislature of establishing a map that did not sufficiently reflect their population boom.With Texas gaining four seats in the current round of reapportionment, the Republican-drawn congressional plan would have most likely sent only one or two additional Hispanic members to Congress.
Regardless, Hispanic groups say they recognize the opportunities two new Texas seats will bring them. Trey Martinez Fischer, chairman of the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, predicted a final map would bring Texas Hispanics, who currently hold six of the state’s 32 congressional seats, more power on Capitol Hill.
“I think, given the circumstances, gaining two seats in the state of Texas is a big accomplishment,” Fischer said.
Saenz, whose group has been active in the legal efforts, said Hispanics wanted three new Texas members but called two a victory.
For national Democrats, recruiting and supporting Latino candidates in states with significant Hispanic population growth has emerged as a top priority. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee recently added California’s Hernandez and State Assembly Speaker John Oceguera of Nevada, both of whom are trying to unseat white Republicans, to its Red to Blue program for top-tier candidates. House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland has hosted a Los Angeles fundraising event for Aguilar, who is challenging GOP Rep. Gary Miller.
“We put an absolute premium on recruiting Hispanic candidates. It’s a critical demographic,” said DCCC Chairman Steve Israel, who last week held a meeting with the CHC to discuss 2012. “We made an early decision that our prospects for taking back the House would be enhanced by focusing on Hispanic candidates.”
Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/73004_Page2.html#.Tz2wngs2O5g.twitter
Analysis: Latino Prospects in Senate Dwindle
BY NATHAN L. GONZALES
Latinos are growing into a powerful voting bloc, but there is the real possibility that the U.S. Senate won’t have any additional Hispanics next year.
Last year, a handful of Latinos had an opportunity to get elected and join Florida’s Marco Rubio and New Jersey’s Bob Menendez as the only Hispanics in the chamber. But as the election trudges on, none of them have particularly bright prospects.
The lack of new senators isn’t because of a wide-spread bias against Latino candidates, but an exercise in political reality. They’re either running in competitive primaries against better-funded, better-known, and more-established candidates or running against the partisan grain of their particular state.
Latinos have the best chance to win in the Southwest, but the candidates there still have very difficult races.
In Arizona, national Democratic strategists prefer former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, even though he faces a former state party chairman in the primary. Carmona served under President George W. Bush, so Democrats believe he’ll be able to appeal to enough Republicans in order to win in a Republican-leaning state.
In the general election, Carmona would likely start behind in the polls and money against Rep. Jeff Flake, since the Democrat has never run for office before. It’s not an impossible race for Carmona to win, but the Latino is the underdog.
In New Mexico, state Auditor Hector Balderas (D) raised more than three-quarters of a million dollars last year for his campaign but he still trails his Democratic opponent, Albuquerque-area Rep. Martin Heinrich, in money and in the polls. Heinrich raised almost $2 million last year and released a poll showing him ahead of Balderas, 52 percent to 22 percent.
Even though Balderas is well-liked and considered to be a rising star in New Mexico politics, Democratic strategists in Washington, D.C., prefer Heinrich to be their party’s nominee. But if Balderas can pull off the upset in the primary, he would start the general election well-positioned to win.
Other Latino candidates either have a more difficult road ahead or dropped out altogether.
Last week, Lt. Gov. John Sanchez (R) announced he was ending his Senate bid in New Mexico, essentially ceding the GOP nomination to former Rep. Heather Wilson.
“Throughout the course of this campaign, it has become clear to me, that in order to ensure that a Republican is elected to represent New Mexico in the U.S. Senate, the G.O.P must stand united,” Sanchez said in a statement. “The reality is that the path forward to success in the campaign could cause a negative primary struggle that would leave the eventual nominee bruised, bloody and broke.”
Sanchez was trying to run as the conservative alternative to Wilson, who has a more moderate reputation, but the lieutenant governor failed to keep up with the former congresswoman’s fundraising and struggled to draw a bright enough ideological line. Sanchez had one tenth of the cash available for his campaign compared to Wilson at the end of the year.
In Texas, Republican Ted Cruz is beloved by national conservative groups such as the Club for Growth and FreedomWorks. But the former state solicitor general is locked in a very competitive Republican primary.
Not only is Cruz the underdog to wealthy Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, but Cruz is in danger of finishing third in the initial primary, behind the former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, and missing the run-off altogether. Cruz has raised over $3 million, but it’s nowhere near enough to raise his profile with campaign ads in such a large state with multiple expensive media markets.
Also in Texas, Democrats were initially excited about their chosen candidate: retired Army Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez. But he also struggled to raise money and dropped out of the race before the filing deadline. Even if he had been the Democratic nominee, his chances would have been slim. Democrats haven’t won a Senate race in Texas in almost 25 years.
Like this election, the future success of Latino candidates is partially contingent on factors outside of their control, such as the partisanship of their state or who their opponents might be. But Latinos can help themselves by raising more money to more effectively introduce themselves to their electorates.
Source: http://nbclatino.tumblr.com/post/17658323568/analysis-latino-prospects-in-senate-dwindle
Lobbyist Organization Backs Lawsuit Against Commerce Department
By Kate Ackley:
Howard Marlowe, president of the American League of Lobbyists, said his organization supports a lawsuit filed by a collection of lobbyists who were kicked off presidential advisory committees. The league, he added, is examining what actions it may take related to the case.
The suit was filed by Erik Autor, of the National Retail Federation, and other registered lobbyists who were either removed from or kept off advisory committees after President Barack Obama instituted a ban on their inclusion in 2009. The lawsuit is against the Commerce Department.
“Since it was first issued, the American League of Lobbyists has vigorously objected to the ban on lobbyists serving on presidential advisory committees for two reasons. First, it applies only to registered lobbyists,” Marlowe said in a Tuesday statement announcing ALL’s position on the case. “Those who choose not to register — whether lawfully or otherwise — are judged exclusively on the expertise they bring to an advisory committee. Registered lobbyists, on the other hand, are judged solely on the fact that they have followed the spirit and the letter of the law that applies to professional advocates.”
Marlowe added that the league has conducted “preliminary research” showing that some people on the committees have “de-registered” as lobbyists. The league said the former lobbyists include Mark Crosby of the Enterprise Wireless Alliance and Kevin Kahn of Intel, among others.
“The American League of Lobbyists views this administration’s policy as an arbitrary act of discrimination and a restriction on the constitutional right of free speech, both of which are unconstitutional,” Marlowe said.
How to Listen for Racism on the Campaign Trail
Here are some things you could learn about black Americans from the recent statements and insinuations of Republican presidential candidates, Republican congressmen and Republican-friendly radio personalities:
Black people have lost the desire to perform a day’s work. Black people rely on food stamps provided to them by white taxpayers. Black people, including Barack and Michelle Obama, believe that the U.S. owes them something because they are black. Black children should work as janitors in their high schools as a way to keep them from becoming pimps. And the pathologies afflicting black Americans are caused partly bythe Democratic Party, which has created in them a dependency on government not dissimilar to the forced dependency of slaves on their owners.
Judging by these claims, all of which have actually been put forward recently, here is a modest prediction: This presidential election will be one of the most race- soaked in recent history. It is already more race-soaked than the 2008 election, which, of course, marked the first time that a black man became a major-party candidate.
I don’t know why this is. Perhaps because Senator John McCain, the Republican contender in 2008, generally and admirably refused to race-bait. But the Republican candidates in today’s contest aren’t so meticulous about avoiding the temptation to dog-whistle their way to the nomination.
A Dark Art
Dog-whistling — the use of coded, ambiguous language to appeal to the prejudices of certain subsets of voters — is one of the darkest political arts. In this race, Newt Gingrich is streets ahead of his nearest competitor in its use. In addition to his comments about black children working as janitors, he has repeatedly referred to Obama as the country’s “food-stamp president.”
Food stamps have been fixed in the minds of many white voters as a government subsidy misused by blacks at least since 1976, when Ronald Reagan complained of “strapping young bucks” who used public assistance to buy “T-bone steaks.” (It is distressing to remember, in light of Reagan’s subsequent beatification, that he was to racial dog-whistling what Pat Buchanan has been to Jew-baiting; it was Reagan who also introduced the “welfare queen” into public discourse.)
The genius of dog-whistling is its deniability. It would be difficult for a figure such as Rush Limbaugh to run for public office, given his record of fairly straightforward race-baiting. (Limbaugh, who in the words of Harvard Law School’s Randall Kennedy is an “excellent entrepreneur of racial resentment,” has been on a tear lately. He has accused Obama — who he says “talks honky” around white people — and the first lady of abusing public funds as payback for the ill-treatment afforded their ancestors.)
But “food-stamp president” is just indirect enough that Gingrich is protected from detrimental blowback, at least during the largely white Republican primaries.
Kennedy, who studies the role of race in national elections, told me last week of a rule he uses to measure whether a candidate’s appeal to prejudice will succeed: If it takes more than two sentences for a critic to explain why a dog-whistle is a dog-whistle, the whistler wins. Gingrich seems to understand this, and so, despite criticism from blacks, has made the term “food-stamp president” a staple of his stump speeches.
New Realization
Kennedy offers the theory that this campaign’s dog- whistling may be prompted by a realization by right-leaning provocateurs that voters have become inured to charges of racism. I suspect another phenomenon has hastened this realization: A handful of black Republicans have abetted dog-whistling by making their own bombastic statements about the degraded moral health of the black community, the putative foreignness of the Obamas and the Democratic Party’s plantation-like qualities.
The former presidential candidate Herman Cain, who last week endorsed Gingrich, told me in an interview last year that Obama was more “international” than American. He also said that, unlike Obama, he rejects the label “African-American” because he feels “more of an affinity for America than I do for Africa.”
Representative Allen West of Florida, one of two black Republican House members, recently called the Democratic Party a “21st-century plantation” and compared himself to Harriet Tubman. In August, he said, “Today in the black community, we see individuals who are either wedded to a subsistence check or an employment check. Democrat physical enslavement has now become liberal economic enslavement, which is just as horrible.”
How far in intent is West’s message from this one, recently delivered by Rick Santorum in Sioux City, Iowa: “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money; I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money.” (Santorum later denied that he said the word “black,” arguing that what he actually said was “blah.” The denial is not credible.)
The writer Gary Younge has noted that in Woodbury County, which includes Sioux City, nine times more whites use food stamps than blacks do. But it doesn’t matter: Santorum wasn’t driven from the race for making such a blatant appeal to white resentment — instead, he won the Iowa caucus.
An Odd Video
Recently, I watched an educational children’s video produced by a company part-owned by Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate (and current Fox News host). The video series, called “Learn Our History,” is meant as a corrective to a left-wing interpretation of the American story.
In one episode, a group of children are transported to Washington, in the late 1970s, a time when, we are told, “people are out of work and some of their morals are just gone.” The group, walking down a cartoon version of a street from “The Wire,” is confronted by a black mugger in a tank-top emblazoned with the word “Disco.” (Yes, “Disco.”) The mugger says to the time-travelers, “Gimme yo money!”
I asked Huckabee why the video advanced this particular stereotype. We had been speaking about the rationale for the video series, and he had just finished telling me that the project was meant to encourage moral leadership. Then he told me he had nothing to do with writing the show’s scripts, but it was his impression that the mugger wasn’t meant to be black. In any case, we were talking about a cartoon, he said, and cartoons traffic in “caricature.”
This is something cartoons share with many of today’s leading Republicans.
