“You’ve got to ask yourself,” Senator Obama said, “if Senator McCain won’t stand up to opponents of reform at his own convention, how can you trust him to stand up for change in Washington?”
In what has become a common occurrence this election Presidential Nominee Barack Obama appeared before a major Latino Organization in efforts to continue to expand his growing support among this voting bloc. Last Wednesday, he appeared before an audience of several hundred at the annual dinner of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute in Washington on Wednesday night and focused a portion of his 18-minute speech on issues of particular importance to the Hispanic community. He was courting the group during a week when his campaign has encountered fresh challenges from Republicans, including those posed by the addition of Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska to the G.O.P. ticket.
And Senator Obama, the Democratic presidential nominee, did not miss an opportunity to skewer his rival, Senator John McCain, for reversing course on a comprehensive immigration reform proposal he once strongly supported. Mr. Obama noted that immigration reform was not a part of the Republican platform at the party’s convention last week, but was a priority for Democrats.
“You’ve got to ask yourself,” Senator Obama said, “if Senator McCain won’t stand up to opponents of reform at his own convention, how can you trust him to stand up for change in Washington?”
One of the biggest applause lines of the evening was Senator Obama’s reference to “12 million people living in the shadows” — undocumented immigrants — “taking immigration enforcement into their own hands.”
Senator Obama continued: “They’re counting on us to stop the hateful rhetoric filling our airwaves, and rise above the fear and demagoguery, and finally enact comprehensive immigration reform.”
Senator Barack Obama pledged that he would not take “a single Hispanic vote for granted” between now and November and reminded members of the key demographic group of their growing electoral influence.
Recent Comments