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Central Florida 7: With Republicans Like These, Who Needs Democrats?
Around the State
Kenric WardSome things are better left unsaid. And in these politically correct times, the "smart" move for state Sen. Alan Hays would have been to keep his mouth shut.
The same could be said of his sanctimonious critics.
Speaking freely about the state of illegal immigration in Florida, the Umatilla Republican declared at a reapportionment meeting, “Before we design a district anywhere in the state of Florida for Hispanic voters, we need to ascertain that they are citizens of the United States.
“We all know there are many Hispanic-speaking people in Florida that are not legal, and I just don’t think that it’s right that we try to draw a district that encompasses people that really have no business voting anyhow.”
By saying so, Hays had to expect a knee-jerk, politically correct retort from Democrats. And he got it from state Reps. Janet Cruz, D-Tampa, and Luis Garcia, D-Miami.
Calling Hays' statement tantamount to a "witch hunt," Cruz opined that the senator was "hateful and mean-spirited" while Garcia called his remarks "offensive."
What Hays didn't expect was a firing squad from members of his own party a week later.
Just as the political brushfire was dying down, seven Central Florida Republicans stirred the embers by demanding an "apology" from the senator.
Naturally, the Orlando Sentinel was happy to whip up a fresh story conveying the concerns of seven GOP "leaders": Osceola County Commissioner John Quinones, Orange County Commissioner Jennifer Thompson, Longwood Deputy Mayor Bob Cortes, Kissimmee Vice Mayor Art Otero, Osceola County School Board Vice Chairman Julius Melendez, Orange County Republican Party Chairman Lew Oliver and Osceola County Republican Party Chairman Danny Sexton.
Oliver, who recently lost his bid for vice chairman of the RPOF, harrumphed:
“There is no indication from any source that Orange County has an unusually high illegal immigrant population. The vast majority of Hispanic residents are Puerto Rican. They are American citizens and have as much right to be here as I do. I, for one, welcome them with open arms.”
Amid the questionable demographic assertions, such pandering is too much to bear.
Whatever personal angst or collective guilt the Central Florida septet may feel, their attack on Hays was needlessly self-serving and potentially destructive to their party.
Let's flip the scenario with some real-life examples from Democrats:
When Vice President Joe Biden claims that "rapes will increase" if Republicans don't pass the Obama jobs bill, do Democrats demand an apology, or even an explanation?
When Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says "private-sector jobs are doing just fine," do Democrats call him on that absurd claim?
When Democratic National Committee Chairman and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz says Republican budget-cutters are "pushing granny off a cliff," do Democrats tell her to tone it down?
Of course not. At least not publicly.
The difference here is that, unlike the aforementioned Democrats, Hays spoke the truth. He had the audacity to share a concern that is on the mind of any sentient Floridian.
"I don't see a problem with what he said," said Javier Manjarres, who edits the conservative political blog Shark Tank.
"The fact is, we don't know how many Hispanics in this state are here illegally," said Manjarres, the son of legal immigrants from Colombia and a Republican Party activist in South Florida.
Accusing the Orange-Osceola Seven of playing the "race card," Manjarres asked, "Why do they assume Hays is targeting Orlando? (His statement never referenced anything other than Florida.) And how do they know the 'vast majority' of Hispanics are Puerto Rican?"
Comments (14)
Adam Putman put the fear of god into many Senators, their re- election money would be cut off if they vote for the E. Verify Bill. If possible watch J.D. Alexanders, rant, killing the bill. Part of the farm lobby .
Now the Tourist industry was helped by Senator Altman, remember the illegas are cheap labor. They are used and abused through third party contractors, that the Farm and tourist industry use.
It is not that E.Verify is to hard to use, they live in fear of what it will do to their bottom line (profit). They do not care that the Flordia Tax payers spent 6.1 Billion to support illegals in 2010. That there are as many Aliens as there are unemployed. Do your home work.
Rick Scott did not open his mouth, He did not keep his campaign Promise, He passed on E. Verify to get his tax releive messures passed.
He is already being pressured to not support E. Verify.
Wait a second... why would we design anything for a race of people? But if we ever would, would we not
not design one for Whites that created the best place on earth to live? The Hispanics are destroying our culture and everyone reading this knows this. Which leads me to:
Why are there so few people willing to speak up here? Why is everyone so scared to speak up?
Remember when you told us back in July how the average net worth of 39 Republicans and 41 Democrats more than doubled from 2004-2008? I jthought you'd like to know I just saw that finally reported by the "mainstream news". It was earlier today on the Cafferty Files on CNN.
How did Marco Rubio get elected to the Senate? He won statewide and Hispanics did not carry him to the Senate, Foridians did.
The RINOs putting the distance between themselves and Alan Hays are doing so because they are representing "The Media" and not "The People."
Republicans stain their shorts every time the wind blows against them. These cowards will answer to the People that is for sure. This Tea Party phenomenon is about the people being fed up with bad government, and throwing out the garbage in our government. We cannot be governed by the media because they are the enemies of society, promoting socialism, anarchy, anti-family and anti-business policies.
We need more heroes like Hays in the legislature that represent the people not zeros that represent the media.
Joseph Tomanelli
RepublicanConscience
That may be true but we do have good estimates of how many illegal immigrants are living in Florida. And the number is high enough to make Sen. Hays concerns valid and prudent.
And shame on the other Republicans for using his statement to pander to a group of people who should be just as concerned about our representation being skewed as the rest of Americans.