Texas Democratic Party attacks new Hispanic Republican Caucus
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas In a recent article published at
Capitol Inside a deputy spokesman for the Texas Democratic Party (TDP) criticized Republican
Hispanics of the Texas Legislature for forming the Republican Hispanic
Conference whose purpose is to address issues important to the Hispanic population of Texas. In the article TDPs spokesman harshly criticized the Hispanic elected officials efforts.
The clear implication from his statement and from the Texas Democratic Party is that the
Texas Democratic Party believes all Hispanics are monolithic in their thinking political leanings & party affiliation and that only members of the Democratic Party can represent Hispanic Texans.
Texas State GOP Chairman Steve Munisteri condemned this biased and prejudicial statement from the TDP by noting
Such a philosophy is premised on the prejudicial belief that all Hispanic voters think exactly alike and all are in lockstep with the Democratic Party.
Said Munisteri It is ironic that the Texas Democratic Party which
purports to be representing the interest of the Hispanic community in fact does the Hispanic community a great disservice
by assuming that all Hispanics support the Democratic Party and that if Republican Hispanics meet to advance Hispanic concerns that this is somehow inappropriate.
To have this philosophy demonstrates bias and prejudice against the Hispanic community. The fact is Republicans believe that the Hispanic community like every other community in our state has a wide range of concerns and opinions.
I applaud our Republican legislators for forming this Hispanic Republican Conference in order to ascertain the concerns of the Hispanic community so that these concerns can be considered by the Texas Legislature as well as the Republican Party."
Communications Director Chris Elam stated
The Texas Democratic Partys inflammatory rhetoric does nothing for the goals and needs of the Latino community of this state. As the last election amply demonstrated Texas Democrats continue to lose support and votes from Texas rapidly growing Hispanic population. Offensive blanket
stereotypes against Hispanic legislators is the sort of acrimonious
partisanship that voters soundly rejected last November.
The Republican Party of Texas stands solidly in support of the new Hispanic Republican Conference and thanks our legislators for working to build a new marketplace of ideas and discussion within the Republican legislative super-majority this session.
Rep. Pea and his colleagues have made it clear that the Hispanic Republican Conference will work to achieve progress and influence in this legislative session by taking positions that represent their viewpoints and experiences.
On December 15 2010 Pena & State Representative Allan Ritter joined with statewide Republican office holders to announce their switch to the Repuyblican Party.
Said Pena then I have come to what I know to be true … and that is what I learned as a child from my parents & grandparents are reflected in the values & the principles of the Republican Party."
I know in deep south Texas having talked to many in my community that the same conservative values ring true in most every Hispanic household that I know … our experiences may be different somewhere else but in south Texas I know those experiences to be true"
said Pena during a jovial & standing room only announcement.
Speaker Straus you know this is kind of a surprise …
I just came to tell 
you I was becoming a baptist" joked Pena.
We sincerely hope that the example of the
Hispanic Republican Conference will embolden other Hispanic legislators to speak their own viewpoints and not operate under the inflammatory talking points released by the
Texas Democratic Party" Elam said.
