FOLLOWING UP on John McCain’s growing Latino Problem, Kety Esquivel of The Sanctuary is interviewed on CNN. This appearance is a followup to Kety’s last interview, wherein she announced the questionnaire that her and the rest of our group at the Sanctuary prepared and gave to the Presidential candidates.
FOLLOWING UP on John McCain’s growing Latino Problem, Kety Esquivel of The Sanctuary is interviewed on CNN.* This appearance is a followup to Kety’s last interview, wherein she announced the questionnaire that her and the rest of our group at the Sanctuary** prepared and gave to the Presidential candidates.
Oddly, CNN featured Republican Leslie Sanchez opposite Kety (who, as the CNN chyron shows, is a registered Independent) as a mouthpiece for John Mccain’s views. The real oddity though is that if the McCain campaign really wants to address the issues highlighted in our survey, they have a funny way of showing it (e.g., hanging up on us.) How do you think CNN, Sanctuary editor Kety Esquivel, and John McCain spokesperson Leslie Sanchez handled it?
Thanks to blogmigo Kyle, we have a transcript of Leslie Sanchez’ McCain-channeled remarks, which attempts to denigrate our efforts and concerns by writing us off as a Huffington Post or a “Far Left” organization even though the Sanctuary as such has no standing affiliation or endorsement of either party, let alone candidate. But McCain didn’t bother to even find that out. They just told us they’d get back to us and then began hanging up on us. Don’t let them try to twist ya.
Leslie Sanchez: Well I don’t speak for the McCain campaign — I’m a Republican, will likely be with McCain, but the bigger issue, I think, she raised some really important points. Is McCain, and are these candidates addressing the Hispanic community? Do Latinos look at issues differently?
I did speak to the McCain campaign about this, and they said, you know, we get a lot of different requests. It would be just like Huffington Post, or maybe a progressive or left-of-center blogosphere organization trying to say–How are they phrasing these questions? Is this for political posturing? Or is it really to get to the heart of these things? I think there might be a little bit of all of that.
BREAKING: This just in! Grizzled war vet afraid of words on dangerous internet email message! What do these things mean? These….marks? Are they postureymarx? Are these people with the SEEMINGLY sane questions realllllllllllllly wanting to know how to help families from being split up, stop bodies from piling up on the border, prevent the criminal treatment of workers, address their dying in the heat with no water, hidden abuses in our tax-funded domestic private prisons, and the exploitation and persecution of the desperate? Or are these just Huffalumpostage questions? Don’t know!!!!! Scared!!! HANG UP PHONE DO NOT UTTER SOUND HANG UuuuuUuUUP!!1
But anyway, Leslie, tell us what The Real Issue is.
But the real issue is, are these candidates addressing the concerns of Hispanics? Are they going out to the communities to do that? Look at the fact that John McCain attended four different events in the last 30 days with Hispanic audiences. And I was at many of those events, and they were very left-of-center, Democratic audiences, talking to very much what she’s saying about immigration. All the questions that came up.
Yes, enjoy the hazy gauze of my misty memory-story! Where questions much like yours were undoubtedly answered, but shall not be provided to anyone in writing. Because John McCain is the Captain of the Hazy Gauze Misty Memory Express.
He at one point even tossed the microphone to one of the biggest open-borders advocates, who was wearing a Barack Obama pin, when they shut off his microphone, Enrique Morones down at San Diego, and he let him have his say.
So in other words, John McCain hands an “open borders advocate” with a Latino last name a microphone and doesn’t taser him afterward and this is enough! Wow. Feel the Benevolence of Teh Maverick.
But even in that silly little example, it all falls apart because we are not saying “open all borders,” are we?
One more time. We said our communities are being ravaged. People are being hurt. Killed. Children are being scared, deprived, made to go hungry. Hate crimes against all Latin@s are increasing! We are being demonized in the media overall, while right-wing extremists and those generally opposed to humane reform rub up cozily against the mainstream.
Can you please tell us what you will do about this? You do want to be a President of the nation, right? Are we allowed to know what that means or should we just mail in our voting arm now?
He wants to have a dialogue about immigration. He wants economic opportunity for Latinos. And I think in many ways both of these candidates can still do more to fundamentally understand the roll of latino women in there and how diverse this community is, because it’s not the same latino community it was in 2004. It’s so different today.
—Leslie Sanchez - CNN American Morning (8 August 2008)
Warstory McCain. He’s so afraid of technology that even pacemakers slow down when he walks in a room. And no respect, my (voting) friends. The best we get on these ongoing crises is a few words shunted along through Leslie Sanchez! Leslie Sanchez, the very same person who once compared the solidarity shown on May 1 2006 to the Watts Riots! Ms. Sanchez, we know who you’re “with” all right! Power to the Already Powerful, woohoo….
And John McCain, we appreciate you outlining where you stand. In the McCain world, destroyed families and murderous working conditions and tanking economies are “far left” concerns best handled by liberal blogs.
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yeah i couldnt resist that dig. 
you said it. they play it both ways bro. hoping they can pull the wool over twice as many eyes.
“Are they going out to the communities to do that? Look at the fact that John McCain attended four different events in the last 30 days with Hispanic audiences. And I was at many of those events, and they were very left-of-center, Democratic audiences…”
If he can’t find a friendly audience, does he think maybe there might be a reason?
el famoso ricardo!
The Sanctuary moving? Wow, I haven’t been around in a while!
The whole thing I’m wondering is, why hasn’t he had anything to say about the ‘Minutemen’, who are BLATANTLY racist? What the hell? Can’t he even renounce himself from them?
Just stupid, he’s an idiot.
Each year I get to celebrate Independence Day twice. On June 30, I celebrate my independence day and on July 4, I celebrate America’s. This year is special because it marks the 40th anniversary of my independence.
On June 30, 1968, I escaped Communist Cuba, and a few months later I was in the United States to stay. That I happened to arrive in Richmond on Thanksgiving Day is just part of the story, but I digress.
I’ve thought a lot about the anniversary this year. The election-year rhetoric has made me think a lot about my native Cuba and what transpired there. In the late 1950’s, most Cubans thought Cuba needed a change, and they were
right. So when a young leader came along talking about change, every Cuban was at least very receptive.
When the young leader spoke eloquently and passionately and denounced the old system, the press in Cuba and even the USA fell in love with him. They never questioned who
his friends were or what he really believed in. When he said he would help the farmers and the poor and bring free medical care and education to all, everyone believed. When he said he would bring justice and equality to all, everyone said ‘Praise the Lord’ finally. And when the young charismatic leader said, ‘I will be for change and I will be the arbiter of that change, everyone yelled, ‘Viva Fidel!’
But everyone was so excited about the change, nobody bothered to ask about the details of the change. Well, by the time the executioner’s guns fell silent and the people’s own guns had been taken away. By the time everyone was equal, they were equally poor, hungry, and oppressed. By the
time everyone received their free education it was worth nothing. By the time the press noticed, it was too late, because they were now working for him. By the time the change was finally implemented Cuba had been knocked
down a couple of notches to Third-World status. By the time the change was done way more than a million people had taken to boats, rafts, and inner tubes, risking sharks or drowning to escape the change. You can call those who made it ashore with us to Florida or anywhere else in the world, the most fortunate Cubans. And now I am getting a very familiar feeling that goes back to the beginning of my story.
But, we would never fall for that in America. We wouldn’t put a young leader in charge of this great country who promised
change without asking: What change? How will you carry it out?
What will it cost America? Would we?
Manuel Alvarez, Jr.
At least this Latino can see through the media created fraud named Obama.
I appreciate your analogy, EYES. I wonder how it applies to your feelings on Mexican immigrants, which you so often denounce here. Your gratitude at being able, by the graces of the USA, to escape a dire situation does not, oddly transfer to feelings on other migrants seeking sanctuary from harm or poverty or life-threatening situations. I wonder why that is.
If this is someone else’s quote, then I can only put it to you another way. Why would you believe in this person’s story in such a selective way? Why put credence in their feelings and story at all? Aren’t they just another filthy invading mongrel migrant?
This was from one Manuel Alvarez, Jr. who escaped Communist Cuba in 1968. Being a refugee from a country that is murdering millions of people is quite different from sneaking across an international border with the intent of living here illegally for as long as possible or until another blanket amnesty is rewarded to those who have violated the immigration laws of the U.S.A. Manuels story was relevent to me in the way so many sheeple are flocking to their unproven, inexperienced,secretive shepard Barak Obama. The parallels between the young Castro and Obama are unbelievably similar. A nobody from nowhere with nothing to offer except false hope and some sort of change that we may not be able to live with. A media created fraud with no experience at a national level who wants to have a nice talk with the enemies of the U.S. and is shallow minded enough to think it will make a difference. One thing for sure, Obama is a socialist and Americans will not do well under his socialist agenda. If elected, he will bring our nation to its knees and we will simulate Cubas decline to third-world status.
No, I don’t really think its so different. People fleeing in boats from dangerous conditions are still crossing borders “illegally.” What I think is that you are but one more intellectually dishonest anti-mexican individual and you want to see it as different because that suits your personal feelings.
PS: Obama is not a socialist. If he were, I’d probably be happier with him.
Nice try, though.
A “nanny government” telling all of us what we need to do, how we are supposed to live, and wealth redistribution are all part of Obamas agenda. Sounds very much like socialism to me. I’ve worked too hard all of my life to get to where I am today and now this bozo Obama wants to take me down a notch or two so I can be socially equal to someone that has been on government assistance all of their life. That reeks of socialism.
oh of course! i’d much rather have a “sick uncle” government that steals from the kids, throws his garbage in the water, murders other nations’ citizens and spies on everyone! you and me agree.
Some Bozo Obama?
OK then, go vote for McCain. See where that gets you.
I have live among Texans who call themselves latinos and they were just as, if not more racist and reactionary than their gabacho counterparts. Eyes of Texas landed in the perfect location because in general cubanos are just as bad but their concerns are all materialistic. They think that because they clothe themselves if fine clothing they will gain acceptance among the elites they long be. Such shallow minds. Must be all the salt water they swallowed.
Hay mira el chiquitico hablando? Que casualidad que no les importa donde caen si no como regresar a Cuba y establacer otra dictadura de derecha.
Listen I grew up with people like you. You came to my island and after we open our arms to you you stabbed us in the back selling us down the river to Uncle Sam.
Of course you have no proof for any of your accusations Manny, and the sad truth is that you and your ilk keep Castro and his Revoluccion alive by keeping the US and Cuba at odds. The moment the US changes tack, the big bad enemy disappears and so will the goverment in La Habana. But you don’t care about that, you just want to go back to the days of Batista when you ruled the roost as the elite, betrayed the Cuban Revolution (you know the one that lasted 10 years against Spain) so that you could shack up to your new Imperial masters.
Yep, you got no credibility what so ever.
And let us not forget that it was the US nanny goverment that has protected a minority interest in Miami and San Juan at the expense of everyone else. With a flip of a switch “feet dry” become “feet wet” and that is what you are really afraid off.
you kick out it there, amigo.
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hehe, latino problem. The worst thing about all of this is that we’re told to our faces that they’re working on it, while to Leslie Sanchez, we’re not worth their time.