Los Angeles-based La Opinion, the country’s largest Spanish-language newspaper, endorsed Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain on Monday in California’s presidential primaries, choosing both men largely on the basis of their immigrant-friendly stands.
The nod from La Opinion, before California holds its nominating primaries on Super Tuesday, will be welcome by McCain and especially Obama — who covets the fast-growing and potentially crucial Latino vote that chief rival Hillary Clinton has nurtured since her husband Bill Clinton’s days in the Oval Office.
In endorsing Obama and McCain, the 124,000-circulation newspaper focused almost entirely on the issue of immigration, considered a top concern among Latinos, and credited the two men with taking the most immigrant-friendly positions among the candidates in their respective parties.
La Opinion’s editors said Clinton would be “an excellent president” but were unhappy with the New York senator’s refusal to get behind driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants.
“We were disappointed in her calculated decision opposition to driver’s licenses for the undocumented, which contrasts markedly from the forceful argument in support made by Obama,” the paper said.
“We understand that this is an extremely controversial issue but we believe there is only one position and it is that of the senator from Illinois.”
As for McCain, the paper applauded the Arizona senator’s role as one of the authors of the failed immigration bill that would have granted a “path to citizenship” to the estimated 12 million illegals living in the United States — legislation that badly damaged him with the Republican Party’s conservative base. Illegal immigration has become a potent issue in the U.S. campaign.
La Opinion called McCain’s top challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, a “hard-liner” on immigration issue and accused him of changing positions to win the nomination.
“His talk about deporting millions is appalling,” the paper said. “To think about doing so is ridiculous. To propose it is inhumane.”
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Yes we can!
I think America is ready for a change from the Bush-Clinton-Bush-Clinton cycle. They are tired of the same old divisive politics. They want a politician who can inspire people, and who can reach across the aisle, because that is what it will take to get anything done. We want hope, unity and change. Go Obama go!
For more details on the candidates and their records that get far too little play: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2 /2/0181/84501/394/448113
- Posted by Duck Soup[…] Reuters […]
- Posted by McLean County Pundit » Illegal Immigrant's Paper endorses McCainWow, goes to show people in this country still don’t now it’s proper name.
AMERICA is a Continent.
This is United States !
Obama 2008 !
- Posted by John BeardYes we can
- Posted by Adam SchifterWe Need Hope. We Need Change. We Need Obama.
- Posted by K.L. Allisonyes we can.
- Posted by QuakerJohnOBAMA LOOSES JOBS FOR LATINIOS!
- Posted by OBAMA LOOSES JOBS FOR LATINIOS!Ms. Obama, VP Chicago Hosp, that charges minorities 6 times as much, isn’t cold hearted enough, she also caused hundreds to loose their 11.hr jobs, to be more efficient she said! In 05, elected to the BOD Westchester-based TreeHouse Foods, she received $12,000 and $33,000 from a subsidiaries, in Nov announced closing its La Junta, plant, that claimed the jobs of 153 workers, most of them Hispanic! Huge blow to a rural town jobs paid a starting wage of $11hr, Company pays top execs like MICHELLE OBAMA tens of millions a year while destroying middle-class America. Raises the question not only about corporate values but about Barrack Obama’s own values. Specifically, while he bashes Wal-Mart, why does his wife, make $45,000 and up a year serving on the board of Chicago comp that pays her a very hefty amount of money while laying off mostly minority workers in economically deprived areas? No. 1 customer is Wal-Mart???
Obama criticized again for going negative and misleading on Clinton
- Posted by OBAMA criticizedDoes Sen. Obama think that using divisive GOP tactics is the way to bring the country together? Len Nichols of the New America Foundation said he is “personally outraged at Obama camps recent mailer attacking Clinton! Obama trying to stop health care for everyone! Once again He‘s caught in lies from the debate. Obama showed vindictiveness and lack of magnanimity after his victory SC. The first part of his victory speech was deeply unpleasant attack on the Clintons. No graciousness there. And how did he handle defeat in New Hampshire and Nevada? With a combination of denial, petulance and the launching of a successful campaign to persuade the American media that the Clintons were engaged in a campaign of lies about him and, even worse, in a campaign of surreptitious racism. Clinton pointed out, it’s not enough to hope and demand change; you had to be able to define what change you want and had to be able to deliver it. It was Obama who introduced King into the debate. Hillarys words were being construed not just as disrespect but as hidden racism. Obama’s people was briefing the media to create this impression. The consequence has been exactly what you would expect. In the Nevada caucus, blacks voted overwhelmingly for Obama and non-blacks voted overwhelmingly for Clinton. In South Carolina, the black vote was 53 per cent of the total. Obama secured 80 per cent of it. That’s the reason for his overwhelming victory there. He won only 23 per cent of the non-black vote. Contrast this to Iowa, where he won a large proportion of the white vote. It’s a tragedy for Obama and entirely his own fault that this has happened. he became “the black candidate
Obama’s most effective criticisms of Clinton, she voted for authorising the war, he opposed it from the start but (and this is crucially important) he had consistently opposed the war ever since. This story of consistent opposition over years was a “fairytale” the media had bought into.Obama has managed to persuade the media that this was a lie that he would correct. He hasn’t corrected it, because he can’t. He has not been consistent in the terms he set himself.
Obama supported Kerry for president, Kerry voted for war and continued to justify his support. Obama said that he did not want to cause Kerry embarrassment so he said that he, Obama, did not know how he would have voted. Isn’t this the candidate who’s about change, whose whole candidacy is based on a “different kind of politics”? Isn’t this the candidate who says the country can no longer tolerate political spin, that lying in the name of political advantage is what’s destroying the country? Yet on the very issue he identifies as the biggest moral issue facing America Obama effectively states that he was lying for political advantage.
Obama’s calls for hope, for change. but hope to do what, to change to what? He hasn’t said yet. He doesn’t seem to know. He says that one of the high qualities of leadership is the ability to inspire by words, and he is right. It’s a rare ability. But inspire to what end? It’s a pity. He promised so much.
The Kennedy’s have been nothing but disgraceful scandals in the last 25 years, relatives accused of murders, rapes etc and that gives the Kennedy name clout? Don’t think so… Ted Kennedy is now go headed for a disgraceful end. The Massachusetts senator has been caught in a sneaky plot to kill a clean-energy project in Nantucket Sound. Seems he doesn’t want to see wind turbines from his waterfront estate. “Don’t you realize — that’s where I sail!” he famously said.
- Posted by Kennedy DynastyThe Obama campaign has criticized Hillary Clinton’s candidacy as another example of dynastic politics. But now that Obama is playing adopted son of the Kennedy clan, that argument falls apart. Kennedy mystique Is so much JUST hot air. Obama, new? Change? Going back to the Kennedy Camelot Era does not benefit anyone in 2008 - or could even survive with the media probes and questions that are asked today. The Kennedy’s have been legally less desirable since JFK. Old Joe and his money?? Questions about his involvement in some of those early elections. All the affairs and nepotism in JFK’s cabinet - at least one brother and brother-in-law. And their next generation has certainly made their share of questionable choices, charged with rapes, murders etc… Amazing Ted is shaking his finger at the Clintons! Caroline stayed away from the political arena because she didn’t want to align herself and her children with this messy history. There is always going to be some revisionism with historical figures — Earl Ofari Hutchinson did a killer deconstruction on the recent rewriting of Martin Luther King Jr’s legacy — especially those who have died, so, let’s dispense with the niceties: John F. Kennedy did propose the landmark civil rights bill and that is most of his “legacy.” Actually, the record was mediocre. Just some of the highlights: Opposed the 1957 Civil Rights Acts. Used this as a wedge issue against Nixon! to help capture the “solid South” in the 1960 election. Did absolutely nothing for civil rights in his first year of office. Encouraged, told or instructed Robert Kennedy to sic Adam Clayton Powell on Martin Luther King, threatening to expose an imaginary sexual scandal with Bayard Rustin, MLK’s black gay top lieutenant, to prevent a march in Los Angeles. Opposed the 1963 March on Washington. Refused to deploy troops to protect the Freedom Riders. Ignored the Albany, Georgia bus station riot. So many more lost opportunities to choose from…. In the early 1960s, obviously, JFK’s attention was diverted to Cuba, Berlin, Vietnam, and, increasingly, Marilyn Monroe and other actresses. If Kennedy capitulated to the blacks, the Southern white Democrats would revolt. If he did nothing–which he mostly did–the violence would continue and world attention would focus on the inept White House. The Kennedys had a horrible relationship with Congress, so, there wasn’t much the president could on his. On the other hand, by sitting on his hands, the violence quotient increased, which is why he was forced to “propose” the 1964 Civil Rights Bill. Oh yeah, this probably helped endear his family to black voters in Chicago and New York City. There was an election in 1964 … We’ve got too much work that needs to be done in this country to follow this route. Obama time is definitely ready or able to lead this great country.
As the election of the next USA president is as important for the world as it is for the USA itself, this european says “Yes, you can”!!!!
- Posted by alfred moeskerGO Obama! Go get ‘m!
To get things done is too change things in washington. Sen.Barack Obama.
- Posted by LamontActually Mr Beard, they have been making a distinction between NORTH and SOUTH AMERICAS as separate continents in schools for quite some time. USA has been referred to across the board as “America” simply for quite some time (hundreds of years now actually) so go ahead and point out every single one of those billion instances as well…
- Posted by trevor[…] the Meadowlands - New York Times * Obama, McCain endorsed by largest U.S. Spanish-language paper - Reuters * Grateful Dead Reunite for Barack Obama Benefit Show - Rolling Stone * Issue of war may tip […]
- Posted by News round-up » The Obama Campaigner