GOP Rep Says He Opposes Immigration Reform Because Latinos Are Uneducated, Will Never Support Republ

[kpete]

Source: Think Progress

Republican senators in the so-called Gang of 8 working to enact comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship argue that repairing the broken system would attract Latino voters to the GOP. As Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) explained during a Sunday appearance on ABC’s This Week, “We are losing dramatically the Hispanic vote, which we think should be ours for a variety of reasons, and we’ve got to understand that.” In November, President Obama “won 71 percent of the Hispanic vote while Mitt Romney won 27 percent.”

But some Republicans disagree. Responding to the bipartisan framework, Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) echoed the rhetoric surrounding immigrants and Democratic voters throughout the 2012 election and suggested that Hispanics would never vote for Republicans who don’t provide them with government hand outs:


“It’s amnesty that America can’t afford,” Barletta said Monday. “We have to stop people from coming in illegally. This will be a green light for anyone who wants to come to America illegally and then be granted citizenship one day.” [...]

“I hope politics is not at the root of why we’re rushing to pass a bill. Anyone who believes that they’re going to win over the Latino vote is grossly mistaken,” Barletta said. The majority that are here illegally are low-skilled or may not even have a high school diploma. The Republican Party is not going to compete over who can give more social programs out. They will become Democrats because of the social programs they’ll depend on.”



Read more: http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/01/29/1509411/gop-rep-says-he-opposes-immigrations-reform-because-latinos-are-uneducated-will-never-support-republicans/

[Chiquitita]

1. He must not bother to meet anyone outside of his ass-kissing circle.

I guess he eats only food grown, harvested and processed by US citizen college graduates? And walks through rooms maintained by high paid workers with access to higher Ed.? And wears clothes made by people who earn a living wage?
Truly, I can't stand this ugly B.S. anymore.

[bulloney]

23. This goof's party's MO must be to keep digging when you're in a hole.

He must think you have to just keep tickin' them off and they'll eventually come around. Not to mention they're the fastest growing demographic in this country and will make up a bigger percentage of the voting population.

[dixiegrrrrl]

27. Yep. Just like smacking a woman around will make her love you more.

'Cause who doesn't want to love white patriarch male values?

[Marksman_91]

2. Wow... Way to make a case for yourselves, GOP

No wonder latinos don't like you.

[msanthrope]

3. Give that man a microphone!!! nt

[Kber]

14. +1

[cosmicone]

24. +1000 n/t

[SpartanDem]

31. Given him a camera and microphone

[DebJ]

4. I hope all the Pa Repubs in federal and local govt get lots of air time.

We could use some help from the rest of the nation in throwing these haters out.

[broadcaster75201]

5. Well, "B" is correct n/t

nt

[Chiquitita]

6. About what specifically?

Oh, and please make your case with evidence.

[Wednesdays]

10. And so, your point is...?

[snort]

11. Welcome to DU!

Asshole.

[L0oniX]

12. Enjoy your stay. n/t

[msanthrope]

16. Care to expand? nt

[pampango]

18. Very persuasive. Do you do this for a living? n/t

[Pennsy1638]

7. Nuts

Well if he's going to say something like that your going to turns most people off

[John2]

8. Why should

anyone pay any attention to leaders of a Political Party that has members don't even believe in science? How many languages can he speak? People like him said the same about African Americans. People have the right to justice, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Our Constitution has the ideas that all men are created equally. Apparently some in the Republican Party only believes that applies to some people. I donot believe that any Political Party has the rights to any person's vote. You have to earn their votes. The last time I saw, Slavery ended in this country after 1865. Maybe we need to have this discussion again with some in Lincoln's old Party?

[Wednesdays]

9. Boy, you're winning friends left and right, aren't you, 'pubbies

[kooljerk666]

13. It was not long ago when many/most? Latinos were GOP..........

and now, just keep talking.


I will be laffing myself silly when it is announced white males are a minority, see who cries about affirmative action then!

As a PA resident the reps big stupid mouth is good news for DEMS (I pray).

[Jamaal510]

39. It's hard to believe that a short while ago,

Bush ll got 44% of the Latino vote. He's an imbecile and was a horrible president, but at least he never said anything this offensive about voting blocks that he was attempting to court. Today you have people calling them "uneducated" and talking about "self-deportation".

[Lesmoderesstupides]

15. Ahhhhh the GOP ALWAYS finds a way to justify their racism!

[BumRushDaShow]

17. Rethugs are still living in Romneyland.

May their final demise happen just before the 2014 elections.

[BE10sCoach]

19. Congressman Lou Barletta

This poor excuse of a Congressman, Lou Barletta of PA-11 should never be in Congress. He rode the back of hatred for Latinos as Mayor of Hazleton and was a Tea Party favorite on trampling any type of logical discussion or working together on this matter. The ill informed electorate of the 11th and especially the fools in Hazleton provided him the margin of victory in the 2010 cycle, when many Democrats sand on their hands and stayed home. Mayor/congressman Barletta started many law suits as Mayor of Hazleton to keep himself in the public spotlight and become a favorite of the stupid in the 11th. He saddled Hazleton with millions of dollars in debt to pay for these lawsuits and the recently elected Mayor of Hazleton had to raise taxes over 80%. Then because in 2010 Pennsylvania by reasons mentioned above elected a Republican Gov. Tom Corporate, and a State House and Senate controled by the GOP they gerrymandered districts to see that marginal Republicans would hold there seats, this helped Louie win in 2012 and you should see how illogical the new 11th is set up but it "saved his ass" by removing Wilkes-Barre and Wyoming Valley as well as Scranton from the District. The recently elected Democrat from the new district, Matt Cartright, would have "CLEANED LOU'S CLOCK" in an election in the old 11th. While doing this the PA GOP also saved Congressman Tom Marino's ass by rigging the district he represents. Ain't politics great?

[Lugnut]

37. +1,000

Spot frickin' On! That's our Lou.

[pampango]

21. Just in case anyone thought that the tea party congressmen and those from the republican base were

going to learn something from the election and not obstruct progress on immigration reform, well - let there be no uncertainty. They have their playbook and it hasn't changed.

[olddad56]

22. and if they were educated, they sure as hell wouldn't support the GOP.

they will never support the GOP because of the way they have been treated by the GOP. Interesting, if they were white and uneducated, chances are they would support the GOP. Makes sense that the GOP would like to make it harder for all people to get an education.

[IDemo]

25. He didn't get the flyer from the RNC Plantation meetin'?

You're supposed to change your racist talking points, even if clinging to them in principle.

[Third Doctor]

26. This makes me thing that the immigration bill might

have a tough time in the house. On the political side of things this is dumb. But as someone once said "You can't fix stupid".

[iandhr]

28. Keep digging yourselfs deeper guys.

[gussmith]

29. Missing Attributes

Barletta represents what we DO NOT need shaping American policy. Certainly immigration is a problem, maybe not #1, but that is not the issue. Where is the statesmanship, the degree of humanity and humility that it takes to craft sensitive legislation addressing circumstances that are generations old and affect the fabric of the family unit? This bozo is a loser.

[Rozlee]

30. Numbnuts.

No, new Hispanic immigrants will never support Republicans. Our ancestors, those of us who come from Mexico and all points South, have lived for centuries under feudal systems where a tiny percent owns the entire country and the rest live in crushing poverty--almost like the US is starting to become. The GOP mantra of tax breaks for the wealthy and trickle down economics will always fuel immigrant suspicion, no matter how friendly and welcoming an image they project. It's sometimes been the opposite for other Hispanics like Cubans, but even that's started to change. In the last election, Obama came within 3 points of winning the Cuban vote, thanks to young Cubanos and the Florida GOP attempts to purge minority votes. There's an old Spanish proverb that loosely translated says: You can't shoot with wet gunpowder. Republicans have nothing left in their arsenal that appeals to minorities. They've shot their wad. They're not about to sail off with Latinos on the Love Boat. They're floundering by themselves on the

[Lobo27]

32. Basically telling Latinos we don't want your vote.

Good job, way to lead the people, by telling a segment you're worthless.

[reverend_tim]

33. Then there is no need for a spanish language Faux News

[obama2terms]

34. Does he really think his comments will help the GOP

With latinos. Haha we have elected a black president TWICE, while they are still scratching their heads about why minorities don't like them. It's nice to see the GOP crash an burn.

[wilt the stilt]

35. 2 to 1

his ancestors jumped the boat.

[lastlib]

36. If they won't support the GOP, then they're better educated.....

...than the morans that voted him into office. I think that goes without saying.......

[aggiesal]

38. I don't agree what this jerk says, . . .

but I respect him more then Rubio because at least he's telling
you exactly what the GOP is really thinking, and not some BS
about what they think we want to hear.

[Fearless]

40. Oh really? Sounds pretty educated to me.

[VWolf]

41. Wait a minute - help me out here

I thought the official GOP stance on education was that it's one big liberal indoctrination program. I would think that the lack of a high school diploma would be an asset, not a liability, to a prospective GOPer.

[Samantha]

42. I wonder what Sonia Sotomayor thinks about Barletta's premise

and the words he chose to use in expressing it....

Sam

[lunasun]

43. Can be translated from teaspeak to read: These Latinos seem to already be on to us and

smart enough to not buy our bullshit so why would we ever want to give them a vote?

Plus his last point - isnt that what the dream act thing is about - that there are a lot of college educated Latinos now who came here as children illegally and we could benefit from their education and skills as a society?

[Socal31]

44. So how many restaraunts does he eat in with undocumented kitchen workers?

How much California produce has he ever eaten that was picked by over-worked under-paid seemingly invisible to OSHA workers?


Give this guy a reality check.