Republican Party Names New Hispanic Outreach Director

Rubio: President’s Inaction Has Led to ‘Worst Possible Scenario’ in Syria

Jun 162013

Joe Raedle/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — During an exclusive interview on ABC’s This Week, Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio criticized President Obama for not intervening sooner in Syria’s civil war, saying the inaction has led to the “worst possible scenario” in the war-torn country.

“It behooved us to kind of identify whether there was elements there within Syria fighting against Assad that we could work with, reasonable people that wouldn’t carry out human rights violations, and could be part of building a new Syria. We failed to do that. This president failed to do that,” Rubio told ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl.

“The fact that it’s taken this White House and this president so long to get a clear and concise policy on Syria has left us with the worst possible scenario right now,” Rubio added.

“So now your options are quite limited. Now the strongest groups fighting against Assad, unfortunately, are al Qaeda-linked elements. That doesn’t mean that they all are, but it certainly — this group has become the most organized, the best armed, the best equipped. Our options are now really narrower than they were a few months ago,” he said.

The United States will provide arms to Syrian rebels after determining this week that the Syrian regime used chemical weapons. President Obama has said the use of such weapons would cross a “red line.

More than 90,000 people have died in Syria since March of 2011 according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, while the Obama administration estimates that 100 to 150 people have died from chemical weapons attacks in the country.

Rubio was also asked by Karl if he supported his own immigration bill, which he helped author with the “Gang of Eight” members in the Senate.

“Obviously I think it’s an excellent starting point and I think 95 — 96 percent of the bill is in perfect shape and ready to go,” Rubio said. “But there are elements that need to be improved,” citing the border security portion of the current bill.

The immigration bill currently in the Senate will need some Republican support in order to overcome a potential filibuster. Many in the GOP want to see the border security measures in the bill strengthened before they would consider supporting it.

Jeb Bush Says His Father is the ‘Best Man I’ve Ever Met’

Jun 162013

ABC News(WASHINGTON) — In a special Father’s Day edition of the Sunday Spotlight on ABC’s This Week, former Florida governor Jeb Bush reflected on lessons learned from his father and hinted about his own political future.

In an exclusive interview with ABC News’ Jon Karl, Bush spoke about Father’s Days spent in the Bush household and called the 41st president “the best dad and the best man I’ve ever met.”

“He’s a humble guy,” Bush said. “Every day was Father’s Day as I’m concerned.”

Bush said his father’s lessons on humility have stayed with him. As Bush reflected on his loss in a 1994 Florida gubernatorial run, he recalled the resiliency his father taught him.

“I ended up learning that losing actually turns out to be pretty good,” Bush said. “It makes you better. You learn and grow.”

Bush said his father’s reaction to losing his 1992 presidential bid also inspired him.

“I think my dad’s post-presidency, he didn’t miss a beat,” Bush said. “He didn’t get into any kind of ‘woe is me.’ He dusted himself off and led an incredible life since 1993.”

Bush opened up about his father’s health challenges. President Bush celebrated his 89th birthday on June 12th and donned a signature pair of colorful Superman socks for the occasion.

“I think it was hard at first for my dad to transition to being immobile,” Bush said.

“I think he’s in a good place. He’s mentally alert,” he added. “He’s spiritually in a place that we should all envy.”

The former Florida governor is frequently mentioned as a potential 2016 presidential candidate -including by family members.

His father and brother, George W. Bush, have encouraged Jeb to enter the race in 2016, while his mother, Barbara, concluded that there have been “enough Bushes” in the White House.

“I think we’ve got a split ballot amongst the Bush senior family. Pretty sure that’s the case,” Bush said smiling.

For now, the Bush family is focused on their Father’s Day letter writing contest, recently launched to honor fathers and promote former First Lady Barbara Bush’s Foundation for Family Literacy.

Bush says the project honors his father’s love of writing letters and encourages families to get involved in the “process of teaching kids how to read and giving them the joy of reading.”

GOP Address: Indiana Rep. Luke Messer on Student Loans

Jun 082013

Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call(WASHINGTON) — In this week’s GOP address, Indiana Rep. Luke Messer spoke of the importance of preventing a rate hike for federal student loans.

Messer began by telling a bit of his own story, saying that in order to go to college he had to pay for it through scholarships, grants, odd jobs and loans. “It wasn’t easy,” he said, but Messer was able to get a good education for himself.

“What makes this country great is that my story is not exceptional,” he continued. “Every year, millions of American students see their career dreams begin with the help of federal student financial aid.”

“Unfortunately,” he said, “in just three weeks, on July 1st, interest rates on many federal student loans are set to double, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent.”

Messer said that the House of Representatives acted to stop the immediate rate hike and to protect students over the long term, reducing rates for borrowers and keeping Washington politicians out of the business of setting interest rates.

“Taking the politics out of student loans is a common-sense fix,” he said. “It’s a plan that mirrors a proposal in President Obama’s budget. As a matter of fact, one nonpartisan education expert said, and I quote, ‘the two proposals are really on the same page.”

Messer accused the president of playing politics instead of helping students. Instead, he said, Obama attacked the proposal even though it was similar to his own, “rather than seize this common ground and move the ball forward.”

“Making matters worse, this week Democratic leaders in the United States Senate tried to take the easy way out and maintain the status quo, which will only hurt students in the long-run,” he continued. “After the usual noise and bluster, they failed to pass any legislation that would help student borrowers.”

“Our young people deserve better,” he said. “Student loan relief is just one example of the solutions Republicans have put forward to get our economy back on track.”

Messer concluded by stressing the importance of giving the “next generation their opportunity to live the American dream.”

“Working together, we can,” he said. “I hope the president and the Senate will join us to fix this problem and make life a little easier for millions of students and their families.”

Michele Bachmann Won’t Seek Fifth Term in House

May 292013

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Michele Bachmann, a Minnesota Republican and Tea Party supporter, will not seek re-election to the House of Representatives in 2014, the congresswoman announced in a video posted to YouTube.

In the video, Bachmann, a four-term member of the House of Representatives, said that the decision not to run for re-election had nothing to do with the recent investigation of her campaign finances during the 2013 Presidential campaign.

“Looking forward after the completion of my term — my future is full, limitless and my passions for American remains,” Bachmann said, before adding that she would consider a number of future opportunities that might allow her to help “save and protect our great nation for future generations.”

Specifically, Bachmann explained that she believes “eight years is long enough for an individual to serve as representative for a specific congressional district.”

What is clear is that Bachmann’s decision not to run is not related to an inability to raise campaign funds. Her campaign fund had nearly $2 million as of this March, according to Federal Election Commission filings. By comparison, her would-be challenger, Democrat Jim Graves, has just $36,000 cash on hand at this point.

Republican Party Names New Hispanic Outreach Director

May 282013

Comstock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The Republican National Committee is tapping veteran GOP strategist Jennifer Sevilla Korn to lead the party’s effort to become competitive again with Latino voters, it announced Tuesday.

Korn will hold the titles Deputy Political Director and National Field Director for Hispanic Initiatives. Her selection comes as the GOP is looking for ways to rebuild its credibility with Latino voters after taking a shellacking in the 2012 presidential election, when President Obama won over seven in ten Latino votes.

RNC Chairman Reince Priebus said in a statement that Korn “will play a key role in directing our Hispanic engagement efforts to ensure that Republicans are building new relationships in the Hispanic community.”

The GOP’s failure to attract more non-white voters has become more magnified as the nation’s electorate grows more racially and ethnically diverse. The RNC commissioned a 97-page post-election autopsy report this year, which acknowledged that the party has alienated some of the fastest-growing voter groups in the country: African-Americans, Hispanics and Asian-Americans. The party has launched a project to spend $10 million on outreach to these voters.

That report called on the party to change its perception among Latino voters, in part by changing its hardline approach to immigration policy.

“We are not a policy committee, but among the steps Republicans take in the Hispanic community and beyond, we must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform,” says the report. “If we do not, our party’s appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only.”

Korn served as Hispanic vote director on George W. Bush’s 2004 reelection campaign, the last Republican presidential bid that attracted enough Latino voters, 40 percent, to win an election.

She also worked in the Bush White House as Director of Hispanic and Women’s Affairs. During the 2012 election, Korn worked as Executive Director of the Hispanic Leadership Network, an offshoot of the center-right political group American Action Network.

“We have been successful in the past, and I know we can be successful in the future,” Korn said in a statement. “I intend to work arduously to reach new heights in growing the Republican Party.”

The RNC’s last Hispanic outreach director, Bettina Inclán, now works at the National Republican Congressional Committee.

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