DNC Hispanic Caucus Chair Quits After Using Racial Slur

Democratic Committee Member Quits Caucus Post After Confrontation

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0%2C2933%2 ... %2C00.html

Saturday, February 03, 2007

WASHINGTON — A Democratic love-fest came to a screeching halt Friday after a high-ranking Hispanic party official abruptly resigned amid allegations he used a racial slur during a heated argument with a black aide to Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean.

Alvaro Cifuentes was chairman of the DNC's Hispanic Caucus and is well-known in national Hispanic Democratic circles.

Cifuentes was attending the DNC's winter meeting in Washington, D.C., on Friday when he and the aide got into an argument.

It's not clear what started the fight, but sources said Cifuentes called the aide, who is black, "boy" twice during the confrontation, and two conference attendees were alarmed enough to try and restrain Cifuentes.

Sources said they believed Cifuentes' actions to be physically intimidating, and his words racially insensitive.

DNC spokeswoman Karen Finney confirmed the resignation Friday evening, saying it occurred after a meeting with Dean, the former governor of Vermont. She said that Cifuentes resigned his post as caucus chairman, but remains a member of the DNC.

Asked if Dean forced Cifuentes to resign his post, Finney said: "Gov. Dean and Alvaro had a private meeting this afternoon. Following that meeting, Alvaro attended the Hispanic Caucus meeting, [and] submitted his resignation. It was accepted by the caucus."

Attempts to reach Cifuentes for comment by phone were unsuccessful. His home phone number is restricted, according to phone company records.

A man who answered to the name "Alvaro" at a number believed to be the Cifuentes household said the caller had the wrong number before the reporter identified himself, and then hung up. Repeated phone calls to that number were not answered.

The Spanish-language newspaper El Nuevo Dia in San Juan, Puerto Rico, reported that Cifuentes sent an e-mail to the aide and caucus members Friday apologizing for the incident.

According to the e-mail obtained by the newspaper and described to FOXNews.com, Cifuentes wrote "it is proper to offer you my apologies," although he indicated that he might have mixed his words because he spent the majority of his life outside the United States in Puerto Rico. Cifuentes was born in Puerto Rico and also was chief of staff to a former governor there.

Sources said the argument appeared to stem from a dispute that began Thursday over how the 2008 Democratic convention in Denver was being planned. According to sources, Cifuentes didn't like Dean's moves to centralize power over the upcoming convention in the hands of those in Washington.

Dean's aide reportedly approached Cifuentes, telling him: "If you don't like his leadership, you can leave," sources who were near the confrontation recalled.

Finney said the party did not have any further response to Cifuentes' resignation, but another DNC source said "it was the right thing to do."

Cifuentes had been chairman of the Hispanic Caucus since 2001, Finney said. Caucus chairmen are voted upon by members in the caucus, which is made up of Hispanic members of the DNC. Caucus chairmen are not paid officers of the DNC, but they do sit on the party's decision-making executive committee. There are 447 total DNC members.

The resignation followed a spat between two other Democratic lawmakers earlier this week. Rep. Loretta Sanchez, D-Calif., resigned from the House Hispanic Caucus after what she said were inappropriate remarks by the caucus chairman, Rep. Joe Baca of California. She said friends told her that Baca called Sanchez a "whore."

Baca has denied making the comments.

But how can this be? I thought they couldn't BE racist!! :lol:

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Originally Posted by NotGoingToTakeItAnymore

But how can this be? I thought they couldn't BE racist!! :lol:

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Mexicans racist? Naw, that's impossible.

http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/7...2903089cu5.jpg

Americans are used to being called racist (and every other name in the book) but the truth is every other nation on earth is more racist than we are.

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Originally Posted by Sovereign

Americans are used to being called racist (and every other name in the book) but the truth is every other nation on earth is more racist than we are.

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That's going to be hard to back up considering this major political party has an "Hispanic caucus." Then there are the caucuses in the Congress, the targeted government programs and agencies. Of course, our institutions aren't representative nor do they represent the grass roots American any longer. I know I'm certainly fed up with having to pay for their crimes. :twisted:

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Originally Posted by Kate

Sources said they believed Cifuentes' actions to be physically intimidating, and his words racially insensitive.

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If I had made those comments I would probably be charged with a hate crime. When a Hispanic makes them, they are only "racially insensitive".

8O :D :D :lol:

Added to Home Page:
http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... =0&thold=0

http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...ons/banana.gif http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...ons/banana.gif http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...ons/banana.gif

whaaat, A racial Hispanic this can not be!! must be a mistake!! :roll:

Sis,

Are your banana's singing Nana,Nana,Nana!! :lol:

the whole idea of caucuses is IMHO contrary to a democratic process. our elected officials need to listen to the legal American!

You will always hear the racist remark when telling the truth.

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0207/2686.html

Rep. Baca, Accustomed to Controversy

By: Josephine Hearn
February 8, 2007 10:24 AM EST



He's known as the "zestiest lawmaker," a title he picked up nearly four years ago in a Capitol Hill chili pepper eating contest.

First elected in 1999, Joe Baca was already known for his aggressive style, one that often landed him in the middle of seemingly bizarre controversies that sometimes got him in hot water with colleagues.

Last week, it was hot water again when another Californian and fellow Democrat, Rep. Loretta Sanchez, accused Baca of referring to her as a "whore" in a meeting with state legislators. She resigned last week from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which Baca chairs.

He has called the charges "categorically untrue" and issued a long statement defending himself against allegations of sexism and mismanagement as caucus chairman.

Nonetheless, the accusations have sullied the first weeks of Baca's term as chairman and raised the possibility that other Latina Democrats may abandon the caucus.

A self-described "street fighter," Baca is the youngest of 15 children and man of considerable flare who can pitch in for a fundraiser.

"Joe Baca was the first one to show up," recalled Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, praising Baca's fund-raising help. "He was great."

In 2003, Baca ran afoul of two Republican committee chairmen when he told his hometown newspaper, the San Bernardino Sun, that he had traded golf lessons with then-House Appropriations Chairman C.W. Bill Young, R-Fla., for a $1 million transportation appropriation.

"The golf lessons that I gave him paid off," the newspaper quoted Baca as saying.

Later, it turned out that Young did not play golf, prompting explanations from Baca's aides. A spokeswoman told Roll Call that the comment was a joke, but Baca himself wrote to the Sun saying the remark had referred to then-Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Don Young, R-Alaska.

Through spokespeople, both chairmen expressed puzzlement.

It was not the first time Baca's love of golf played a hand in his official duties. As a freshman lawmaker in 2000, he unsuccessfully pushed to award professional golfer Tiger Woods a Congressional Gold Medal. Many of his colleagues did not welcome the effort, saying the award should go to those having different achievements.

In another unusual case, Baca lost an endorsement from President Bill Clinton for the congressman's son, a candidate for the California State Assembly.

According to the Sun, Baca bumped into Clinton at a fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Washington and asked him to sign an endorsement letter.

"The man did sign it, it is his signature," Baca told the newspaper. But Clinton later said he did not know when he signed the letter that the race was a contested party primary election and withdrew the endorsement.

Baca went to the House in 1999 in a special election to succeed the late Rep. George Brown Jr., D-Calif. With strong backing from organized labor, Baca defeated Brown's widow, Marta Macias Brown, by 2 percentage points in the Democratic primary after fending off charges that he was too cozy with the gun lobby.

Before his election, Baca had worked for General Telephone and Electric, owned a travel agency and served on the San Bernardino Community College Board. He was in the California Assembly from 1992 to 1998, becoming its first Latino speaker pro tempore.

He represents California's 43rd Congressional District around San Bernardino, about an hour's drive from Los Angeles. Situated in the Inland Empire, the district is characterized by a strong manufacturing base and a large immigrant community.

Baca is an athlete, enjoying golf, baseball and basketball. His Democratic colleagues voted him most valuable player in last year's congressional baseball game.

Once, he tried to organize a softball game between the Hispanic Caucus and the Congressional Black Caucus, suggesting members of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus could serve as umpires. The game was not held.

Baca serves on the House Agriculture, Financial Services and Natural Resources committees.

In 2001, he sought a seat on the Rules Committee. When then-Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt, D-Mo., gave it to Rep. Alcee L. Hastings, D-Fla., Baca lashed out, telling Roll Call that Gephardt "hasn't delivered" on pledges to elevate Hispanics.

"He took us lightly," Baca fumed. "It's like a slap in the face to all of us."

Lawmakers rarely criticize their leaders in public. But Baca's allies point out that he is not the only incumbent to make waves. Loretta Sanchez herself has been one of the House's more colorful members.

She raised eyebrows in 2003 when she posed for a profile in Muscle & Fitness Hers magazine and boasted of an intense pre-dawn fitness routine. And her racy Christmas cards featuring her fluffy white cat, Gretzky, have provided fodder for gossip.


Comments:

by NOSTRADAMUS on 02.09.2007 at 09:46 AM

What this nation needs is an entire overhaul of the whole political structure electoral system by electing new fresh minds and new faces on both houses and the presidency as well. The election of U.S. Senator Barack Obama was a good start two years ago. Most of the old guard politicos in Washington D.C. are already entrenched by mimicking their pet dogs and cats who will stake their turf claim once they arrive. And beware if anyone attempts to get near their meager meal bowl because they will defend it by growling at anyone, friend or foe who gets near them, thinking their meatless bone is about to be taken away. These past elections made some dents of replacing the old guard, but there is still more work to be done. Shall we try again next time around? Vote the old rascals out and bring in more new blood with new fresh ideas how to make this country better than what we got at this point in time. Register and vote!

by expolitico on 02.09.2007 at 09:24 AM

Joe Baca is one of the biggest reasons for the factions and divisiveness that has plagued the Democratic Party over recent years. He is more concerned about himself and issues related to the Hispanic Caucus rather than issues that affect the Party as a whole. I worked for his predecessor, Rep. George E. Brown, Jr. on his 1992 re-election campaign and no sooner than the following campaign, Joe made public his desire to run for the seat in the primary against who he referred to as his "mentor." For whatever reason he felt that the seat was rightfully his for the taking when he wanted it. Pressure from various groups forced him to stay out of the race. His son ran against an already declared candidate for a Democratic primary for the state assembly - running against someone who had him in their wedding. Joe Baca is a low class egomaniac who at every SOTU speech is whoring himself to the President with an aisle seat.

by theduke on 02.08.2007 at 06:19 PM

The running of the Nation is much too important to be left to politicians. But it is a good idea to have elected officials; know thou enemies and cuddle their presents.

http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/op ... 575175.php

Sunday, February 11, 2007
Feb. 11: Is the 'Democrats' diva' in trouble?
Loretta Sanchez was sitting on top of the world when she defeated B-1 Bob Dornan. Now, Sanchez has supposedly resigned from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, charging that its chairman, Congressman Joe Baca, disrespects women and called her a "whore" last year ["Infighting gets out," Front Page, Feb. 2].

According to Josephine Hearn at Politico.com, "Two more reps complain about treatment of women in Hispanic caucus," [Feb. 2]– namely Congresswoman Linda Sanchez, Loretta Sanchez's sister and Congresswoman Hilda Solis.

Loretta Sanchez helped both these women get elected, so, naturally, they had to come to her defense. She is now arguing about whether Baca's election as chairman of the caucus followed proper election procedures. Ironically Dornan said the same thing about a congressional election that he lost to Sanchez.

To get respect you have to gain respect.

The tables have turned and "La Familia" in Congress has turned on her. Perhaps, Sanchez should have paid heed that you "don't air your dirty laundry in public, especially when it comes to family."

Has the "house of cards" started tumbling down? Is the Democrats' diva in trouble?

Remember when she told President Bill Clinton to buzz off about attending a fundraiser for her unless he planned to stay for dinner in 2000? I often wondered how she wielded so much power over our former president.

Remember when she argued with the Al Gore team when she wanted to have a fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion? The Democrats made her cancel the fundraiser because she was an embarrassment to them. Remember she was scheduled to speak at the Democratic Convention, but she refused, as a spoiled child would, because they had made her cancel her Playboy Mansion fundraiser.

The people of the 47th District deserve better representation, instead of unwanted scandalous notoriety.

Just when you think the Hispanics have got it together in either political party, the infighting starts. Threats, demonstrations and hostility being exhibited are not a way to bring about unity in any organization or community.

My family was once a part of an old organization called LULAC, League of the United Latin American Citizens. The motto and code was "All for One and One for All." That was the spirit and philosophy that embodied the organization at one time.

The organization no longer reflects the views of my family because it has changed and steered off the path of its original purposes.

Hispanics can play a major role today and have a voice in social change if they want to make a positive difference in our society, whether they are Republicans or Democrats.

Preservation of one's heritage, customs, traditions and language is a rich and worthy goal, but it's also the duty and obligation of every American citizen to assimilate in American society and learn English, the shared language of our country.

Improving education for children should be the foundation of LULAC's objectives and goals, including the elimination of failed bilingual education programs that prevent Hispanic children from becoming proficient in English; mentoring and providing a wealth of scholarships to deserving students to encourage students to graduate from high school and pursue further education.

Such excellence in education as well as supporting tougher laws against child abuse and child pornography, and requiring Congress to live within its means and opposing all new taxes should be priorities, instead of arguing among themselves.