Thread: Martinez Between Immigrants, Party

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Martinez Between Immigrants, Party

By ANITA KUMAR
St. Petersburg Times

WASHINGTON - These days, Mel Martinez begins each morning in a room just off the Senate floor listening to 11 of his colleagues argue the intricacies of a potentially historic immigration proposal.

Sometimes, Martinez tries to lighten the intense atmosphere that builds up when polar opposites debate an emotional issue. Other times, the Senate's only immigrant sits quietly in an overstuffed crimson leather chair only to have someone ask: "Mel, certainly you have an opinion about this?"

Martinez is one of the so-called "Gang of 12" senators who are taking the lead on one of the hottest topics on Capitol Hill - trying to preserve the fragile legislative compromise that would give 12 million illegal immigrants a path to citizenship.

But for Martinez, Florida's junior senator, that comfortable room is not always the easiest place to be.

Many Republicans accuse Martinez - their party's chairman - of being too lenient on illegal immigrants, repeatedly calling the bill's path to citizenship an "amnesty."

Many immigrant advocates accuse Martinez - a Cuban-American who came to the United States legally at the age of 15 - of not doing enough to help immigrants achieve the rights and respect they deserve.

"The center can be a very lonely place," said John Pitney, a former RNC official who teaches political science at Claremont McKenna College.

Martinez, 60, a former Cabinet secretary, said in an interview last week that he tries to ignore the attacks. Instead, he said, he is guided by his unwavering belief that what he is doing is right.

"I don't pay a lot of attention," he said. "It's so clear what I need to do for the nation, for the state, for my party. I don't feel torn inside about what I am doing."

The Senate proposal would expand the guest worker program, provide employers with new ways to verify the legal status of workers and increase security on the U.S.-Mexico border.

The full Senate began considering the bill this week and will resume debate in June after next week's Memorial Day recess.

Now in his third year in office, Martinez said he has never seen such a public outcry over a single issue.

Most of the calls and e-mails coming into his Senate office are from people who oppose the bill. But, he says, most of the comments he gets when he travels the state are from people who support it.

Immigrant groups want at least two significant changes in the bill that would allow guest workers to apply for citizenship and immigrants to be granted legal residency based on their family ties.

One of those groups, the Florida Immigrant Coalition, has held prayer vigils outside Martinez's offices in Tampa, Orlando, Pensacola and Miami. Another, the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, has targeted Martinez through print and radio ads.

"It's clear he is a national player," said Maria Rodriguez, director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition. "But he needs to represent the interests of Florida. He worries too much about his party and not enough about Florida."

Martinez was handpicked by President Bush for the job as party chairman to help Republicans win back Congress and keep the White House. He is being counted on to woo Hispanic voters, a fast-growing group whose support for the Republican Party faltered in the last election.

"No question that if this important bill passes, Mel Martinez is one of the Republicans that will get credit," said Joe Garcia of the New Democrat Network, which courts Hispanics. "I wish it was a better bill, but Mel Martinez is on the right side of history."

Martinez and Bush are in agreement on the Senate immigration bill, but much of their party is not - a fact that is likely to hurt Republicans with Hispanic voters in future elections.

Clarissa Martinez, campaign manager for the Coalition for Comprehensive Immigration Reform, wants Martinez to think about those Hispanic voters and do more to make the Senate bill more friendly to immigrants.

"As chairman he should think of the longevity of the party," she said.

Last year, the Senate passed a bill that Martinez helped write though it failed in the House. But Martinez says his experience this year is far different - sitting in a room with Republicans and Democrats trying to come up with a deal - but one that he considers more in line with what people think senators should do.

"It has been so long that people may have forgotten how a bipartisan compromise looks and smells," Martinez said. "It has strong opposition from either extreme, but a good broad center."

http://www.theledger.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ ... 70408/1134

Martinez was handpicked by President Bush for the job as party chairman to help Republicans win back Congress and keep the White House. He is being counted on to woo Hispanic voters, a fast-growing group whose support for the Republican Party faltered in the last election.

Looks like it's time to leave the republican party and join a third Party, Good luck Republicans, with your new Latino base.

Martinez is one of the so-called "Gang of 12" senators

I hope he has his Latino base ready to go to bat for him, because I doubt there's a serious minded American in Florida who will vote to re-elect him, after the way he has shown that he is a fighter for a particular "group" instead of a representative for ALL the people and that this over-rides his belief in the importance of our laws.

Representing everyone seems to be a problem at state and federal levels these days. We are lucky we still hold the majority vote in this country or we would be really screwed. I know it seems like we are now but I think we have them not just a little worried. Lets hope they get their ears burned this week And I hope Martinez gets a real ear full!!


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Ya know, Sad, I think you're right!! They're getting worried because they can see the writing on the wall now.

The American people are SO FED UP NOW, that it can no longer be DENIED!!

GO AMERICA!! GO ALIPAC!!

Let them know that you're madder than hell and you're NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!!

Martinez should never have been allowed to hold elected office.

Well, pjr40, there was actually an outstanding Republican candidate, Bill McCollom running against Mel to be the Republican candidate. He is a war veteran and people really liked him, in fact it looked as though he had the lead. In fact he did have the lead. But George Bush wanted Martinez.

But just two, maybe three weeks before the election, the GWB came on TV in South Florida constantly and made special pleas to everyone to vote for "his friend, Mel".

Naturally, George Bush had a lot of popularity at that moment and most if not all of everyone switched from the other candidate, Bill McCollom over to Mel Martinez as George Bush asked us to.

Here's some good information I found when I did a google search.

Look at the pie and you will see that Bill McCollom was ahead of Mel Martinez. It was close, but he was ahead, and George Bush pushed Mel Martinez over the finish line.

Here's the link to show you the pie: http://www.sptimes.com/2004/08/29/Decis ... _rac.shtml

George Bush should have stayed out of it since they were both Republicans and let the residents of Florida be "the deciders".

Most people around the country don't know this story, only Floridians know the truth about how Mel came to power.

They don't know that President Bush had his hands in it from the beginning!! Republicans have been FORCED AGAIN BY GEORGE BUSH to accept Mel Martinez as head of the Republican Party, when most people do not have any reason to have the faith and confidence in this man that would warrant him to be the head of the Republican Party.

ONCE AGAIN, THE DECIDER DECIDED FOR THE PEOPLE INSTEAD OF LETTING THE PEOPLE DECIDE!!

LegalUSCitizen wrote:

Most people around the country don't know this story, only Floridians know the truth about how Mel came to power.

Living in California, I didn't know about the Bush push for Martinez. Another nail in America's coffin.