Last post on CPAC....
Friday night was just about Cuban praise I also got to meet Robert Novak, Ambassador Kirkpatrick, Ambassador John Bolton and many more (Delay, Gov. Perry, etc...)
When I introduced myself to Ambassador Kirkpatrick I thanked her for all her work on behalf of the Cuban people and her dedication to our cause. She shock my hand and said she did love us very much and then she hailed over Ambassador Bolton saying, "John, this is a Cuban-American come over and meet her."
I think at that moment I had to pinch myself. As I greeted the both of them and got a picture I must say, I felt like the luckiest person in the world.
Novak was larger then life. He is a robust man with a deep voice. Each feature on his face appears to be sculpted in with depth and purpose. That night at CPAC he was to be honored and Sam Donaldson was going to present him. I had a chance to pose for a picture with both and did so, but Novak wasn't excited, he tells me, loudly, "He shouldn't be here!' (Donaldson that is)... it was all in jest as the two reporters have known each other for years....
another great night at CPAC.
Saturday, February 11, 2006
Friday, February 10, 2006
Cuban honored at CPAC
At tonight's CPAC dinner a fellow Cuba, Manuel "Manny" Miranda, was honored for his work in the judiciary committee and standing up to Democrat in what is infamously known in DC as "Memogate."In 2004 Miranda was working for the Judiciary Committee and was a top judicial aide for Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.). While working on the committee he uncovered some memos written by the Democrats, and clearly the Dems were upset. They attacked Miranda.
Many Republicans, and especially Senator Hatch, buckled and fired Miranda. Though he did nothing illgeal.
What really brought Miranda to another level was when he created the National Coalition to End Judicial Filibusters from his lap top from home. The goup was built to pressure Republican senators to use the “nuclear option,” a parliamentary tactic that would takes away of the minority party - Dems- of filibustering judicial nominees.
to read more go to http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/110905/news4.html
When accepting his award at CPAC's dinner on Friday night Miranda was almost to tears. He thanked everyone that supported him during the last VERY hard few years. He also thanked the United States for accepting his family into this great country and providing him with the wonderful opportunities of a free society.
Also honored was Ms. Kilo of the US Supreme Court case about eminent domain.
The evil people of the Minute Man Project
Still at CPAC and 
oh what a day what a day!
I just met Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minute Man project.
For those of you that have the pleasure of not knowing Jim Gilchrist, his organization, the Minute Man Project, basically advocates deporting anyone whose last name ends in a vowel (aka Mexicans, aka Hispanics, aka anyone who speaks Spanish!) He and his followers say that Gilchrist “believes that he may have been chosen by God to protect our boarders from the 'invasion' and the “Reconquista” of America by “illegal aliens,” primarily Mexicans, who kill our children and endanger the American way of life.”
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Gilchrist came to meet me as my organization has been fighting tooth and nail against him and his ideas. Flanked by his political director and his executive director they came over to introduce themselves.
Their Executive Director, a taller fellow, dressed in a blue suit introduced Gilchrist. I am not sure if my expression of absolute abhorrent was overly apparent but I tried to contain myself. Gilchrist was proper, introduced himself. I was polite myself and shook his hand.
What I really wanted to say was “How do you feel after you lost the race?” as he recently lost in election in California in one of the most conservative districts in the nation. I contained myself as my mother told me if I didn’t have anything nice to say not to say anything at all. After our short introduction his political director introduced herself. Her bleach blond hair was overwhelming with its very “Barbie” characteristics. With her little dog in tow she was also polite game me her card.
I had run out of my cards but gave them my contact information. Part of me was upset I was doing so. My Cuban paranoid thinking feels they will now break into my email and corrupt my files!!!
I really do not like the Minute Man project and what they represent. On the surface they don’t sound that bad, they say they promote constitutional rights and the safety of America. But in reality they spew a message of hate, fear and intolerance.
Gilchrist said: "Illegal immigrants will destroy this country," Gilchrist said last May. "Every time a Mexican flag is planted on American soil, it is a declaration of war."
Some Cubans reading this will think, "why should I care??" ... Some Cubans think they came here legally and Cubans have worked hard to make a great economy in Miami. The reality is these people don't see Cubans and Mexicans differently. If you speak Spanish you are evil. If you are proud of your heritage and that is a Spanish speaking country, then your evil. But most importantly he is fostering hate in our wonderful nation of diversity. How many Cubans are proud of their Cuban flag? With him, he thinks that is a "declaration of war."
His group of vigilantes have lined themselves on the Southern border with guns and threatening to shoot anyone that crosses over. They claim that Mexicans are invading the US. They claim that we need to secure our borders because we are in the time of war, but no one is standing at the Canadian border. A border where most of the terrorist cross as it is basically NOT protected. What to learn more, read about them at :
http://www.ocorganizer.com/html/gilchrist.html
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/10/31154.php
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=972
http://www.mimnotes.info/news/20050723minutemanjim/
This is the Minute Man Project, with thier horrible imagery using our historic heroes to promote their message of hate. http://www.minutemanproject.com/
oh what a day what a day!I just met Jim Gilchrist, founder of the Minute Man project.
For those of you that have the pleasure of not knowing Jim Gilchrist, his organization, the Minute Man Project, basically advocates deporting anyone whose last name ends in a vowel (aka Mexicans, aka Hispanics, aka anyone who speaks Spanish!) He and his followers say that Gilchrist “believes that he may have been chosen by God to protect our boarders from the 'invasion' and the “Reconquista” of America by “illegal aliens,” primarily Mexicans, who kill our children and endanger the American way of life.”
AHHHHHHHHHH!!!
Gilchrist came to meet me as my organization has been fighting tooth and nail against him and his ideas. Flanked by his political director and his executive director they came over to introduce themselves.
Their Executive Director, a taller fellow, dressed in a blue suit introduced Gilchrist. I am not sure if my expression of absolute abhorrent was overly apparent but I tried to contain myself. Gilchrist was proper, introduced himself. I was polite myself and shook his hand.
What I really wanted to say was “How do you feel after you lost the race?” as he recently lost in election in California in one of the most conservative districts in the nation. I contained myself as my mother told me if I didn’t have anything nice to say not to say anything at all. After our short introduction his political director introduced herself. Her bleach blond hair was overwhelming with its very “Barbie” characteristics. With her little dog in tow she was also polite game me her card.
I had run out of my cards but gave them my contact information. Part of me was upset I was doing so. My Cuban paranoid thinking feels they will now break into my email and corrupt my files!!!
I really do not like the Minute Man project and what they represent. On the surface they don’t sound that bad, they say they promote constitutional rights and the safety of America. But in reality they spew a message of hate, fear and intolerance.
Gilchrist said: "Illegal immigrants will destroy this country," Gilchrist said last May. "Every time a Mexican flag is planted on American soil, it is a declaration of war."
Some Cubans reading this will think, "why should I care??" ... Some Cubans think they came here legally and Cubans have worked hard to make a great economy in Miami. The reality is these people don't see Cubans and Mexicans differently. If you speak Spanish you are evil. If you are proud of your heritage and that is a Spanish speaking country, then your evil. But most importantly he is fostering hate in our wonderful nation of diversity. How many Cubans are proud of their Cuban flag? With him, he thinks that is a "declaration of war."
His group of vigilantes have lined themselves on the Southern border with guns and threatening to shoot anyone that crosses over. They claim that Mexicans are invading the US. They claim that we need to secure our borders because we are in the time of war, but no one is standing at the Canadian border. A border where most of the terrorist cross as it is basically NOT protected. What to learn more, read about them at :
http://www.ocorganizer.com/html/gilchrist.html
http://arizona.indymedia.org/news/2005/10/31154.php
http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=972
http://www.mimnotes.info/news/20050723minutemanjim/
This is the Minute Man Project, with thier horrible imagery using our historic heroes to promote their message of hate. http://www.minutemanproject.com/
the creator of Che-Mart
During CPAC I met the founder and creator of Che-Mart. (www.che-mart.com) As he promoted his shirt with slogan's of Che followed with the words "Murdering Communist Bastard," I was taken away by his accent- his IRISH accent.Yup the guy who made bashing Che a comical art form is a tall Irish fellow who hates communist just as much as the group of Alpha 66 members hanging out on Calle 8.
We had a great chat and shared a wonderful story when he dressed up as communist during a Kerry for President Rally in New York.
He dressed as Fidel Castro and his friend dressed up like Che and carried signs something like "follow France", "bring down unemployment", "withdraw from Iraq" and many people clapped for them and many members of Kerry's team even asked to take pictures with them... it wasn't until a long while later that some people finally noticed that the dressed up communist were actually infaltrators.
And P.S. he reads Babalu all the time...
I got to meet the Che-Mart maker via another great idea, Contra Cafe (http://www.contracafe.com/). The coffe is a product of Nicaragua's former Contras - freedom fighters who fought against the Sandinistas in the 1980s. Today, these former freedom fighters struggle to get by on the profits from their coffee farms. Support them and buy their coffee today!!!
Thursday, February 09, 2006
blogging from CPAC
CPAC - the Conservative Political Action Convention is the largest meeting of conservatives in the nation. I am overwhelmed my the number of young people here at the convention. A few highlights and low lights:
- I LOVED the the many booths of anti-socialism shirts, like the Che with Micky ears. Got to love it.
- I HATED meeting Congressman Tancredo. This very narrow minded congressman is the worst thing ever to happen to the Republican party. I met him in a small group and he greated everyone else, EXCEPT ME!! He knew nothing about me, but looking at me you can tell I am Hispanic. I forced an introduction and he politely smiled. I think he wiped his hand afterwords. Once on stage he advocated stripping citizenship rights to children born in this country of illegal parents. UGGHHHH!!!!! Can someone please knock some sense into him??
Tonight is a dinner with VP Chaney... we will see how that goes
- I LOVED the the many booths of anti-socialism shirts, like the Che with Micky ears. Got to love it.
- I HATED meeting Congressman Tancredo. This very narrow minded congressman is the worst thing ever to happen to the Republican party. I met him in a small group and he greated everyone else, EXCEPT ME!! He knew nothing about me, but looking at me you can tell I am Hispanic. I forced an introduction and he politely smiled. I think he wiped his hand afterwords. Once on stage he advocated stripping citizenship rights to children born in this country of illegal parents. UGGHHHH!!!!! Can someone please knock some sense into him??
Tonight is a dinner with VP Chaney... we will see how that goes
Wednesday, February 08, 2006
Fox, Castro and Bush
Compassionate Conservatism Fades South of the Border?
By Eneas Biglione
The recent decision of the public relations firm Allyn & Company to take charge of the task of improving Mexico's image in the United States and Canada has angered some conservatives. They have labeled Rob Allyn -- Allyn & Company's president and CEO -- a traitor and have threatened to boycott the firm.
In a stern response, Allyn declared: "I have gotten so tired of the way people treat Mexico. I believe in the cause, so I love the opportunity to share my views. I've held these views for a long time. I relish the opportunity to help in some small way." He added stingingly, "The conservative movement I signed up for stood for tearing walls down, not building them."
Indeed, Allyn & Company's website boasts that Allyn's public relations team worked with great success on President George W. Bush's 2000 primary campaign. The firm later aided Vicente Fox in his successful bid for the Mexican presidency, the same Vicente Fox who is the first conservative president elected in Mexico after an unbroken 72 years of socialist governments controlled by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
Mexican voters entrusted Fox with the responsibility of overseeing great change: to tackle corruption, insecurity, and poverty and to promote improved relations with Mexico's neighbors. Fox perceived the broadening of NAFTA with the United States and Canada as a way to strengthen Mexico and confront the country's weaknesses. He never plundered or begged, but saw in the exportation of Mexican products and workers a possible solution to Mexico's woes. Fox's government stimulated the production and exportation of high-technology manufactured goods and used diplomacy to try to negotiate a temporary visa program that is more generous to low-skilled Mexican workers. Of course, the chronic corruption, wild public spending, and poverty that Fox's government inherited from the PRI are not easy conditions to reverse after only five years in office.
Fox has been at the United States' side during several international scandals: the first occurred when the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro revealed statements made during a private telephone conversation he had with Fox in March of 2002. During the call, the Mexican president requested discretion from Castro during the UN Summit in Monterrey and, more specifically, asked that he not insult President Bush or the United States during his stay in Mexico.
The second scandal is more recent. At the Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Fox proudly declared that Castro and the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez had not succeeded in their attempts to dissuade a majority of Latin American countries from signing bilateral free trade agreements with the United States. After hearing this remark, Chavez repeatedly insulted the Mexican president and even branded him a "puppet of the [American] empire". In both cases Fox risked much for the United States and paid dearly for it in his credibility in certain Latin American countries.
It is worrisome, then, that the United States -- the most powerful country in the world and an excellent example of the institutions that a country must adopt to achieve prosperity -- is devoting so much time and so many resources to the construction of a wall on its border with Mexico. The anti-Mexican hysteria does nothing more than add to the arguments of enemies of the United States and discourage the world's conservatives from working side-by-side with the United States on the true fronts of the fight against the Axis of Evil.
The contract between Allyn & Company and the Mexican government is far from treason. It exemplifies, instead, a search for better communication between countries whose conservatives ought to be natural allies in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as on many other battlefronts as well.
Eneas Biglione is a Senior Fellow at the Hispanic American Center for Economic Research (HACER).
By Eneas Biglione
The recent decision of the public relations firm Allyn & Company to take charge of the task of improving Mexico's image in the United States and Canada has angered some conservatives. They have labeled Rob Allyn -- Allyn & Company's president and CEO -- a traitor and have threatened to boycott the firm.
In a stern response, Allyn declared: "I have gotten so tired of the way people treat Mexico. I believe in the cause, so I love the opportunity to share my views. I've held these views for a long time. I relish the opportunity to help in some small way." He added stingingly, "The conservative movement I signed up for stood for tearing walls down, not building them."
Indeed, Allyn & Company's website boasts that Allyn's public relations team worked with great success on President George W. Bush's 2000 primary campaign. The firm later aided Vicente Fox in his successful bid for the Mexican presidency, the same Vicente Fox who is the first conservative president elected in Mexico after an unbroken 72 years of socialist governments controlled by the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI).
Mexican voters entrusted Fox with the responsibility of overseeing great change: to tackle corruption, insecurity, and poverty and to promote improved relations with Mexico's neighbors. Fox perceived the broadening of NAFTA with the United States and Canada as a way to strengthen Mexico and confront the country's weaknesses. He never plundered or begged, but saw in the exportation of Mexican products and workers a possible solution to Mexico's woes. Fox's government stimulated the production and exportation of high-technology manufactured goods and used diplomacy to try to negotiate a temporary visa program that is more generous to low-skilled Mexican workers. Of course, the chronic corruption, wild public spending, and poverty that Fox's government inherited from the PRI are not easy conditions to reverse after only five years in office.
Fox has been at the United States' side during several international scandals: the first occurred when the Cuban dictator Fidel Castro revealed statements made during a private telephone conversation he had with Fox in March of 2002. During the call, the Mexican president requested discretion from Castro during the UN Summit in Monterrey and, more specifically, asked that he not insult President Bush or the United States during his stay in Mexico.
The second scandal is more recent. At the Summit of the Americas in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Fox proudly declared that Castro and the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez had not succeeded in their attempts to dissuade a majority of Latin American countries from signing bilateral free trade agreements with the United States. After hearing this remark, Chavez repeatedly insulted the Mexican president and even branded him a "puppet of the [American] empire". In both cases Fox risked much for the United States and paid dearly for it in his credibility in certain Latin American countries.
It is worrisome, then, that the United States -- the most powerful country in the world and an excellent example of the institutions that a country must adopt to achieve prosperity -- is devoting so much time and so many resources to the construction of a wall on its border with Mexico. The anti-Mexican hysteria does nothing more than add to the arguments of enemies of the United States and discourage the world's conservatives from working side-by-side with the United States on the true fronts of the fight against the Axis of Evil.
The contract between Allyn & Company and the Mexican government is far from treason. It exemplifies, instead, a search for better communication between countries whose conservatives ought to be natural allies in the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as on many other battlefronts as well.
Eneas Biglione is a Senior Fellow at the Hispanic American Center for Economic Research (HACER).
Friday, February 03, 2006
Looking for Hispanic Conservative Bloggers!!
The Republican National Hispanic Assembly is looking for conservative Hispanic bloggers that believe in the principles of the Republican party. If you or anyone you know may be interested email them at info@rnha.org....
The issues can vary but the message has to be the same - conservatism and/ or republican party issues....
Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Cuba and State of the Union
I have been reading many of the blogs and seen the reaction of the Cuban-American community to the Bush speech. In fact I work with lots of Hispanic Republicans and the outcry has been a little overwhelming.
As a Cuban American I was praying that President Bush would say Cuba when listing the tyrannies of the world. But he didn't. Yet I am not upset because I know he hasn't totally forgotten about us.... While some are about to club me with a big stick let me remind you that allt he rage on all these blogs is the Cuba News Ticker... we constantly talk about its message of freedom... so where did the money to build it come from? .... The Administration and this President...... The government is spending millions of dollars on TV and Radio Marti... where does that money come from? ... the administration..... The government is providing money to help the dissents in Cuba, the government is taking a hard stand against Fidel Castro... Mind you my friends it is not an easy task THE MAJORITY OF THIS WORLD is against the embargo and the president continues it because he believes in our cause.
As an ex-member of capitol hill staff I can tell you what an uphill battle is sometimes is to convince people to stand on the right side of Cuba. We have that leverage only cuz THE PRESIDENT STANDS WITH US..... so instead of the stupid messages I get from Cubans saying they are leaving the Republican party because Bush did not spend 1.2 seconds and say Cuba (Believe me I wish he would have!) Lets instead follow Babalu's advice. Educate more people around the world about Cuba. Make it a priority to them. Tell them it is not this lovely island paradise.
I know I will get some reaction about the wet-foot dry foot policy but that is a very special topic I will talk about another day. But I do have one advice for the Cuban people. Instead of screaming only at Bush why didn't the entire community ask for the resignation of the Coast Guard Chief of something to that affect... Other communities would have done that. Still scream and Bush but call for action that he can actually do quickly.... Again I will talk about wet-foot dry foot another day.
Many Cubans wish that many years ago we could have kicked Fidel's butt but yet this has not happened. We have to work with what we got if not we are never going to get any where just keep on preaching to the choir.
As a Cuban American I was praying that President Bush would say Cuba when listing the tyrannies of the world. But he didn't. Yet I am not upset because I know he hasn't totally forgotten about us.... While some are about to club me with a big stick let me remind you that allt he rage on all these blogs is the Cuba News Ticker... we constantly talk about its message of freedom... so where did the money to build it come from? .... The Administration and this President...... The government is spending millions of dollars on TV and Radio Marti... where does that money come from? ... the administration..... The government is providing money to help the dissents in Cuba, the government is taking a hard stand against Fidel Castro... Mind you my friends it is not an easy task THE MAJORITY OF THIS WORLD is against the embargo and the president continues it because he believes in our cause.
As an ex-member of capitol hill staff I can tell you what an uphill battle is sometimes is to convince people to stand on the right side of Cuba. We have that leverage only cuz THE PRESIDENT STANDS WITH US..... so instead of the stupid messages I get from Cubans saying they are leaving the Republican party because Bush did not spend 1.2 seconds and say Cuba (Believe me I wish he would have!) Lets instead follow Babalu's advice. Educate more people around the world about Cuba. Make it a priority to them. Tell them it is not this lovely island paradise.
I know I will get some reaction about the wet-foot dry foot policy but that is a very special topic I will talk about another day. But I do have one advice for the Cuban people. Instead of screaming only at Bush why didn't the entire community ask for the resignation of the Coast Guard Chief of something to that affect... Other communities would have done that. Still scream and Bush but call for action that he can actually do quickly.... Again I will talk about wet-foot dry foot another day.
Many Cubans wish that many years ago we could have kicked Fidel's butt but yet this has not happened. We have to work with what we got if not we are never going to get any where just keep on preaching to the choir.
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