Saturday, August 8, 2009

Weekend Headlines: August 8-9, 2009

* U.S.: One of the U.S.’ leading Latino politicians- Mel Martinez- said that he would resign from the Senate one year before the end of his term.

* Mexico: The country’s Supreme Court will launch its own investigation into a deadly June daycare center fire that killed 49 kids.

* Puerto Rico: An FBI agent has been charged with “negligent homicide” in the death of a Puerto Rican policeman participating in a joint raid.

* Paraguay: One year after his historic election win, Fernando Lugo has reportedly faced more lows than highs in the Paraguayan presidency.

Image- BBC News (Mel Martinez said he would quit early from the Senate in order to spend time with his family.)
Online Sources- LAHT, AFP, MSNBC, Christian Science Monitor

1 comment:

Defensores de Democracia said...

Latinos are fleeing and deserting the Republican Party :

Thanks to a bunch of Racists in the Media, and prominent Republican Politicans that are acting like the Greatest Racists and Enemies of Minorities.

Florida Republican Senator Mel Martínez announced his resignation as Senator - The last nail in the Republican's "diversity" coffin

Huffington Post
John Ridley
Emmy-Winning Commentator and Writer for Esquire
August 8, 2009

Mel Martinez and the Last Nail in the Republican Diversity Coffin

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-ridley/mel-martnez-and-the-last_b_254594.html

Some excerpts :

It's very probably the last nail in the Republican's "diversity" coffin.

Poorly made little pine box that it was.

Cuban-American Melquíades Rafael "Mel" Martínez was the sole (or lonely) Hispanic U.S. senator in the Republican Party. As former chair of the RNC he made outreach to Hispanics and minorities a priority. This to the consternation of some Republicans who were at odds with his stand on immigration. He didn't last long in that position. Less than a year.

And now, a day after breaking with all but eight of his fellow Republicans in voting to confirm Supreme Court Nominee Sonia Sotomayor, Martínez is throwing in the towel.

It's very, very hard not to see the timing as a statement. Not just against the Republican's attempted debasement of Sotomayor, and by association the Hispanic narrative in America. Martínez's move, too, can been seen as another accomplished person of color -- following Colin Powell -- flipping a metaphorical middle finger at all the Republicans have devolved into: The party of the "angry white voter," as Paul Krugman says. A return to the "white voter strategy," writes Thomas Edsall. It is a party dominated by dangerously reactionary regressives whose fallback position is open hate and active violence. Frankly, those Tea Bag Party days seem like gentle times compared to the thuggery of the Health Care Town Hall meetings.


Milenials.com

Vicente Duque