Romney supporters starting pro-immigration reform super PAC

Republican Presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaks at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) 29th Annual Conference on June 21, 2012 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Romney spoke about immigration reform as he continues to battle U.S. President Barack Obama for votes. / Getty Images/Gerardo Mora

Updated 12:30 p.m. ET

Just weeks after Mitt Romney lost the Hispanic vote by more than any Republican presidential candidate since Bob Dole in 1996, two of Romney's supporters announced a new super PAC to appeal to Hispanic voters.

Carlos Gutierrez, former Commerce Secretary to President George W. Bush and adviser to Romney's 2012 presidential run, is teaming up with Charlie Spies, a Washington attorney who ran the pro-Romney super PAC Restore Our Future this past election cycle. The new super PAC, Republicans for Immigration Reform, is an attempt to increase Republican appeal to Hispanic voters on an issue - immigration reform - that is close to millions of immigrants.

Spies called the election close, but he offered a warning sign for Republicans. He said that if the demographic breakdown in four years is the same as it was in 2012, with President Obama winning 70 percent of the Hispanic vote, the impact on the Republican Party would be "devastating."

"We need to have a positive approach moving forward," Spies told CBSNews.com. He said the purpose of the super PAC, which could possibly have an affiliated organization as well, is to support Republicans running in primaries who take more moderate positions on immigration.

Since Congress' failure to adopt comprehensive immigration reform in 2006, many Republicans have adopted a hard-line stance on the issue, which reached its height during the Republican presidential primaries when candidates pushed various stringent anti-immigrant positions.

Spies said it's too early to discuss specific strategy and funding goals, but he said his organization would support the efforts of leaders in the Republican Party backing immigration reform, including Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and House Speaker John Boehner. He said he hasn't received any pushback yet, but he is "sure" some Republicans "will not be happy."

"[W]e're talking about something real and something that can have real influence on outcomes of elections," Gutierrez said about the new super PAC on CNN's "State of the Union" Sunday.

Gutierrez said the Republican Party has made a tragic mistake. "I think we lost the election because the far right of this party has taken the party to a place that it doesn't belong," Gutierrez added on the program. "I mean, these immigrants who come across and what they do wrong is they risk their lives, they come here and they work because they want to be part of the American dream. That is what the GOP is."

[rksharma-2009]

Republican party wants power and not solve problems and here is another example of it. Lets us throw some money to fix the Latino problem and hope to get the Latino to vote republicans. I am quite that Latino's are not stupid, they know what the republicans really stand for SELF DEPORT. They want to make the life of the Latino's so bad that they will reconsider moving to USA.

[mississippigirl2012]

We want you vote for us so we can make life to bad for you so you can self deport.

[hypnotoad72]

Yup.

More handouts for big corporations that exploit and extort and then drive down wages for everyone else in the process, reducing YOUR freedom.

http://www.lawyersandsettlements.com/case/hiring-illegal-immigrants.html

How many more article links will people not be bothered to read...

[rationall7]

The republi-cons try to appeal to the voters and that's all you get unless you are one of the wealthy insiders.

The republi-cons appealed to "Pro Lifers" "Morel Majority" and "Hispanic Voters" and now these groups have lost their trust in the GOP to address their issues. If you have the word SUCKER written on your forehead the republi-cons will be looking for you.

[cntrygirl3]

"part of the American Dream. That is what the GOP is." I mean really only if you are a rich white male. This is so typical republican, we just have to get enough money and we can buy this thing. Weren't you paying attention to Karl Rove's fiasco with countless wasted millions and nothing to show for it. Weren't you paying attention when you lost two senate seats that should have been easy because the idiots you nominated kept talking about rape and God's will (which is apparent exclusively to republicans at least according to them). And stop blaming Romney what he had to do to get the nomination is what lost him any chance of election. I still do not have a clue what he actually believes if anything. The way he is acting now all whiny and accusatory is totally counterproductive as his former surrogates bash him for it. He is a product of what the tea party far right social radical crazies made him and the GOP do.

[rightontarget]

"I mean, these immigrants who come across and what they do wrong is they risk their lives, they come here and they work because they want to be part of the American dream. That is what the GOP is."
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The GOP is the "American Dream"???? Really????? Don't you mean they are the American NIGHTMARE? LMAO!!!!!!

[levelheadedtoo]

Now that is exactly what the GOP needs most. Two former Romney advisors setting up a Super PAC to spin the parties position on Latino's. As though Self Deportation is going to work with a new name. It looks to me like Romney's team has learned they can get rich from stupid GOP donors to Super PACs like Rove did.

[TheLondonPerspective]

For the Republicans to be prop-immigration is like the Klu Klux buying evey Motown cd and record!

Vile nasty dirty useless defeated party!

[mollydtt]

I agree--lipstick on a pig!
A better strategy to welcome intelligent voters back to the republican party would be to get rid of Fox "News".
I have no respect for the republican party with that nonsense spewing hatred night and day.

[Filmguy870]

Lipstick on a PIG!