Conservatives Blast Harry Reid for Remark about Hispanic Voters

Updated at 2:30 p.m. ET

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on Tuesday made an appeal to Latino voters that conservatives are saying smacks of racial insensitivity.

At a Nevada campaign event with Latino supporters, Reid blasted Republicans for blocking comprehensive immigration reform, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports.

"I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK," Reid said. "Do I need to say more?"

Conservatives are pushing back on that remark, at a time when immigration reform has become an increasingly divisive issue. It could be a particularly important issue in Nevada, where Hispanics make up about 25 percent of the state population and accounted for 15 percent of the electorate in 2008, according to the Review-Journal.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said Reid's comments were condescending.

"Hispanic voters don't have a 'herd mentality,'" he said. "They have shown that their vote cannot be taken for granted by any party and that they will support candidates who will defend the principles they believe in -- the sanctity of the family, the dignity of the human person, hard work and entrepreneurship, among others."

Immigration reform was pushed to the forefront of national debate in the spring, when Arizona added a law to the books requiring police officers to check the immigration status of suspected illegal immigrants during any lawful stop. Republicans across the country have expressed support for the measure, which polls show is supported by most Americans. A district judge in July put the most controversial aspects of the Arizona immigration law on hold.

In April, Reid promised Hispanic activists that he would deliver comprehensive immigration reform this year, the Review-Journal points out, and said there would be "no excuses" for failure. The push for immigration reform has lost steam in Washington, however, as Republicans who once took a moderate stance on the issue -- such as Sens. Lindsey Graham and John McCain -- have pulled back on their support. Now, Republicans are pushing even further to the right on the issue, calling for a reconsideration of the 14th Amendment, which guarantees citizenship for anyone born in the United States, even if their parents are in the country illegally.

Reid's Republican opponent, Tea Party-backed Sharron Angle, has said she agrees that "Congress needs to become involved" in addressing questions about the 14th Amendment, the Las Vegas Sun reported.

Angle also opposes the DREAM Act, a measure Reid is pushing that would provide a pathway to citizenship for undocumented students who came to the United States as minors and meet other certain criteria. Angle said "amnesty" is "generally cloaked within those proposals," the Sun reports.

Angle's deputy campaign manager Jordan Gehrke remarked that Reid's most recent comments show that if he is re-elected, there will be "more insensitive racial comments, more gaffes, more lame attempts to distract from what he has done to destroy the Nevada economy," the Weekly Standard reports.

Gehrke alluded to past comments Reid made that President Obama was a "light-skinned" African American.

Conservative pundit Michelle Malkin also tied Reid's statement about Hispanic voters to his past remarks about the president, calling yesterday's statement Reid's "latest racially/ethnically divisive gaffe."

Update: The Reid campaign issued a statement in response to the criticism saying that the senator enjoys the support of many Hispanic Republicans and appreciates their support. It also clarified Reid's remarks.

"Sen. Reid's contention was simply that he doesn't understand how anyone, Hispanic or otherwise, would vote for Republican candidates because they oppose saving teachers' jobs, oppose job-creating tax incentives for small businesses, oppose investments in job-creating clean energy projects, and oppose the help for struggling, unemployed Nevadans to put food on the table and stay in their homes," the statement said.

[echosierra2003]

You gots to stay on the reservation if your a minority in the Democrat Party. When will we wake up and see Democrats look at us as inferior and in need of their help? Then we should be beholdin' to 'em.

[6969twbbenson]

That`s not fair to the people of the U.S. after they retire they don`t even get a cost of living incese on there checks each year. and you want some binner to get SSI. That`s BULL ****!!!! He ro She shoulded get SSI in the U.S. they did`t work to get retirement. WE NEED OUR COST OF LIVING INCRES BACK TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE ON SSI.DISABILLEY IT`S HARD TO MAKE END`S MEAT TO LIVE IN THIS SO CALLED COUNTRY TODAY. WE THE PEOPLE WANT OUR RASE BACK!!!!!

[antoniososa]

Reid is is saying about himself ?No one can do more"! It?s true! No one can do more to HARM to Nevada and the U.S. than Reid! He already has:

-- Nevada's UNEMPLOYMENT is 14.2%, highest in the nation.
-- Every third house in Las Vegas is in FORECLOSURE
-- Nevada is dead last in almost every category

And what's worse: Reid forced us to swallow -- through lies, manipulation, intimidation, coercion and BRIBES -- the Obamacare scam, which will kill even more jobs and further destroy our economy.

Sharron Angle's "unfavorable view" has been created by the powerful progressive propaganda machine, which has invested millions to demonize Angle. Additionally, progressive operatives and lemmings, like packs of wild dogs, go in a feeding frenzy every time Angle opens her mouth!

The frenzy in demonizing Angle shows they fear Angle and, therefore, Angle can help us save Nevada and the U.S. from Obama, Reid, and the rest of the comrades bent on destroying our country through Marxist "help-the-poor" SCAMS like Obamacare.

We'll vote for Angle!

[antoniososa]

Many of us did not know about Angle until progressives (Marxists) began demonizing her with the frenzy of wild dogs! When we considered what she?s REALLY saying and WHY she?s saying it, we couldn't agree with her more. And we admire her courage to tell the truth!

It's obvious that, if progressives demonize Angle, she must be great for the country.

She'll help us REPEAL the Obamacare scam that Reid forced us to swallow.

Angle is great for Nevada and the U.S.!

[lahdeedah80]

Alfonso Aguilar, you don't speak for this Latina. I am a 3rd generation Mexican-American and I totally agree with Harry Reid. I can't believe or understand why any Latinos would vote Republican, either. Never understood the Cuban-Republican connection but I guess they are a whole other breed. I'm guessing because the right has bamboozled the deeply Catholic thinking latinos into believing they were more about family values, against abortions and gay marriage. WAKE UP BROWN PEOPLE! They don't like you and just want your vote. Don't be a sheep!

[antoniososa]

As a "brown-skinned person," I can tell you that informed Latins are turning REPUBLICAN in record numbers.

We have realized that progressives (Marxists) use race to promote hate and manipulate uneducated blacks and Latins and other groups into believing that their socialist programs would help them.

The truth is just the opposite. Socialist programs create a plantation mentality that keeps blacks and others poor and enslaved.

INFORMED Americans, including blacks and Latins, are against Obamacare and the rest of the "help-the-poor," a-la-Fidel-Castro socialist/Marxist scams.

That's why record numbers of INFORMED and PATRIOTIC blacks and Latins are seeking office as REPUBLICANS and voting for REPUBLICANS like Angle.

INFORMED Latin support Angle!

[palmcreek]

Here is another Hispanic hottie telling you antonio that you can't group us all in your comment and speak generally for us all. Not sure where you live but where I live most Hispanics are Democrats and are staying that way. Not sure where you got your ill-informed views. Don't tell us what the truth is because you don't know the truth, and neither do we, we're all trying to figure out all this craziness. Just tell us your opinion. I believe Democrats care about the working class and that Republicans care about furthering their career and their friends career at the expense of the working class. I believe they only allow those people who reflect their own religious and social standards to feel comfortable living in this country. Everyone else falls into the "UnAmerican" category, I guess, since they have labeled themselves the "American" Party.

Brown is beautiful.

[RobAla]

I don't see how any thinking person could support the current Washington leadership this November.

The President and the Democrat controlled Congress have done plenty. However, it is not been what the majority of Americans wanted or even what the left wing of the country was told.

The President's popularity has decreased due to the following:
Most Americans don't care for lies, corruption, and extremism in a President:
1) He lied 8 times in promises to televise the health care discussions openly on CSPAN.
2) He made deals giving one premium health care plan to union members (supporters) and another to the rest of the country.
3) He stood by and allowed the House and Senate to buy health care votes using taxpayer money.
4) He allowed the health care bills to be fashioned behind closed doors and be filled with political favors.
5) He and they took over the nations health care by the federal government - most Americans did not want this extreme action - and still do not..
6) He irresponsibly overspent 100s of billions of dollars the US didn't have on bailouts (President Bush started it and President Obama accelerated it) and bogus stimulus packages.
7) He has behaved in the most partisan manner of any recent President, after promising bipartisanship.
8) Instead of securing the border and enforcing federal immigration laws, the President has made war on Arizona Americans as they attempt to protect themselves from an invasion of illegal immigrants.
9) The President's man, AG Holder, dropped his case against the Black Panthers who blatantly intimidated voters at the polls.
10) This President has focused on this extremist agenda, instead of the millions without jobs. You can not grow the federal government on the backs of business and taxpayers during a recession, and expect job creation.
11) President Obama imposed a moratorium on drilling in the gulf, throwing thousands more out of work. One foreign oil company screwed up, and the President decided to punish other oil companies that have drilled responsibly for decades.
12) President Obama wants the President Bush tax cuts to expire, which will result in redirecting money away from the economy and push it into Washington.
13 The President and this Congress have maintained a 9.5% unemployment rate for over a year, and the President now states that he expects a 9% unemployment rate into 2012. This is absolutely unacceptable.

Just to name a few.
This is given rise to anti-democrat and anti-Obama opinion

[antoniososa]

You are right. NO informed, patriotic person can support Obama or Reid.

Those who support them have been BRAINWASHED and DUMBED DOWN by substandard and politicized education and a corrupt media, as per the warnings of Soviet defector Yuri Bezmenov.

Bezmenov warned us years ago that our enemies were working hard at brainwashing Americans so they could not see reality and would try to destroy their own country.

Listen to Bezmenov -- youtube.com/watch?v=omrRpOM9fDI

Fortunately, most Americans are waking up and they support patriots like Sharron Angle.

[papayaaaa]

One more thing. I am Hispanic and there is no freeken way I would vote for Angle. She is crackers...No crazies running Nevada....thank you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[papayaaaa]

!!!!!!!!VIVA HARRY REID.!!!!!!!! I don't give a hoot what Harry Reid does, thinks or says. Sharron Angle is loony-bin material. Republifools shot yourself in the foot with this one. If you would have put forward a republican candidate with a common-sense agenda instead of a candidate with a maniac agenda you might have had a chance of taking Nevada. Basically, republifools gave this election to the democrats.

[lv_mike]

A comment made by a Republican in the Political Hotsheet and an answer from a concerned Democrat.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said Reid's comments were condescending.

Now here is a partial clip of what they want the public to hear that Sen. Reid said:
"I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK," Reid said. "Do I need to say more?" Why didn't they continue with that clip where Sen. Reid explains why he made that statement? This reminds me of something that just happened to a black lady that worked within the administration. A partial clip was shown to the public and she lost her job over it. This trick is of the same nature. Mr Aguilar used the word "condescending" for Sen. Reid's comment. Just exactly what was condescending (or what it really means) "patronizing" about that statement, especially when you hear the whole content of Sen. Reid's statement. Another try at pulling down Sen. Reid with tricks!

[lv_mike]

A comment made by a Republican in the Political Hotsheet and an answer from a concerned Democrat.

Alfonso Aguilar, executive director of the Latino Partnership for Conservative Principles, said Reid's comments were condescending.

Now here is a partial clip of what they want the public to hear that Sen. Reid said:
"I don't know how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican, OK," Reid said. "Do I need to say more?" Why didn't they continue with that clip where Sen. Reid explains why he made that statement? This reminds me of something that just happened to a black lady that worked within the administration. A partial clip was shown to the public and she lost her job over it. This trick is of the same nature. Mr Aguilar used the word "condescending" for Sen. Reid's comment. Just exactly what was condescending (or what it really means) "patronizing" about that statement, especially when you hear the whole content of Sen. Reid's statement. Another try at pulling down Sen. Reid with tricks!