Republicans are Not Welcome Here
November 19 | Posted by mrossol | American Thought, Democrat Party, The LeftWSJ – 11/16/2017
Carlos Curbelo sure seems to qualify as Hispanic. He’s the son of a Cuban father and mother who fled the Castro regime. He speaks Spanish. And as the Congressman for Florida’s 26th district—which includes the Florida Keys and parts of Miami-Dade County—it would seem only natural to join the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, as Mr. Curbelo has been asking to do since January.
Only one problem: Mr. Curbelo is a Republican. And though there was a day when the Congressional Hispanic Caucus had GOP members, that was years ago. This week the caucus rejected Mr. Curbelo’s bid for membership.
You might think the Congressional Hispanic Caucus would welcome the chance to admit a Republican and reject the idea that all Hispanics are expected to think alike. The Congressional Black Caucus managed to welcome Republican Mia Love from Utah into its ranks.
But the caucus opted to keep it a one-party organization. Caucus spokesman Carlos Paz Jr. put it this way: “The CHC isn’t just an organization for Hispanics; it is a caucus that represents certain values. This vote reflects the position of many of our members that Rep. Curbelo and his record are not consistent with those values.”
In his letter seeking admission, Mr. Curbelo conceded that he would likely have differences on policies and goals with other members but believed that “a broader discussion, reasonable debate and diversity of thought” would serve the caucus well.
The group can set any rules it wants, including for membership. But with this decision the Congressional Hispanic Caucus has confirmed what many critics have long alleged: that the organization is less about advancing Hispanics than advancing liberal Democratic priorities. Good to have the caucus make it official.
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