Congressman Raul Ruiz Skips Town Instead of Voting for Immigration Reform

There is a term bandied about called “Hispandering”, a strategy amply used by Democrats to be more simpatico to the Latino. It is especially noticeable amongst Latino Democrat politicians who claim to be of “farm worker” stock. A close look at their credentials hardly reflects the life of a migrant farm worker. These individuals brandish credentials from Harvard with Medical or law degrees and only use anecdotes’ to qualify their point.
I myself picked cotton as a young man but would hardly claim to be a “cotton picker”. Nothing wrong with cotton pickers, some of us have just moved on. All of us have had rough moments in life, the objective is to learn and keep moving forward; elucidating on the shiny parts of our life. Latino politicians who Hispander naively equate brown skin as synonymous with “understanding Latinos”. They don’t.
In the Coachella Valley we have two Latino politicians. They believe in capturing the Latino vote through brown osmosis. Our Assemblyman Perez who just lost a bid for County Supervisor has now decided to become part of the Coachella City Council. A great ploy for staying in the public’s eye. He has not visited the only two bi-lingual newspapers in the Coachella Valley since 2008. He has not attended any Hispanic Chamber of Commerce – Coachella Valley mixers, presentations or business, employment discussions, EVER. Is it any wonder he lost by over 7,000 votes? In the Coachella Valley we also have a freshman congressman, Raul Ruiz who is following in the same “thumb in your eye” footsteps. Ruiz has not visited either of the only two Spanish bilingual newspapers or the Hispanic Chamber since before or after being elected. Both tout farm-worker roots and both claim Harvard degrees. It is doubtful neither has EVER picked a row of cotton but they talk a good story.
Ruiz obtained contributions from the community when attending Medical school on the premise he would return to work in the community. His supporters expected a healer, a Medical Doctor, instead they got a third rate politician.
For months Ruiz has been Hispandering in regards to immigration reform ignoring problems caused by his own party. All this nonsense about the Republicans blocking it is nothing more than unadulterated “hog wash”. The Democrats had two years in which they did not need a single Republican vote to pass immigration reform but Democrats found the immigration issue was far more politically expedient than reform itself, starting with the President.
This week after considerable Hispandering, the Republicans brought a bill addressing the border crisis to the House floor. Ruiz sought counsel from his House leader Nancy Pelosi and found he wanted no part of a solution; instead, he did what every Hispandering Democrat would do. He packed his bags and “skipped town”. He escaped Washington D.C. without voting. In layman’s terms it is called “running for cover”. The immigration issue and being able to blame Republicans is more important to Democrats, not reform! Or as B.O. would do as a Senator, he voted present which means nothing.
Immigration is one of the most crucial topics on the national agenda and Congressman Raul Ruiz is content to have the issue and will continue to block real attempts for immigration reform. Obama intent on passing his own immigration law by Executive order has declared he would veto any bill. The Senate closed shop to make certain no bill got through. The Immigration reform bill already passed by the Senate is so full of pork, money distributions to unions and $100 Million to Harry Reid’s favorite city Las Vegas, there is scant similarity to immigration reform. No wonder it was dead on arrival in the House.
Hispandering is like using Latinos and undocumented immigrants as human shields against Republican efforts for immigration reform.