Not a moment too soon, the Republican Party reached out to alienated Hispanic voters by selecting Florida Sen. Mel Martinez to head the party's national committee. This is a bold and encouraging move by a party that is still licking its wounds after a disastrous political campaign that offended many Hispanics because some GOP candidates decided to make anti-immigrant policies a wedge issue.

 

We hope this signals that the GOP has changed course to support effective immigration policies without resorting to demonizing immigrants. Mr. Martinez, who had warned against costly and impractical schemes like the infamous fence on the U.S.-Mexican border, is the right man for the job.

 

An immigrant who came to this country from Cuba at the age of 15, he has enjoyed a successful political career that began in Orlando and continued when he became secretary of housing and urban development in 2001.

 

His selection to head the RNC bolsters his political clout, a big plus for Florida. It also places a prominent Hispanic at the forefront of one of the major parties, a significant first.

 

What is important now is that the party repair the damage done to the GOP by anti-immigrant zealots. In 2004, President Bush and the GOP captured 44 percent of the Hispanic vote by stressing the party's commitment to strong family values.

 

This year the share fell to 29 percent as the party chose to disregard warnings by Mr. Martinez that attacking immigrants -- a largely Hispanic community -- would backfire.

 

It is not too late for the GOP to reclaim the support of Hispanic voters in time for the election of 2008, but President Bush has no time to waste. Picking Mel Martinez to head the RNC is a strong opening move. Now he must overcome the negative forces in his own party to promote fair and sensible immigration reform.

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/16014378.htm

I don't know much about Martinez but personally I'd like to have seen Michael Steele have gotten it. He ran the best campaign during the elections and had a great chance of winning in Maryland. His campaign had a backbone and was passionate, something most other republican candidates lacked.

 

He'd be a great guy to be the 'face' of the party.

I think that would've been an inspired choice Fox. Martinez is a more typical toe-the-line Republican, while Steele seems more willing to reach out.

I'm unsure on how this works. Does Senator Martinez have to give up his seat to become the head of the RNC?

I don't think so, I know that Jim Gilmore was still governor of Virginia when he was the chairman. I know it's not the same as being a senator but I'm pretty sure you can do both.

the scumbag will be keeping his seat.

I think that would've been an inspired choice Fox. Martinez is a more typical toe-the-line Republican, while Steele seems more willing to reach out.

 

Steele and Ehrlich(the governer who lost) were ultimately not that bad for MD. Despite their best efforts, they lost because of the R behind their names. Steele pretty much came out and said that it was like a scarlet letter. The Bush administrations terrible policies really took out some decent Republicans.

 

But Steele also lost because he tried to run ads arguing he was an outsider while totally ignoring Iraq, stem cells, and other issues that bothered Maryland voters.

the scumbag will be keeping his seat.

Unfortunately, yes.

I don't see how picking Martinez is reaching out to any Hispanics outside the Cuban community. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I'm under the impression most other Hispanics, especially Mexicans, see Cubans as privileged politically.