A tweet by President Barack Obama's campaign manager prompted a scathing response from a national Hispanic group, as well as a Republican demand for an apology.
Jim Messina tweeted: "Line of the day from WAPO's Dana Milbank: 'The chimichanga? It may be the only thing Republicans have left to offer Latinos.' "
Jennifer Sevilla Korn, executive director of
the Hispanic Leadership Network, responded that Messina's joke falls flat.
"The fact that the campaign manager of President Obama's re-election campaign thinks it's appropriate to disseminate insulting jokes about the Hispanic community is a perfect example of the kind of empty rhetoric that characterizes this White House's so-called outreach to Latinos," Korn said today in a HLN press release.
Messina had tweeted the line from a column written by The Washington Post's Milbank, in which Milbank says that Republicans who have opposed the DREAM immigration reform act will have difficulty attracting Latino votes.
"The facts remain the same, and they are no laughing matter," Korn said. "President Obama broke his campaign promises to the Hispanic community on jobs and immigration. Our community is suffering from over 11 percent unemployment rate. In addition, President Obama has deported more immigrants than any other U.S. president in history. When confronted with his record, this president has no standing with Hispanic voters across our country."
Korn demanded an apology from Messina and asked that Obama disavow his campaign manager's reference to the chimichanga, a deep-fried burrito.
"Liberals are always trying to put Hispanics in a box. In typical fashion, when liberals cannot speak substantively to the top issues facing our community, they resort to name-calling," she said.
The Republican National Committee also demanded that Messina apologize.
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