In the session that I observed (one of 10 sessions!), a lot of suggestions and commentary was generated that will go directly to the DNC for their information and action.
Congressman Charlie Gonzalez generated one of the highlights of the summit, garnering a standing ovation, when he expressed his outrage at the actions of the Arizona Minutemen.
The structure of the Hispanic Summit is interesting, as it provides for different types of benefits. There are sessions where elected officials have been pre-chosen to expand on achievements in their districts. These sessions serve as an important "best practices" component, and many of the attendees were seen taking notes and discussing some of the content in between sessions.
We just heard a great speech by State Representative Trey Martinez Fischer where he deplored the Republican strategy of pulling Jedi Mind Tricks, where they tell you one thing while doing another.
We heard from Governor Dean just now. The Governor has always had a great rapport with the hispanic community. Right out of the gates, he generated many smiles and chuckles by retelling an occasion were he spotted another politician attempt to speak to Latinos in Spanish, who ended up telling his crowd "estoy embarazado." As a physician, Governor Dean knew that this was a physical impossibility!
Its uplifting to see so many members and leaders of the hispanic democratic world gathered in one place. We've just heard some great remarks from Congresswoman Grace Napolitano (CA-38), and also some remarks from DNC Vice Chair Linda Chavez-Thompson.
Governor Dean made some remarks, energizing the crowd by focusing his message on a few key issues. Making sure that the Democrats fight in races in all 50 states, building a strong and well organized grassroots movement in every state and county. More importantly, he emphasized working with Latinos to help lead the party in reaching out to one of its most important constituencies in many areas of the country.
Watch the 2005 Hispanic Leadership Summit from your own home via our live webcast.
Hundreds of people are gathering from around the country this weekend for the 2005 Hispanic Summit in San Antonio, Texas.
Times and rooms are subject to change. Friday, August 5 3:00 - 6:00 p.m. Registration Location: Los Rios Foyer 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. DNC Hispanic Caucus Meeting (Members Only) Location: Director's Room Saturday, August 6 7:30 - 9:00 a.m. Registration...
