You wouldn´t think that a bunch of old white guys who sit up at the Reliable Source drinking and reminiscing about the old days when journalism was a semi respectable profession, would be good friends of Hugo Chávez…. but as it turns out, Hugo has friends in high places (14th floor) … and he has loud mouth enemies….

So not that anyone was going to go to this event except a few rowdy Venezuelan rich kids, but once it was cancelled, rumblings have ensued:

Why would anyone cancel such a distinguished one sided panel? According to the organizers because the Press Club loves Hugo:

National Press Club Nixes Venezuelan Student Event

Students cry foul

Until Thursday, the National Press Club’s calendar had listed a “Newsmakers” event for Friday on human rights in Venezuela. The panelists were set and the club’s Newsmakers Committee had agreed to put up $4,700 for the group, Venezuelan Students Abroad/Washington, D.C., to stage the event.

But the night before, the event was listed as canceled. Organizers of the event are crying foul, accusing the Press Club of stifling free speech, of all things. For its part, club brass says promoting such unbalanced panels is not the way they typically do business.

Carla Bastillos, one of the organizers, said the Newsmakers Committee invited her group “to highlight the student movement and hear from a student leader from Venezuela.”

So my question is why does it cost $4,700 to get a bunch of Venezuelans in the U.S. to talk bad about Chávez????? Just go to any street corner in Miami, and you will find people who will gladly do it for free…. You don´t even have to go to Miami, get Condi to do it at taxpayers expense.

Yeah, I know I was supposed to do this last week, but I was busy watching CSPAN and Copa América….(Which btw you can watch LIVE on the internets)

AND at least we update this blog more often than the paid professionals at the DNC

So here goes your immigration news sancocho:

The democrats control both houses of Congress, but everything that happens it is totally and absolutely the fault of Republicans.

Chertoff continues his schizophrenic quest to legalize AND deport immigrants at the same time.

LULAC gets its first legislative victory ever.

Meanwhile back at the border…

NOGALES, Ariz. - U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agents executing simultaneous raids discovered a recently completed smuggling tunnel linking the two countries, officials said Friday.

One of our favorite mayors came to visit us this week, (ok, last week) here are some of the highlights:

Support immigration but Avoid the sun

Get picture taken with Kennedy

Call his favorita Hillary Clinton a Kennedy, specifically Te Kennedy and get mentioned on Leno

Jay Leno: “Yesterday on CNN, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accidentally called Hillary Clinton Senator Kennedy. See, that’s when you know you need to lose a few pounds before bikini season, okay, when people mistake you for Ted Kennedy.”

Try to ignore this other picture of him with Paris Hilton before she went to Jail (Yet another Hispanic male tied to blonde)

(more great fun with this picture)

Make sure to be on TV

AND then

blame the republicans for everything (because the Democrats aren´t in the mayority or anything)

Democratic Hispanic Radio Address
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Good morning. I am Antonio Villaraigosa, Mayor of Los Angeles .

As many of you know, our nation missed an important opportunity this week to enact a just comprehensive immigration reform. We have suffered a temporary setback after years of hard work by a bipartisan group of Senators, Administration cabinet officials and a broad and diverse coalition that represent the will of the American people.

I am proud of the Democratic leadership in Congress, and also of the few Senate Republicans who showed tremendous leadership and courage on this issue. As Democrats, we must not give up the fight. We must continue to be united and work shoulder to shoulder to enact immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for the 12 million undocumented workers currently contributing to our great country.

Our country needs, and Democrats have fought hard for, comprehensive immigration reform that is tough, fair, and practical. We did our part. While the overwhelming majority of Democrats voted for reform, only 12 Republicans voted for their own president’s bill. Last year the Senate was able to approve a much more centrist bill with 23 Republican votes, and this year, having met most of their demands for a much more right leaning bill, and with 20 of them still in the Senate, only 12 of them decided to join Democrats to move forward on comprehensive immigration reform.

Read the rest of this entry »

Book Mark it-> del.icio.us | Reddit | Slashdot | Digg | Facebook | Technorati | Google | StumbleUpon | Window Live | Tailrank | Furl | Netscape | Yahoo | BlinkList Sphere: Related Content