Adventures of the Coconut Caucus

So you’ve heard the brohaha that developed with Politico strong-arming a new Latino startup into changing its name.

You’ll see how FULL OF CRAP the all-mighty Politico is.

It turns out, of course, that Politico is a RIPOFF of a LATINO PUBLICATION.

Because naturally, Latinos usually think of things first and the big white man with money comes along to claim it. Just ask the American Indians.

So here’s the blurb from June 30, 2000, SEVEN YEARS AGO, in the Austin (Texas) Chronicle about how the publication, already in existence for a while, was launching a magazine:

Politico Premieres

Politico, the weekly online newsletter devoted to Latino politics produced by former Austin American-Statesman columnist and San Antonio Current editor James Garcia, now has a monthly magazine, which premiered in April. To subscribe, send an e-mail to politicomkt@aol.com or write to Politico, 1020 E. Mountain Vista Dr., Phoenix, AZ 85048. Anyone not familiar with Politico who has an interest in Latino politics is strongly advised to get a subscription.

So there you have it in black and bold.

Who’s the copycat now?

AND guess what?????? They even got an AWARD!!!!

Best Info On Latino Politics: Politico

This is Politico’s first and last Best of Austin award, because founder James Garcia moved his operation south a few months ago when he became editor of the San Antonio Current. Every week for just over a year now, Politico has been providing the total lowdown on the Hispanic political world, with everything from Washington to South America, Miami to Los Angeles, or anyplace else; you can get it either in print or e-mail.

Not content with taking stories that Hispanic journalists have already published and passing them off as exclusive, and THEN sending emails to Hispanic journalists asking to be credited with stories that EVEN this blog had already published… It seems that The Politico now also claims they own the Spanish language…

(Not to be confused with Latin)

So here is the latest round…

The Politico has forced La Política, an online newsletter dedicated to Hispanic political topics, to change its name because with all their millions they apparently can’t handle the existence of an online magazine that covers topics they completely ignore… even if their name is in Spanish…

The exchange in PDF form

And in copy-paste form…

A Letter From The Publisher

Dear Reader:

Faced with a trademark legal challenge and protracted litigation by the publishers of the newspaper and website ¨Politico,¨we have reluctantly chosen to change the name of our publication, from“La Política” to “CandidatoUSA.”

The publishers of Politico - launched in January by Washington D.C.-based Allbritton Communications, also owners of seven ABC television affiliates and three other news channel outlets - claim La Politica infringes on their trademark.

The name change odyssey began,without our knowledge, on July 11when Jim VanderHei, Politico’s co-founder and editor, called me.

He had heard of our plans to launch La Política and wanted to know more. I gave him details of
our preparations to launch an electronic trade newsletter on the business of reaching Hispanic voters.

At his suggestion, we agreed to talk again after the launch of La Política on November 5 to explore avenues of collaboration between Politico and our publication.

We did launch on November 5. But next day, instead of a call from VanderHei, we received a two-page aggressive and threatening letter from Politico’s attorney demanding that we “cease and desist” from the use of the La Política name because they hold a registered trade mark in the term “The Politico.”

I, of course, rapidly called VanderHei and sent him the following e-mail message:

From: Arturo Villar [mailto:avillar@hispanicmarketweekly.com]
Sent: Thursday, November 08, 2007 9:54 AM
To: ‘jim@politico.com’
Subject: Urgent; Please call me
Jim: I left you a phone message yesterday wanting to talk about La Politica.

When you called me on July 11 to inquire about La Politica, I shared our plans for the mewsletter, and we talked about exploring ways to work together after our launch in the fall.

We did launch this past Monday, and instead I have received a letter from your attorney
We are studying the matter and we need more time to consider the business implication of your attorney’s demand Please call me at ..; to discuss this and our cooperation plans.
Saludos, Arturo

No response from VanderHei.

I later offered, to no avail, to travel to D.C. to find an amicable solution to Politico’s complaint and our resulting predicament.

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So these people haven´t even crossed the border yet, but they are already ice staking…

People ice skate on a rink installed in Mexico City’s main Zocalo Plaza, Sunday, Dec. 2, 2007. The rink, designed to withstand Mexico City’s warm climate, opened Saturday night to curious onlookers as part of Mayor Marcelo Ebrard’s Christmas celebration plans. (AP Photo/ Eduardo Verdugo)

Of course 2 seconds later this was bound to happen.

Also comes to show that politicians EVERYWHERE have the people´s best interest at heart…

Well a few Latinos (and one Filipino so far) are about to get some papers, and NOT because of the press releases of La Raza, or any other powerless Hispanic organization.

Now thanks to TV, yes the American way, a group of immigrants may find a green card and love!!!!!

Check out the video

Let us humbly suggest single mother Mexican Church Lady to be the first contestant.

Show seeks to love match migrants and U.S. citizens

PHOENIX (Reuters) - A Los Angeles company is touting a new reality game show called “Who Wants to Marry a U.S.Citizen” that aims to create televised matrimony between legal citizens and immigrants who have temporary visas.

The show’s backers at Morusa Media hope to make a sort of love match between reality TV and a national obsession with immigration. But the producers make no promise that a marriage will occur or lead to U.S.citizenship.

Show creator Adrian Martinez said that Morusa Media has not yet found a network to produce or air the show, but he is currently in talks with one cable TV network and already has signed up contestants for six episodes. (this should air right after Lou Dobbs on CNN)

“It’s this generation’s ‘Dating Game,’ but with a twist — it aims to show love knows no borders,” Martinez told Reuters. (if you believe marriage is based on love)

As in the “Dating Game,” which ran on network TV for more than two decades starting in the 1960s, a single U.S. citizen gets to ask contestants various questions. Toward the end of the show, he or she decides which one to select as a potential mate.

So far, most of the contestants are Hispanic immigrants, (no way) although at least one is from the Philippines, Martinez said.
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