Obama Campaign Head Accused of Racial Insensitivity Over ‘Chimichanga’ Tweet
- Posted on February 15, 2012 at 4:47pm by
Madeleine Morgenstern
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Tweeting a line from a Washington Post column landed President Barack Obama’s re-election campaign manager in the fryer Wednesday, with many Republicans accusing Jim Messina of insensitivity toward Latinos over his “chimichanga” crack.
The tweet in question about the deep-fried burrito dish? “Line of the day from WAPO’s Dana Milbank: ‘The chimichanga? It may be the only thing Republicans have left to offer Latinos.’”
The origin of Messina‘s post came from Milbank’s Tuesday column titled, “Does the GOP care about Latino voters?” In it, he questions the Republican Party’s ability to connect with Hispanic voters in the face of its staunch opposition to the DREAM Act and anti-illegal immigration stance:
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) spoke about the wonders of his state. “The lettuce in your salad this month almost certainly came from Arizona,” McCain said. “It’s also believed that the chimichanga has its origin in Arizona.”
The chimichanga? It may be the only thing Republicans have left to offer Latinos.
Messina’s tweet quickly drew GOP attention, with the Republican National Committee’s Latino Twitter account seizing on his comment and re-tweeting a series of angry messages:
Other RNC officials got in on the action, including Alexandra Franceschi, who handles Latino press for the RNC. Messina “clearly doesn’t understand the diversity of Hispanic community. Hispanics deserve an apology for his inflammatory comment,” Franceschi wrote. In another post, she said Messina’s “insensitive comments only hurt the Hispanic community.”
“You might need to call your own office on the ridiculous tweet re: chimichanga’s. Very insensitive bro,” RNC political director Rick Wiley wrote in a series of messages.
Jennifer Sevilla Korn, executive director of the conservative-leaning Hispanic Leadership Network, called for an immediate apology from the Obama campaign for the “insulting joke.”
“The fact that the campaign manager of President Obama’s reelection 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 in a statement. “We demand that Mr. Messina immediately apologize and we ask that President Obama disavow his campaign manager’s ridiculous statement. 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.”
But Messina defended his tweet in a follow-up message several hours later: “Tweeting someone else’s words caused a stir, but the GOP is on the wrong side of every Hispanic voter priority,” he wrote, linking to a campaign memo detailing poor GOP standing among Hispanic voters.
That prompted a bewildered response from the RNC Latino account, which wrote: “Someone else? YOU called it line of the day… MT @Messina2012: Tweeting someone else’s words caused a stir…”
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WeDontNeedNoSteenkinBadges10
Posted on February 16, 2012 at 3:58amMmmm, mmmm, mmmm,
Barack Hussein yo’mama.
She was a bitch,
a commie goon,
to overthrow
us very soon.
Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm,
Barack Hussein from Kenya.
No U.S. birth,
no paperwork.
His lawyers stop
all those who look.
Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm,
Barack Hussein mohammad.
Black-hate churches,
no Christ in them.
Mecca bowing
In islam hem.
Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm,
Barack Hussein the marxist.
Uphold our Law
is not his game.
Dictatorship,
to be our bane.
Mmmm, mmmm, mmmm,
Report Post »Barack Hussein Obama.
Junter
Posted on February 16, 2012 at 2:10amJimMessina using fear to steer Latinos voting… he must think a lot of you guys.
Report Post »toto
Posted on February 16, 2012 at 12:32amGeez, everyone just needs to lighten up, it’s getting absolutely ridiculous. The work and thought police are everywhere. The person who brought this up needs to get their head examined.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 8:33pmHey, I am Republican and I love Chimi’s. However, this does not mean that is all I have to offer. At least, I treat them like they have brains, even the illegal ones. I don’t try to exploit them for political gain.
Report Post »kangaroo
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 6:18pmI remember last prez election when McCain keep saying we have to get the independants. I thought why are you pandering to them and not sticking to your conservative values. It don’t matter what independants think in my book, they are just to gutless to stick to a core belief. This election I wouldn’t even give them the time of day, if they have half a brain they know what is going on, otherwise if they vote obama they get what they deserve, but screw the rest of us.
Report Post »mountainmover101
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 6:09pmThe GOP and the Latino vote has always been a strange story. My advise to the GOP would be to forget the majority of the Hispanic vote, especially in California and Arizona. The Dems pretty much have the Mexican/Latin American vote locked up. Puerto Ricans and Cubans tend to be here legally, are productive members of society and are very socially conservative. They also tend to vote Republican, even though they may not advertise it much. If there is any “minority” group they need to court it is Asians and Indo-Asians. This demographic tends to be very socially conservative, well educated and economically sound. They also need to relate the message that the supposed expiation did not take. That is really what the 2008 election was about. Many voted for Obama because they wanted to do something historic. They did. It was historically bad for this country. If you distill the number from the 2008 election. Obama was put into office by a number of citizens equal to 18.9% of registered voters. The reason I say a number is there was so much voter fraud that the true number will never be known. Citizens of European descent comprise just less than 70% of this country’s population. Republicans are going to be called racist regardless of what they do. This time around they just need to go for it. No one really cares about this crap any more.
Report Post »Arizona Don
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:56pmCalifornia and Arizona in the same breath is an oxymoron. They are total opposites. California may be at the very least tied for the most liberal progressive state in the US while Arizona is unquestionably one of the most conservative.
Many of the “legal” Mexicans in Arizona don’t like obama any more than I do. And for the sake of the record that is a minus 1,000,000 trillion. About the same as the number of gallons of water on earth. What ever that number is if we reelect obama we may find out with our national debt what that number is. Just before we collapse as a nation. OMG = obama must go!!!
Report Post »chips1
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:55pmThis whole thing went over my head. What is meant by the statement “offering them something”? They have opportunity which is afforded everyone on an equal basis, but I never agreed to offer anything else. Must have been taken out of context.
Report Post »GrayPanther
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:38pmI am a White Male who only speaks English. However, I LOVE Mexican food! An I have lived in the Southwest for over 31 years and have as yet to see “a lazy Mexican”. Bravo! Republican values are closer in line with Latino work and family values than any Democ-rat.
Report Post »jungle J
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:43pmgo to east la….thousands and thousands of them.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on February 16, 2012 at 2:04amGRAYPANTHER, I think the whole point was to say if a Republican had tweeted this it would have been considered far more racist. It is a double standard as usual. As a conservative I have no problem with anyone who is here legally. Something has to be done. Once they become citizens and take an oath to our constitution I welcome them. Right now they are draining our economy and we have to get serious and face the problem and deal with it. I do not hate Mexicans at all. But I want to see my country get back on track. Many here are making sacrifices for many races of people that do not accept resonsibility for their actions. Allot of people will not like the steps that have to be taken but we have no choice. It is a tough call, one of many that we are faced with. I see allot of violence ahead and I do not know where or how it will end. I just know that the problems we face as a country are top priority if we want to maintaain our freedom and become the prosperous nation we once were,
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on February 16, 2012 at 4:58amPamala Kay – this can‘t be racist it’s from the Democrats.. Our Atty Gen has declared thay they are not racist and cannot be racist.
OMG
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:34pmJim Messina is one ugly dude. No wonder he is in politics. Politics being Hollywood for the ugly. Well I guess you liem if you need to keep your political job
Report Post »anotherGDlefty
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:28pmhttp://www.checkyesforchimi.com/
Meet the chimi.
Vote for chimi, we need a state food.
A hearty thanks to all the blaze writers and editors for not doing any Arizona centennial stories.
Report Post »Maybe they didn’t know that # 48 had a birthday yesterday…
Walkabout
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:36pmWow, they didn’t report on the centennial for my town of 6,000. the horror. The Horror, THE HORROR!
Report Post »anotherGDlefty
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:42pmI know it‘s tough to stay on topic for you Walkabout so I’ll give you a break.
Is it because the Blaze spends so much time on sex , faith and Soros connections that the 48th state didn’t even rate a mention?
C’mon, you guys loved us when our old blister of a governor met the president on the tarmac…Now you don’t?
Let go of the hate and have a chimi and a margarita.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:24pmWhat the R’s should offer Latinos is the same they should offer Everyone , Who is an AMERICAN citizen. That they will get the ……… out of the way, let them open business’s without thievery, confiscation of profit’s, a private health care industry that offers policy’s wherever, .That when you get a job, they don’t force a union on you, and your TAXES are reasonable. That everyone will pay something to the Fed, so they have some skin in the game. That , your Taxes don’t go to the Muslim Bros, or Brazil’s oil barons, or shrimp on treadmills. Pretty Simple Really
Report Post »anotherGDlefty
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:22pmSince the actual original comments came from Dana Milbank it makes complete sense for everyone to blame the person that forwarded it. C’mon Blazers, where’s that “do your own research” spirit?
I guess you guys won‘t be buying Dana’s book, Tears of a Clown: Glenn Beck and the Tea Bagging of America?
Go ahead, get angry and place some blame and demand an apology or retraction but at least blame the correct person, Dana Milbank.
Report Post »Walkabout
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:39pmTea bagging? Isn’t that left thing More gay than anything else? Are you gay?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teabagging
Why do you bring the words tea bagging up? do you have a fixation with Tea bagging?
Report Post »How much are you paid to comment on conservative sites?
SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:18pm.
What the Mexicans don’t know is they are the new Black……
Democrats need them to work to pay for Black Welfare Programs………
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:10pm.
Report Post »Don‘t worry they can’t read or speak english……….
RabidPatriot
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:17pmThe Democrats are here to guarantee that all men and women, black, white, brown, red or yellow can buy all the chimichangas they want with food stamps. Thank the great Obama for Federal Chimichangas. New campaign slogan “Hope and Chimichangas.”
Report Post »JonSigMan
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 7:55pmNor do they want too….how convenient is that?
Report Post »@leftfighter
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:10pmWHAT?
Everyone knows Dems can‘t possibly be insensitive by sheer virtue of the fact that they’re Dems!
Report Post »kangaroo
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:04pmLibs are ashats, Cubans here in South Florida know what a dictatorship is and are greatful that they can open and run their own buisnesses here. They see what is going on with Odictator and it hits closer to home than the libs relize, I just wish they were just as enthusiastic about learning english. Plus I like cuban food more than mexican food. guess that makes me a racist.
Oh nevermind, guess the hispanics they are talking about are mexicans.
Report Post »RJJinGadsden
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:26pmGood point. I lived in Tampa for five years, and a couple of years later had to return from Ft Bragg to the Miami, and the Keys for the Mariel Boat Lift. The Cubans we took in had a lot to say about their former left wing dictator. Then Carter found out that they voted for the Conservatives. Talk about the Cubans becoming the new blacks. Agree with you regarding the Cuban ethnic food. Man, could I ever go for a Cuban Sandwich from the Silver Ring or the Columbia restaurants in Ybor City!
Report Post »kangaroo
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 6:00pmWhen I went back to Oz for a couple of years I was just jonezin for cuban food. Not a resturant with in 3000 miles. Couldn’t figure out why my cuban roast pork didnt taste like cuban pork, when I got back here a cuban mate said you gotta use sour oranges not the regular kind, now its perfect. A dominican taught me how to cook the perfect rice and black beans from scratch, and another a perfect flan. An Asian the perfect chinese roast pork, and a Pakistani the perfect curry. in return I showed them how to cook a perfect roast lamb. Food you gotta love it
Report Post »cookcountypatriot
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:00pmas a hispanic male i will never vote for that arrogant amatuer ….. obama is a racist and so is the dem party…
Report Post »CONSERVAKILLA
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 5:03pmas head of the hispanics, I am expelling you from being one.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 4:59pmBoy.. am I out of it: I did not know what he was talking about… and I had to look it up on the Internet! Now… I’m hungry!
Report Post »Razorhunters
Posted on February 15, 2012 at 4:56pmagain …free speech.
Report Post »pc is killing this nation.