Los Angeles, California (CNN) – Mitt Romney reached out to Hispanic voters Monday in a speech tailored to the growing Latino community, offering a new veneer on long-standing campaign policies.
The speech came hours after a top aide to the GOP presidential candidate said Romney would focus more on policy specifics in the 50 days that remain before Election Day.
– Follow the Ticker on Twitter: @PoliticalTicker
– Check out the CNN Electoral Map and Calculator and game out your own strategy for November.
The aide, senior adviser Ed Gillespie, said Romney would put "new emphasis" on the specifics of what he would do as president, beginning with the Monday remarks.
"I'm convinced that the Republican Party is the rightful home of Hispanic-Americans," Romney told an audience of 1,400 business leaders at the United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce conference in Los Angeles.
He vowed to pursue policies that would help Hispanics, such as expanding trade with Latin America and offering school choice to lower-income students, and derided President Obama's actions on immigration reform as "playing politics."
"Like so many issues confronting our nation, when it comes to immigration, politics has been put ahead of people for too long," Romney said. "I will work with Republicans and Democrats to permanently fix our immigration system."
In a morning interview with Telemundo, Romney brushed off concerns about infighting among his top advisers that was first reported by Politico.
"I've got a terrific campaign," he said. "My senior campaign people work extraordinarily well together. I work well with them. Our campaign is doing well."
Romney's Los Angeles speech to the convention was preceded almost immediately by a video address from Obama, who framed the election as a choice between two paths and criticized Romney on the immigration stance he had taken during the Republican primaries.
The GOP candidate, in turn, swiped the president in his remarks over a just-filed White House complaint on China's trade policies.
Romney stepped up his criticism of Obama's dealings with China late last week, both on the stump and with a campaign advertisement.
"If I'd known that all it took to get him to take action was to run an ad citing his inaction on China's cheating, I would have run one long ago," Romney said.
From CNN Politics
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertising practices | Advertise with us | About us | Work for us | Help
I hope the latino community dorsn't buy into the false hoer Romney promises as one just needs to look at his run for Governor to different groups only then to spit in their face after the election... he is one not to trust...........as for being a leader clearly he has failed to follow the nation for the last 4 years or is he just once again trying to rewrite history.......
"I've got a terrific campaign," he said. "My senior campaign people work extraordinarily well together. I work well with them. Our campaign is doing well."
No wonder Myth is losing, he is delusional, from spending too much time in the neo-con echo chamber.
Sadly, I think he actually believes that.
How insulting how condescending, but this is vintage Romney. How dare he tell us that "the Republican Party is the rightful home for Hispanics"? Does he think we are children that have to be told what to do? Everytime he opens his mouth he offends a different group. And people should stop talking about Hispanics and their relatives in other countries. Millions of us were here centuries before your condescending Republcians ancestors. We were here before and are here to stay. About time conservatives get used to it. My great-great grandparents were born here. Where were Karl Rove's?
Self deportation my friend self deportation!!
How many LATINOS were actually there to hear this brain dead clown?. If there were any Hopefully the couldn't understand english!.
"Obama begins working after Romney tells us what he will do as President. I think Obama is just waiting on Romney to give him direction because Obama has no idea what to do next. The country is in chaos and Obama is in over his head."
Maybe you should stop listening to everything you're told, turn off the Fox News and educate yourself. Obama has sanctioned China many times before. Probably as much as Romney has sent jobs over there. You republicans make youselves just as dumb as Romney when you spout off lies. Don't listen to anything anyone tells you DO THE RESEARCH. It's all out there and if you stand behind facts you won't sound super uneducated!
This is just a fraction of the speech that Gov. Romney gave. What you have here is sliced and dice and has little or no value to judge his views the anything. This is not reporting. This is media slant and distortion. Read the full speech at Fox insider. Then you judge for yourself what he said. Word for word.
Of course, in a recording from a private fund raising event, Romney is heard to say ""My dad, as you probably, know was the governor of Michigan and was the head of a car company. But he was born in Mexico ... and, uh, had he been born of, uh, Mexican parents, I'd have a better shot at winning this," Romney said. "But he was unfortunately born to Americans living in Mexico.... I mean I say that jokingly, but it would be helpful to be Latino." Obviously his support of the Latino community only goes as far as saying whatever it takes to get elected.
"Like so many issues confronting our nation, when it comes to immigration, politics has been put ahead of people for too long," Romney said. "I will work with Republicans and Democrats to permanently fix our immigration system."
Applaud!
In a well-known magazine Romney stated he wants to build a hi-tech fence along the entire border with Mexico – now that's small government!
Yet in a well-known national magazine Romney stated he wants a high-tech fence constructed along our entire border with Mexico. Mitt lies
If jobs and strengthening the economy is your issue, the vote for Romney. If you like a guy that smiles just right and has an awesome marketing/PR team, the vote for the guy that has failed for 4 years.
Hispanics are hard workers, it only makes sense that they would vote for job strength and Romney.... but the other guy did sent them a video. Nice.
I believe we've seen the real Romney. I understand that there is a really telling video of a speech he made before wealthy donors that denigrates pretty much everyone. As a retiree, I resent the insinuation that I "depend" on government because I want my social security and medicare. I paid into both of these systems, not by choice, for years. So yeah, I think I am owed something after 46 years of work. After reading what he supposedly said, I am wondering if Romney himself isn't in the tank for President Obama.
Considering the jokes he made on the Video about Hispanics, he' be lucky to get the Hispanics foolish enough to be registered Republicans to vote for him.
Don't pay attention to what I was recorded saying at a private fundraiser! Just know that Mexicans and the Republican Party belong together. We'll be in the big houses and you get to mow the lawns! Sweet, huh?
Difference is that Hispanics ARE a people/culture who have a "work ethic" which is the moral spiritual trait that should cause them to identify with a man who has truly worked, ran successful businesses, a government of a state and YES...he has made money just like any other hard working soul. Obama in comparison has NEVER ran a business, NEVER worked in the blue collar capacity as have Hispanics. All things must be done in "order" including "immigration" and Romney has never opposed immigration but rather having any and all who are to become "citizens" to do so according to the "law of the land" and in a way that will allow the economy to provide jobs for them. IF there is a continuation of "out of control" immigration under the "economy destroying leadership" of ANY party...I ask then...where are those coming into this country going to find jobs? How are they going to support their families, feed their children? Take your pick and think about the future economic consequences for a people who believe in work and have a proud history of NOT wanting to be seen as a "handout/dependent" ghetto people. Why would anyone vote for a man who's work history can't hold a candle to the Latino/Hispanic peoples?
Mitt is pandering so much to the hispanics that he is changing his name to Juan Percent. (from another poster on Cnn)
Let's deport Mitt. Oh wait, even England won't take him. ha ha ha ha hah
Maybe he can have a car elevator in the gaza strip.
Ok right-wing knuckle-draggers, name the specifics? Or is displaying your deranged hatred for the President the only thing you're capable of (and even those attempts are pathetic). Face it losers, you're going to be running around with your hair on fire for four more years, then eight more years after that when Hillary serves two terms, then eight more years after that when the country elects their first Latino president (who will undoubtedly be a Democrat). By then, hopefully many of you will be extinct, just like your diseased ideology and political party.
If that were true that would actually make Hispanics happy because they would want their relatives to have jobs in their home country.
Yea, because all Latinos are Mexican!
has anyone read what"myviews" wrote? is this clown the same jerk writing mitts screw up speaches? out or touch, unreal ,and just downright stupidity.
With the terrible recovery and pitiful economy, the Hispanic community should vote for Romney.
I sure hope Mitt checked them all for their papers before allowing them entry to the venue. And for his wallet afterwards. And they certainly don't need to worry about jobs after he's elected because his friends own lots and lots of homes to clean with enormous yards to tend to. A job for everyone! My Latino husband, kids and in-laws will be so happy thanks to el jefe.
Romney to Hispanics: GFY – Go self-deport yourself.
Vote for me so I can deport you.
And of course when Romney says the GOP is the "rightful home" for Hispanics, he's saying that every GOP home should have a Hispanic gardener or maid, just like his home.