[NYTr] The Hispanic Vote: Dems Take Part in Spanish Debate

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

AP - Sep 9, 2007 via rick kissell
(no URL provided)

Democrats Participate in Spanish Debate

by The Associated Press

CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton insisted Sunday night 
that it's time to start pulling U.S. troops out of Iraq as she and her 
rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination debated the war anew 
on the eve of a much-awaited asssessment by U.S. commanding Gen. David 
Petraeus.

In the first presidential debate ever broadcast in Spanish, her primary 
campaign rival Bill Richardson challenged Ms. Clinton to get every U.S. 
soldier out, not just some of them.

"I'd bring them all home within six to eight months," he said in the 
debate which took place in south Florida and was broadcast on
Univision, the nation's largest Spanish-language network. "There is a
basic difference between all of us here...This is a fundamental issue."

That the Democratic Party held the debate here is the clearest sign yet 
of the growing influence of Hispanic voters. Candidates in both parties 
are reaching out to Hispanics with an intensity that speaks to the 
importance of the nation's largest and fastest-growing minority group
in the campaign.

Anchors Jorge Ramos and Maria Elena Salinas posed questions in Spanish 
and the candidates had earpieces to hear simultaneous translations into 
English. The candidates' responses were simultaneously translated into 
Spanish for broadcast, and English-speaking viewers could watch using 
the closed caption service on their televisions.

Univision's late entry to the field of networks hosting such 
high-profile political events was evident Sunday night. Reporters from 
around the world who came to Florida to cover the debate were left with 
no audio feed in the room where they were placed outside the debate 
hall, for example.

Immigration was a leading topic. The candidates were asked why they 
supported a wall along the Mexican border -- and not a similar fence 
along the U.S.-Canadian border -- a question that seemed to catch them 
slightly off-guard.

Most avoided answering directly, saying simply that they believed 
security was a key part of comprehensive immigration reform.

"I do favor more security on the border and in some cases a physical 
border because that has to be part of securing our borders," Ms.
Clinton said.

Illinois Sen. Barack Obama spoke of his father's experience as an 
immigrant and noted that he supported the comprehensive immigration
bill that passed the U.S. Senate last year.

Mr. Richardson, who has opposed the wall, said he would commit to 
comprehensive reform in the first year.

"If you're going to build a 12 foot wall. You know what's going to 
happen? A lot of 13-foot ladders."

*But there are strong feelings against the Iraq war among Hispanics, so 
that topic lead the debate, with the moderators noting that two-thirds 
of Hispanics support a withdrawal from Iraq. Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich 
was loudly applauded for saying he would pull troops out.*

*Mr. Obama aligned himself with Mr. Kucinich.*

*"I was a strong opponent of the war, as Dennis was," Mr. Obama said, 
adding that President Bush is trying to make it appear that the 35,000 
troop surge earlier this year has had an impact.*