Latino Political Power Under Obama

Filed in archive Latin Issues on January 24, 2009

Politico took a look a couple of days ago at the shape of Latino political power in the U.S. as the dust settles after the Obama inauguration.

Politico concludes that there's still a gap between "the power they have earned and the Washington elite's perception of their power." So the question is, how do they close that gap?

Bill Richardson's withdrawal from the Obama Cabinet didn't help.

Latinos are toiling mightily for top Obama administration appointments they believe they earned. They celebrated when they got three Cabinet seats, only to be disappointed and even angry when New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson withdrew from consideration as secretary of commerce because a grand jury is probing possible political corruption in his home state.

You can read the whole piece by Politico here.


© Mike Disharoon