Another Reason Why Latinos Should Vote Republican

Well, at least if you're a Latino who supports democracies, that is. Yesterday here in New York, VP candidate Sarah Palin met with President Alvaro Uribe of Colombia. Thank you Governor Palin. Thank you for taking the time to sit down with Colombia's president and showing the respect to listen to the democratically elected leader of one of our most important allies. And thank you President Bush for greeting Colombia's president warmly on Saturday and having your Commerce Secretary do the same.

I can't thank any Democrats for doing the same, though. Even though Uribe's concerns are not partisan ones, but ones that will benefit both countries. Investor's Business Daily reported yesterday on this shocking refusal of leading Democrats to give Uribe the time of day.

First up, Pelosi. She jettisoned the free trade deal that would have allowed American goods to be sold in Colombia without tariffs. This would have resulted in greater demand for our products abroad. According to IBD, Pelosi "refused to meet Uribe and didn't acknowledge a White House invitation to an event in his honor. Later, her staff regally complained that Uribe didn't call her." Second, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Despite his penchant for trips to "luxury locales in South America, [he] had no time to repay the hospitality to Uribe." Nice. Third, so-called Latin experts, Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut and Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico. If they were truly experts, they'd know that when a head of state comes calling and that head of state is a friend to America, the least they can do is offer him a cafecito, preferably Colombian.

And then there's "citizen of the world" Obama. According to IBD,

[He] only grudgingly permitted Uribe to talk with him by telephone, afterward disclosing no news about why he still opposes cutting tariffs on American goods to Colombia as the free trade pact provides. Nor did he make any public statements, seemingly to make the call go unnoticed.

As a Latina who supports the Republican ticket, I am proud of the Republican leadership and their treatment of our democratic ally, Colombia, which is doggedly struggling to beat back Chavez-inspired socialism throughout the continent. I can now say I have something else in common with Daddy Yankee, besides our native tongues.