REID TAKES HEAT – AT 7:31 P.M. ET:  Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is taking much heat today for an outrageously patronizing statement he made about Hispanic Americans.  Fox News has the story:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is taking heat after he told a crowd of supporters Tuesday that he doesn’t know "how anyone of Hispanic heritage could be a Republican."

Reid's comments were quickly criticized Wednesday by one of the GOP’s rising stars — Marco Rubio, the son of Cuban exiles who is running for U.S. Senate in Florida.

In an interview with Fox News, Rubio called Reid’s remarks "outrageous" and "ridiculous" and said "this kind of outrageous speech in politics is continuing to spread."

"You know, Americans of Hispanic descent, you know what the strongest issue there is? That is economic empowerment, upward mobility," Rubio said. "There’s only one economic system in the world that that’s possible in, time and again, and that’s the American free enterprise system.

"And the reason why Americans of Hispanic descent should be Republicans is because the Democratic leadership is trying to dismantle the American free enterprise system," he continued. "The point is he’s wrong."

Reid's comments reflect the "identity politics" mantra of the Democratic Party:  You vote only as a member of a group, not as a concerned American. 

Reid's campaign, meanwhile, has defended his remarks, saying in a statement Wednesday that "Sen. Reid has long enjoyed the support of many Hispanic Republicans in Nevada and he appreciates that support.

"Sen. Reid’s contention was simply that he doesn't understand how anyone, Hispanic or otherwise, would vote for Republican candidates because they oppose saving teachers’ jobs, oppose job-creating tax incentives for small businesses, oppose investments in job-creating clean energy projects, and oppose the help for struggling, unemployed Nevadans to put food on the table and stay in their homes."

Harry, when you're in a hole, don't keep digging.

It's hard to assess how much damage this comment will do, if any.  I suspect there'll be some polling among Hispanic citizens of Nevada to see how they react.  Reid is in a tough fight for reelection with Sharron Angle, a less-than-stellar Republican who has allowed Reid to close the polling gap.  We'll follow the race to see if Reid's gaffe causes him to slip back once more.

And I'll be looking for comments by my conservative Hispanic friend, Silvio Canto Jr.

August 11, 2010