Freedom Fries? Uncle Chang? Walter, please

The blogosphere is lighting up with a slur or slang our own U.S. Rep. Walter Jones used Tuesday at a House Armed Services Committee hearing. Republican Jones got so bent out of shape about the prolonged war in Afghanistan that he referred to the Chinese, who is said is "lending us the money that we're spending on Afghanistan", as "Uncle Chang."
It sounds like a slur and as the reminiscent feel of derogatory and demeaning language once used to belittle minorities in this country. But some folks said they'd give him the benefit of the doubt and assume he was trying to make a parallel to to the United States as "Uncle Sam". Uncle Sam? Uncle Chang? Ummm.
You might remember Jones from another dustup when he got mad at the French, who opposed the invasion of Iraq after 9-11. He proposed renaming French fries as Freedom Fries in the House cafeteria. Yeah, that Walter Jones.
Well, whatever Jones meant with his label for the Chinese, here's some advice: Don't use the phrase again. It's subject to way too much misinterpretation. Members of Congress should be more circumspect.

A Bush for Romney
OK. So, now Jeb Bush has thrown his full weight behind Mitt Romney in the GOP presidential race. Chris Cillizza writes in the Washington Post on why it really matters and how that announcement today fits into his "endorsement hierarchy." Well, if the party can't get another Bush to run, the endorsement of the Bush they wanted to run should matter. But Alex Roarty of the National Journal writes that the endorsement won't make Rick Santorum cry uncle and end his campaign. But it does make the Lousiana primary and a big Santorum win there critical.

Romney's Latino problem?
In today's paper, New York Times' columnist Frank Bruni tagged Rick Santorum as having a Catholic problem. Tim Egan also of the New York Times weighed in again on the issue, factoring in last night's Illinois Catholic vote too. The Catholic vote is still going primarily to Mormon Mitt Romney over devout Catholic Rick Santorum. Egan calls them the commonsense Catholics.

But does Romney have a Latino problem?

That's the word from the liberal leaning Daily Kos, quoting of all things, a recent poll by Fox News. "The latest data on Latino voter preferences, commissioned by Fox News no less, shows that Republicans are getting absolutely crushed among Latinos," said the Kos' Markos Moulitsas.
"Among the findings, 69.5 percent consider themselves Democrats or lean that way, while just 15.9 percent consider themselves Republican or lean that way. Romney is so hated in the Latino community that he is actually underperforming among Latino Republicans! When the votes are counted, he will be lucky to clear 20 percent. THAT is how toxic the GOP and Romney are to Latinos right now."
The story touts five “Latino battleground” states - Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Nevada and New Mexico - states with significant Latino populations. It also takes note of our own North Carolina and Virginia with Latino populations of about 8 percent which would have an impact. Kos doesn't include Florida because of the state’s heavily Cuban-American voting bloc which is more conservative.

“There's no way Republicans can suffer electoral swings of that magnitude and survive...I've given Romney every marginal state, including ones he clearly won't win like Wisconsin, and yet he still can't get to 270 votes if Latinos cost him every battleground state in which they are a factor," Markos writes.

"Bank it—Latino turnout will be higher this year than in 2008, and Democrats will fare dramatically better with them than in the past. The short-term prognosis for the GOP is difficult. But remember, this isn't just a short-term phenomenon. Latino growth continues unabated, so this will be an even bigger factor in future election cycles."

Posted by Fannie Flono