Conservative blog, Somos Republicans fight over Rubio, immigration policy

Somos Republicans and Hispolitica, led by Hispanic Republicans from Arizona and Florida respectively, are accusing each other of not truly defending Hispanic conservative values.

Hispolitica defines itself as a conservative video-driven news, commentary and opinion website. Somos Republicans states that its mission “is to promote political education and information needed to make more informed political decisions,” and lists leaders in a half-dozen states.

Javier Manjarres, managing editor for Hispolitica and The Shark Tank, wrote this weekend that Somos Republicans is “almost certainly a Democrat front group.” According to Manjarres, Somos Republicans “openly states that they are a Republican group, but they have raised flags amongst conservative groups with their over the top pro-amnesty rhetoric and shameless attacks on conservative hispanic leaders like [Sen. Marco] Rubio and U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz.”

Manjarres adds that “Somos Republicans’ own publication – for anyone that actually reads it- only deals with one issue, and that is immigration ‘reform’, and no other issues matter to this group- regardless if you’re  pro-life, support low taxes, limited government, or the 2nd amendment- issues that the group identifies as its ‘core principles’ don’t matter at all if you oppose their amnesty position- hypocrisy at it’s finest.”

He concludes that Somos Republicans’ purpose is “to deceive Hispanics and other voters.”

Somos Republicans then responded, saying that Manjarres

is a tea party extremist that is not happy with SOMOS REPUBLICANS (SR) because SR has been a strong advocate of legal immigration reform. We believe he is envious that SR managed to become the largest Hispanic Republican group in the nation during a difficult era that is anti-immigrant / anti-Latino. He is livid that we asked Marco Rubio to take back his anti-immigrant stances. Marco Rubio will not support the DREAM Act.

Javier claims we are for amnesty, however, he is silent with regard to Cuban-Americans enjoying their unique amnesty privilege via the the Cuban Adjustment Act (wet-foot/dry-foot policy). Living in Florida, will Javier take a position to the [Cuban Adjustment Act] and the one year of entitlements?

Somos Republicans doesn’t just criticize Republican lawmakers. The Iowa Independent reported last December that Somos Republicans called Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb., “unfriendly to Hispanics.”

The senator earned the distinction from the group after he “stated his plans to block a Senate vote on the DREAM Act, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for some undocumented individuals, who were brought to the U.S. while children and who agree to sign up for military service or higher education.”