Group urging Latinos not to vote is Virginia based

[Derechos]

Reno Hispanic activists Wednesday said they are outraged about a TV ad that urges Latinos not to vote in November as a protest against federal inaction on immigration reform.

“We’ve spent a lot of effort to get people to register to vote, not to vote for one party or person over another, but just to get out and vote,” said Edward C. Vento, interim executive director of Nevada Hispanic Services, who said he’s a Republican. “And then for an ad like that to tell people to throw away their right to vote? It’s the dirtiest, most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard of.”


The television ad, which aired on Tuesday in both Spanish and English, asked the Latino Community not to vote in the November elections. The spot showed photos of President Obama and Democratic lawmakers including Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The narration says Democratic leaders betrayed Latinos by not enacting reform.


“Don’t vote this November. This is the only way to send them a clear message,” the narrator announces in Spanish. “You can no longer take us for granted.”

Reno Hispanic activists Wednesday said they are outraged about a TV ad that urges Latinos not to vote in November as a protest against federal inaction on immigration reform.

“We’ve spent a lot of effort to get people to register to vote, not to vote for one party or person over another, but just to get out and vote,” said Edward C. Vento, interim executive director of Nevada Hispanic Services, who said he’s a Republican. “And then for an ad like that to tell people to throw away their right to vote? It’s the dirtiest, most idiotic thing I’ve ever heard of.”


The television ad, which aired on Tuesday in both Spanish and English, asked the Latino Community not to vote in the November elections. The spot showed photos of President Obama and Democratic lawmakers including Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The narration says Democratic leaders betrayed Latinos by not enacting reform.


“Don’t vote this November. This is the only way to send them a clear message,” the narrator announces in Spanish. “You can no longer take us for granted.”


The Virginia-based Republican group Latinos for Reform had planned to eventually run the commercials in Nevada, Florida, California, Texas and Colorado through the Nov. 2 election.

http://www.rgj.com/article/20101020/NEWS/101020039/1321/news

Here is how Source Watch describes the group:

Latinos for Reform is conservative political action committee that shares the same Alexandria, Virginia post office box as several other registered PACs, including the Virginia Liberty Fund, Storm Chasers, and the American Spirit Fund. The treasurer of all three groups is Republican political operative Susan Arceneaux, and the assistant treasurer of all three groups is Christopher J. Ward. Arceneaux is a resident of Fairfax, Virginia, is a well-connected member of the Republican Party, as well as a "long time aide of Dick Armey, a former Congressman from Texas and a close friend of Bush Jr. Arceneaux also is tied in with a number of other Republican groups close to Bush Jr. NY Times 8/24/04). <1><1> In filings for all three groups, Arceneaux gives her residential address as "10597 John Ayres Drive," which, along with the Latinos for Reform's P.O. Box number (P.O. Box 26366, Alexandria, Virginia, 22313), is also the address of the Admiral Roy F. Hoffman Foundation, and the address of Political Compliance Services, a consulting firm operated by Susan Arceneaux, and the same consulting firm used by Swift Boat Veterans for Truth.<2>

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Latinos_for_Reform