Rep. Lou Barletta, crusading xenophobe.
Time for that daily
check-in on GOP efforts to be warmer and fuzzier toward Latinos, lest they forfeit the chance to ever win a national election again:
In an interview at his district office in Hazleton, [Pennsylvania Rep. Lou] Barletta said Republican leaders in Washington want to “get immigration off the table” because it had been so costly in November, when President Obama won re-election with a landslide of Hispanic votes.
“Why are we even talking about a pathway to citizenship when our borders aren’t even close to being secure?” said Mr. Barletta, vowing to fight a plan that would allow millions of illegal immigrants to compete legally for jobs.
“Let’s not take on any more water on this sinking ship,” he said. “Let’s patch the holes. Then we’ll decide what do we do with all this water that’s here.”
Yeah, that's not getting it done. And why can't Baretta get with the program? Because he represents people like this guy:
“The people in this town, we’re becoming a minority,” said Chris DeRienzo, 30, a wedding photographer who opposes a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. “It hurts. I grew up here. It’s not what it used to be.”
“You want to scream,” he added.
Yes, times are getting tougher for bigots. And, by extension, that means that times are getting tougher for the GOP.
Barletta's constituents aren't in any mood for "rebranding".