A central figure in the dubious pantheon of Latino Republicans With National Prominence is 'Burque native Linda Chavez. Homegirl is old school, OG, a Who's-Who among GOP raza tracing her conservative roots back to her stint as Ronald Regan's Staff Director for the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights.
Among her accomplishments as director was changing the commission's decades-old historical mandate from helping minorities to a new and official stance opposing affirmative action. (You go, girl!) In 1986 Chavez ran for the U.S. Senate and is credited with pioneering the now all-too familiar campaign tactic of personal destruction, all the while aligning yourself with the Christian right. In a debate against her Democratic opponent, a single woman, Chavez, then 20 points down in the race, called her opponent a lesbian. Chavez lost. In 2001 George Bush nominated Chavez for Secretary of Labor, the first Latina nominated for a cabinet position. Soon after, Chavez had to withdraw her name. An undocumented Guatemalan woman had been living in Chavez's house for two years, cleaning the home, and getting paid cash dollars. Chavez's explanation to the FBI that the lady was only a 'friend" and not an employee was greeted with skepticism.
I mention all this history because Chavez once again is in the news. The Washington Post reports that "Chavez and her immediate family members have used phone banks and
direct-mail solicitations to raise tens of millions of dollars,
founding several political action committees with bankable names: the
Republican Issues Committee, the Latino Alliance, Stop Union Political
Abuse and the Pro-Life Campaign Committee. Their solicitations promise
direct action in the 'fight to save unborn lives,' a vigorous struggle
against 'big labor bosses' and a crippling of 'liberal politics in the
country.'"
Turns out "of the $24.5 million raised by the PACs from January 2003 to December 2006, $242,000 -- or 1 percent -- was passed on to politicians." Instead most of the rest went back into the PAC, and, not surprisingly, into the pockets of Chavez and her family. In 2001, the PACs paid Chavez's husband $77,190, her son Pablo $25,344, and her son David $9,687. In the next five years, the PACs paid Chavez's family members were paid $261,237 by the PACs.
"I guess you could call it the family business," Chavez said in an interview.
Linda Chavez, today's winner of the Wet Burrito Award.
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