La Raza smacks GOP leaders for blowing off its national conference

Republicans seem to be going out of their way to piss off the Latino community. They let Jefferson Beauregard Sessions lead the charge against Sonia Sotomayor after a slew of blatantly racist attacks by Newt Gingrich and Tom "La Raza is the Latino KKK" Tancredo.

According to Greg Sargent, the National Council of La Raza is not too pleased that top Republican leaders turned down invitations to speak at the group's national meeting:

This one won’t help the GOP’s minority outreach efforts.

The National Council of La Raza, a top Latino civil rights group, is taking a shot at RNC chair Michael Steele and several prominent GOP figures for skipping its ongoing annual conference, saying it raises questions about the GOP’s interest in wooing Latinos.

NCLR spokesperson Marie Watteau confirms to me that Steele, along with three Republican governors, were all invited to its conference, which is concluding today with a big speech by DNC chair Tim Kaine. But Steele and the three governors — Mississippi’s Haley Barbour, Minnesota’s Tim Pawlenty, and Puerto Rico’s Luis Fortuno — all declined the invitations through the RNC, Watteau says.

DNC Chair Tim Kaine addressed the group today. But, one gets the sense that Republicans really aren't even trying here.