Photo by Gage Skidmore

Univision’s Jorge Ramos spoke with Newt Gingrich about the Hispanic vote in the upcoming elections. Newt says that Hispanic voters will choose between a “Food Stamp Party and a Paycheck Party, and he has started a web site called “The Americano” that will cover Hispanic issues:

GINGRICH: [W]e’re talking about how can we create a space that is sort of center right, pro-jobs, pro-entrepreneur but where the entire Hispanic community feels comfortable arguing, talking, thinking. We’re going to be putting the Dream Act on that space and we hope to have before the beginning of the year, with Jeb Bush’s efforts and others, a very lively debate about whether or not we can develop a step by step solution to helping everybody in America come out from outside the law and finding a way ultimately to have every person in this country living within the law, that’s got to be our goal.

RAMOS: But for instance, you know Republicans voted for SB 1070 in Arizona. Republicans voted against the Dream Act in the Senate, just a few days ago. Republicans started a debate on the 14th amendment that would obviously prevent the US Citizenship for the sons and daughters of undocumented IMMIGRANTS; so, many Hispanic voters are perceiving republicans as anti-immigrants, clearly as an anti-immigrant. How is the Republican Party going to get the Hispanic vote with this kind of record?

GINGRICH: First of all, I think that the Dream Act was an entirely political manipulation by Harry Reid, designed to get the result he wanted. Senator Reid said let’s bring it up for open debate, let’s bring it up by itself. There are parts of the Dream Act that are actually quite useful. And the underline…

RAMOS: Not a single Republican voted for that. I mean, just imagine what 2 million students are thinking. I mean Republicans didn’t want to help me.

GINGRICH: No, but that’s because he rigged the game, that’s because he rigged the game. Now, so Republicans have to be articulate enough to say we have to solve the challenge of undocumented workers, undocumented children. We have to solve the challenge of bringing people in from the shadows into the law. We ought to have a series of steps to get us there. I agree with that totally.

Wait, wait, wait. Back up there, Newt. What was that? You support passage of the DREAM Act, and claim there are Republicans in the Senate who would’ve voted for it if Harry Reid hadn’t “rigged the game” by bundling it in the Defense Authorization Bill with a repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell?

That’s what Newt tried to claim at the time in The Americano anyway, with an article entitled “Attempt to repeal ‘Don’t Ask Don’t Tell’ kills DREAM Act“.

Excuse me if I’m a bit skeptical here, Newt. Here is Andres Duque of Blabbeando:

If you actually saw the proceedings, you’ll realize The Americano is playing it both ways: The Republican Senate leadership actually argued they didn’t vote in favor of the DREAM Act because they wanted a straight up and down vote on a Senate defense bill. In other words, they alleged they would have passed the bill if only the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” repeal AND the DREAM Act bill hadn’t been included.  In fact, the rank and file of the Republican senate leadership used the DREAM Act to argue that the Obama presidency was “seeking amnesty for illegal immigrants“.

Cue in a photo of angry Dan Choi on The Americano’s entry page and an article with no byline saying that Republicans would have passed the DREAM Act if it wasn’t for teh gayz pushing an end to “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell”

Pluhezzz The Americano, have more respect for the intellect of Latinos.

Orrin Hatch, one of the DREAM Act’s original supporters, has had the bejesus scared out of him by Robert Bennett’s defeat in the primary, and says he would not have voted for it. “As you know, I was the original sponsor of the Dream Act and I feel deeply about it,” he said. “I don’t like some of the language of the Dream Act the way they have modified it.”

John McCain cosponsored the DREAM Act  in 2003, 2005 and again in 2007. Now he says he does not support separating the DREAM Act from other immigration reform because “we’re going to have to secure the borders first, and then enact comprehensive immigration, but the border has to be secured first.”

Now I don’t doubt that Reid’s actions were aimed at garnering support from Hispanic voters that Democrats desperately need to turn out in November.  No argument there.

But Newt, if there are Republicans who would’ve voted for the DREAM Act as a stand-alone bill if not for Big Bad Harry Reid and teh evil gays, who are they?