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Bush urges Hispanics to re-elect president

The Republican Party is holding rallies in hopes of drumming up more support for President Bush in 2004.

ORLANDO - Gov. Jeb Bush urged Florida Hispanics on Monday to re-elect his brother, saying President Bush has done more to recognize Latinos than any other president.

The governor spoke at the first of several rallies scheduled nationwide to mobilize Hispanic voters for the Bush-Cheney campaign. He appealed to a swing voting group in a key swing state.

"This president, more than any other president, has recognized Hispanics," said Bush, who was accompanied by his Mexican-born wife, Columba.

The governor noted that President Bush had appointed Hispanics to top positions in his administration, such as White House counsel Alberto Gonzales, Small Business Administration administrator Hector Barreto and former Housing Secretary Mel Martinez, who resigned from the post to run for U.S. Senate in Florida.

The Republican Party is making a special effort this year to woo Hispanic voters, who only gave 35 percent of their votes to President Bush in 2000. "We know this is going to be a close election. So we want to do everything to attract the Hispanic vote," said Sharon Castillo, director of specialty media for the Bush-Cheney campaign.

Florida's 2.7-million Hispanics are considered a swing voting group. Many Cuban-Americans in South Florida voted for President Bush in 2000, but more Puerto Ricans and non-Cuban Hispanics in Central Florida chose Democrat Al Gore. Gov. Bush won the Hispanic vote over his Democratic rival, Bill McBride, in the 2002 gubernatorial election.

Held at the Latin Quarter restaurant at Universal Studios, amid fake Aztec statutes and an 11-member mariachi band, the rally attracted 200 supporters.

At the rally, the Bush-Cheney campaign unveiled members of its National Hispanic Steering Committee, which include three Florida Republican congressional members: U.S. Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart, Lincoln Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen.

The Republican rally came as the New Democrat Network, a pro-Democratic group, has been airing an ad on Spanish-language TV stations in Orlando accusing the president of breaking his promises to the Latino community on jobs, education and health care.