Democrats see advantage in 2008 because of immigration

Associated Press - June 27, 2007 3:25 PM ET

WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic party activists are warning that the louder the anti-immigrant rhetoric gets, the more Republicans will see their gains among Hispanic voters slip away.

Democrats predict that without support from heavily Hispanic parts of the country, Republicans have little chance of winning the 2008 presidential election.

Some GOP politicians echo the sentiment.

Thanks to courting by President Bush, Republicans captured 40% of the Hispanic vote in 2004. But in last year's election, that dropped about 29%.

Democrats predict that without support from heavily Hispanic parts of the country, Republicans have little chance of winning the 2008 presidential election.

Republican National Committee chairman Mel Martinez is also a senator from Florida. He says Democrats also have voted against immigration reform, while President Bush has made it a top priority. But Martinez says he's worried about the political effects of Republican amendments being offered to the immigration bill now before the US Senate.