A Texas senate seat flipped from democrat to republican this week for the first time in 139 years.  Republican Pete Flores, a former game warden, defeated former Democratic Congressman Pete Gallego in a senate district covering around 800,000 border residents.  Because the district is 73 percent African-American and Hispanic, the republican victory has gained a little bit of attention [SEE HERE].

Many of the articles citing the republican victory point to the strong campaigning by Pete Flores, and then jump to highlight the possibilities represented by this large district victory.  All of that is true.  However, the one important aspect missing within all political analysis is a failure to recognize that Latino votes are *not* monolithic.
A Puerto Rican Hispanic is to a Mexican Hispanic as a New Yorker is to a Montanan.  While it is true culturally the Puerto Rican base is favorable to democrats, the South American and Cuban vote is not politically analogous.  Nor is the Mexican voting bloc identifiable with either PR, Cuban or South American. Each group is NOT interchangeable; and each group has its own cultures and identities that are not in line with Democrat Socialism – actually, far from it.
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Representative Louis Gutierrez (D-IL) is a long-time Marxist in congress who is an open-border activist.  Representative Gutierrez has previously requested illegal aliens to cross the Southern U.S. border and target any border patrol official possible.
As a militant immigration activist Mr. Gutierrez has also supported MS-13 gang strikes in the U.S. and advocated for illegal aliens to register to vote to influence U.S. elections.  He generally keeps his most visible vitriol reserved for Spanish-speaking audiences.

Gutierrez surprised many people today with a report he will not seek reelection this year for his Chicago district. Gutierrez owns a home in Puerto Rico so there’s a possibility the opportunity for unaccountable federal recovery money flowing into PR might be too enticing to pass up. An opportunity exists to make millions from the inherent political corruption in the island.  Regardless, there’s also a financial lobbying angle available.

CHICAGO – Signaling the end to a quarter century career in Congress, Rep. Luis Gutierrez will announce Tuesday that he will not seek re-election, Democratic sources tell the Chicago Sun-Times.

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Earlier this afternoon President Donald Trump met with Governor Ricardo Rossello of Puerto Rico in the oval office.

[Raw Transcript – Not Yet finalized]  President Trump – “It’s great to have the governor of Puerto Rico with us and we have gotten to know each other extremely well over the last couple of weeks. And I can tell you, you are a hard working governor. It’s a tough situation. So much has to be rebuilt, even from before.
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There has been a great deal of political consternation and talking points about U.S. aid, or the lack thereof, delivered to Puerto Rico.  Indeed, San Juan Mayor Carmen Yulín Cruz Soto has been a favorite of Democrats and liberal U.S. media as a spokesperson for claims the U.S. has not done enough for the island’s people.
However, a disturbing video shows Puerto Rico’s Secretary of State showing boxes and boxes of food, water and supplies being discarded by Puerto Rican officials in dumpsters, obviously not reaching the intended residents.

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CTH has noted on several occasions that many of Puerto Rico’s 78 municipal authorities control their regions in a similar fashion to mafioso families.  There is a tremendous amount of corruption within the ranks of “Mayors” on the island.  The entire system of governance is more accurately similar to third-world overlords.
This report on FEMA aid being corrupted by these same officials does not come as a surprise; indeed, unfortunately, it is the norm – not the exception.

(Puerto Rico) FBI agents in Puerto Rico have been receiving calls from “across the island” with residents complaining local officials are “withholding” or “mishandling” critical FEMA supplies — with one island official even accused of stuffing his own car full of goods meant for the suffering populace.
The accusations come in the aftermath of deadly Hurricane Maria, which devastated the U.S. territory last month.
“The complaints we’re hearing is that mayors of local municipalities, or people associated with their offices, are giving their political supporters special treatment, goods they’re not giving to other people who need them,” FBI Special Agent Carlos Osorio told Fox News.
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President Trump appears on Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN) for a very extensive  interview with Governor Mike Huckabee.

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Earlier today President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a celebration of Hispanic Heritage month in the EAST ROOM of the White House.

[Transcript] 12:52 P.M. EDT – THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. Thank you.
AUDIENCE MEMBER: We love you in Puerto Rico!
THE PRESIDENT: Thank you. You should, you should. (Laughter.) Thank you very much. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
And it’s great to be with you and Secretary Acosta, Treasurer Carranza, and to every Hispanic American serving in the White House and all across our administration. Thank you very much. (Applause.) It’s a great privilege for the First Lady, Melania, and I to be with you all today. Thank you very much. (Applause.)
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CARIBBEAN SEA (NNS) — President Donald J. Trump visited the amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge (LHD 3), Oct. 3, to discuss relief efforts in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands with Navy and Marine Corps leadership.  President Trump met with Governor Kenneth Mapp of the US Virgin Islands aboard the Kearsarge:

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Ward Room – USS Kearsarge – [Transcript] 2:54 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you very much. I wanted to begin by saying well be leaving tomorrow morning very early from the White House. Well be going to Las Vegas. We will be paying our personal respects and condolences to everybody.
What happened is such a tragedy. So unnecessary — who can believe what happened in Las Vegas. Great love for the people, great love for the people of our country, and I look forward to going tomorrow. The First Lady will be coming with me, and were going to be paying our respects and condolences. Well be leaving early in the morning.
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President Donald Trump and First-Lady Melania Trump visit with victims of Hurricane Marin in Puerto Rico and delivered brief remarks to the traveling media.

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President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump arrive in Puerto Rico to thank those responding to Hurricane Maria’s aftermath, and visit with the people struggling to recover. This video is a little longer than most and was selected great because it includes a hot-mic at table catching First-Lady Melania’s words of warmth and encouragement.

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