The new RNC Chairman, Mike Steele, is trying to encourage minorities to give the Republican Party a new look.  He is on black and hispanic radio and TV talk shows.  Where should he focus and why?  Will blacks and hispanics leave the Democrat Party?  What do we have to offer them?

Five years after former President George W. Bush attracted nearly half of the Hispanic vote in the 2004 presidential election, Hispanic Republicans are worrying that support for the party among Latinos is in a free fall.  Leading Hispanic Republican strategists say the natural attraction the party should enjoy with churchgoing, socially conservative Latino voters is being overwhelmed by a single issue: the party's hard-line stance on illegal immigration.

How does illegal immigration affect the major parties and the minority communities?  Should the black and/or hispanic communities be fearful of each other?  How is taking the jobs?

With the gang and drug violence along our border and the link between illegal immigration and these two critical criminal elements, should the Republican Party relax its efforts on accepting illegal immigrants?

Chairman Michael Steele told The Washington Times in an interview earlier this month he planned to revive the party by reaching "beyond our comfort" zone in the South and Southwest to the Democratic-leaning strongholds in the Northeast and Midwest.  "We need messengers to really capture that region — young, Hispanic, black, a cross section," he said. "We want to convey that the modern-day GOP looks like the conservative party that stands on principles. But we want to apply them to urban-suburban hip-hop settings."

Meanwhile, Hispanic Democrats are looking to cement their gains, using immigration policy as a wedge issue. Democratic members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus late last month announced plans for a 17-city "listening tour" to build popular support for fixing the nation's "broken immigration system."  Caucus members say the tour is designed to pressure the Obama administration and Congress to pass a major immigration overhaul bill this year despite the competing claims for health care, education and energy.

Former Virginia Republican Sen. George Allen told the Capitol Hill forum the immigration issue had to be handled in a "rational, thoughtful way," but said the party would do better to focus on economic and social issues as a way to woo Hispanic voters. But he said the party as a whole must continue to insist on securing the country's borders against new illegal immigrants before any discussion on how to deal with illegals already here.

We as American citizens must force our elected officials to enforce our laws, stop illegal immigration, shut down the drugs and gangs, and deny all illegal immigrants any tax payer services.  We cannot allow "bad change" just for political purposes.  We must have policy and outreach based on principles and the rule of law.  Protect our rights!