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C de Baca Steps Down From Post: Chairman Had Rejected Initial Calls for Resignation(Albuquerque Journal (NM) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sep. 26--Bernalillo County Republican Party Chairman Fernando C de Baca resigned Thursday as the outcry over his racially charged comments about Hispanics and blacks grew louder. C de Baca -- under fire for telling a BBC reporter that, "Hispanics consider themselves above blacks. They won't vote for a black president" -- reportedly met early Thursday with members of the county party's executive committee. A party news release later in the day said he resigned, effective immediately. C de Baca has maintained his comments were taken out of context and are not his views. During a brief Journal interview Thursday, the 70-year-old former assistant to two presidents and one-time national chairman of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly said, "Everything I've ever done has been in the interests of all Americans -- all races and ethnic groups." C de Baca's resignation was a reversal of his position two days earlier. On Tuesday, the county's executive committee gave him a vote of confidence, and he said he was rejecting calls to quit from state party Chairman Allen Weh, Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and others. Before word of C de Baca's departure got out, several leaders of New Mexico's black community gathered Thursday at Albuquerque's M acedon i a M i ssiona r y Baptist Church to add their voices to those demanding his immediate resignation. The black leaders also warned there would be repercussions if he didn't quit or state Republicans didn't move to fire him. "H i s rema rks ( have) embarrassed not only the state of New Mexico, but also our electoral process in the eyes of the world," said the Rev. N. Darnell Smith, president of the Ministers Fellowship of Albuquerque. " Some one who holds those thoughts in such a public and open forum should not be allowed the platform of the chair of the Bernalillo Republican Party. Period. End of story," said state House Majority Whip Sheryl Williams Stapleton, D-Albuquerque. After learning later in the day that C de Baca had quit, Stapleton said, "I am glad he stepped aside -- so we can have an electoral process in New Mexico without the stigma of racism." The uproar began late last week, when a blog entry from a reporter with a BBC team traveling through New Mexico began making the rounds. C de Baca has said his comments in the British broadcasting giant's blog were taken out of context and were the views of his long-dead grandfather. The BBC stuck by its story and released audio of a separate interview in which C de Baca made other racial comments concerning blacks and older Hispanics -- and Weh, Domenici and Republican Reps. Steve Pearce and Heather Wilson all joined the call for C de Baca to quit. Weh on Tuesday said he had the authority to remove a county chairman under special circumstances, though C de Baca maintained Weh had no such power under state party rules. Weh in a brief statement after C de Baca's resignation recognized his contributions to the party. C de Baca has been county chairman since December 2005. "We are glad this matter has been resolved and wish him well," Weh said in the statement. The county party's news release said its executive committee has appointed Albuquerque businessman Ryan Cangiolosi as interim chairman. To see more of the Albuquerque Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.abqjournal.com. Copyright (c) 2008, Albuquerque Journal, N.M. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |