Pounded at the polls and criticized for lacking a message, Democrats turned the mirror on themselves Saturday in the hopes of recapturing one of their traditionally stalwart constituencies: Hispanics.
"The DNC (Democratic National Committee) has lost touch and we have a lot of work to do to reconnect with the community, with the grass roots," said California Congressman Mike Honda. "The party has taken the Latino community overall for granted."
The DNC hosted its third annual Hispanic Leadership Summit this weekend in San Antonio. The event, which drew about 400 participants, continues through this morning at the Hyatt Regency San Antonio hotel downtown.
DNC Chairman Howard Dean, a former Vermont governor and a presidential candidate in 2004, outlined a plan to retool the party and re-energize voters — three years before the next presidential election.
-more-
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/stories/MYSA080705.1B.DNC.3480ff9.html