Romney keeps focus on Hispanics with new leadership team

By Cameron Joseph - 06/06/12 10:34 AM ET

Mitt Romney's campaign kept the focus on Latino voters Wednesday by announcing the new leadership team of his Hispanic Steering Committee.

The group will be led by former George W. Bush administration Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, former Puerto Rico Attorney General Jose Fuente and Bush-era Small Business Administrator Hector Barreto.

The group represents a more diverse mix than Romey's original Hispanic Steering Committee, which was dominated by Cuban-Americans. Barreto is Mexican-American, while Gutierrez is Cuban-American.

The campaign also put out statements from Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) blasting Obama.

"No community values entrepreneurship and small business more than the Hispanic community," Rubio said. "Unfortunately, President Obama’s failed policies of new regulations, higher taxes and ObamaCare and his anti-business rhetoric have hit Hispanics especially hard. Big government really hurts those who are trying to make it. And with unemployment still abysmally high, the Obama economy is crushing Hispanics' dreams for their children to live a better life. The Hispanic community cannot afford four more years of double-digit unemployment and higher levels of poverty."

"Mitt Romney will stop the attacks on job creators, encourage entrepreneurs to chase their dreams and bring good jobs and a better future to all Americans," he added.

The announcement follows a Romney speech to Latino businessmen in Texas on Tuesday and a web video attacking Obama over the high unemployment rate for Hispanics.

Romney needs to cut into his huge deficit with Obama among Hispanic voters, especially those of Mexican descent in the Southwest. He was at 27 percent support in a recent poll, far below the 40 percent of Hispanic voters President George W. Bush received in 2004. Many experts believe Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) 31 percent showing with Hispanics was a big reason he lost Colorado, New Mexico and Nevada in 2008.