The deporter-in-chief label that the head of the National Council of La Raza pasted to President Barack Obama did not get cheers from two Republican Hispanics who are recruiting candidates for the GOP.
New Mexico's Gov. Susana Martinez, the first Hispanic female elected governor, said "we have to respect the presidency and he is the president of the United States," when asked about the label given the president Tuesday night by NCLR President Janet Murguía.
"Because he is the president of the United States that person deserves the respect of the leader of a free country," Martinez said.
Martinez acknowledged she had not watched Murguía's speech at the NCLR gala where the comment was met with tepid applause.
Martinez had joined former Puerto Rico Gov. Luis Fortuño for a conference call to discuss a GOP initiative to recruit more diverse candidates, known as the Future Majority Project.
Fortuño echoed Martinez's comments, saying the president "deserves all our respect." But he added that the Hispanic community had high hopes that Obama would provide leadership to move immigration reform.
"We all know that did not occur," Fortuño said. "There is no need to resort to name calling."