In political news, Republican Senator Mel Martinez of Florida has resigned as chair of the Republican National Committee. The Cuban-born Martinez is the Republican’s highest-ranking Latino official. His resignation came shortly after he had expressed frustration over the tenor of the immigration debate within his party. Robert de Posada, president of the Republican-leaning Latino Coalition, told the Los Angeles Times that Martinez’s departure is especially disheartening because it follows the resignation of another high-profile Latino in the GOP: former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. De Posada said: “The message that it sends is Latinos are not welcome. The radical conservative base has a temporary victory right now.”