We should inform ourselves of our mayoral choices. When dining out in our fair city, is Brown's favorite dish Puget Sound salmon smoked on a cedar plank?

Thank you to the Post for investigating this further. The original article glossed over the "Latino Coalition" as a nonpartisan group, when it is in fact a thinly veiled far right advocacy group, that does not represent the majority of the Latino community.

Can the Post do a better job of researching groups before they give them any press in the print edition?

I wrote the District Notebook item on Michael Brown last week and the mention of the endorsement from the Latino Coalition did not mandate an investigation of the group. The coalition did endorse him and it is a legitimate group, which describes itself as a nonpartisan organization.The piece on Brown did not say that this group represented all Latinos.

The impression that I got was that a DC based Latino group was endorsing Brown. Hey maybe in the future I can put together a "legitimate group" and endorse someone.

Deposada may be based in Washington state, but his group has been involved with Latino politics nationwide for several years.

I worked for a Connecticut Democratic Congressman's losing campaign in 2002. We lost the Puerto Rican vote (and ultimately the race) because the Latino Coalition endorsed the Republican. So don't think I have any love for them.

Yes, this group is somehwat conservative and pro-business (they endorsed TPA and the President's Social Security plan), but they have proven themselves to have some non-partisan chops.

In the same year they endorsed our Republican opponent, they also endorsed Rod Blagojevich and Luis Gutierrez. I challenge anyone to call either of these progressive leaders a "conservative" or a Republican.

Now, I am Latino Democrat and do not feel that the Latino Coalition represents me in any way.

However, it is ignorant and racist to insist that such an ethnically, politically and economically diverse community could possibly represent a singular point of view. Are we really to believe that Cubans raised in Miami are going to support the same candidate as Boricuas raised in Chicago or Salvadorians raised in DC?

DC's Latino community is probably more ethnically, economically and politically as diverse than any other community this city has. For every one of us cleaning your floors or serving your food there is another one of us wearing suits, running companies, and working to make a difference.

So, to make claims that we all vote for Democrats is to ignore how our community has become more and more bipartisan over the years.

Just check out Puerto Rico to see how diverse we are. The Island has a Republican, Pro state hood Resident Commissioner, and a Democrat, pro commonwealth governor. And that's just ONE latino community.

So, rather than sit as a voting block who consistently supports (and is taken advantage of by) one party, we make both parties work for our vote. Is that really a bad thing?

I think the point, Ep Sato, is not that this group is conservative or liberal or mongoose, but that it is not local. It has never taken a position on a local issue at any point in its history, according to its Web site. Which raises questions about why it is suddenly weighing in on the DC mayor's race.

Well, they have a DC office. While that doesn't necessarily make them "local", they should get some props for being a Latino Organization to recognize the city's rapidly growing Latino population. I have no qualms with other National Latino organizations making endorsements in our local races as well, because let's face it, recognition leads to legitimacy, which leads to more fundraising capability, and eventually leads to more Latino elected officals.

However, I agree with Lori that Latino organizations who want to be taken seriously in DC need to take an active role in local issues and not just chime in on local races without making a more consise case.

As a Latino from Puerto Rico, I too am disturbed by this so called endorsement.

I would feel more at ease if any Latino endorsements come from Latino groups that are physically within DC not headquartered elsewhere.

To my knowledge, none of the DC based Latino groups have yet to endorse anyone for mayor.

But your yahoo profile, and your postings elsewhere, say "I am 100% Sicilian." I spent years in Italy, including Sicily. No one in Italy considers themselves to be "Latino" so I wonder what you could possibly mean by this.

After attending the Latino Pact debate last night. It appeared to me that Mr. Brown fared very well among the Latino community, at least from the applause he received after answering their questions. It’s not unusual for a local group to have a headquarter or board member located in another state.

Nor is it unusual for a group from another state to have their HQ in DC. And this seems to be the case. Mmmm... cedar smoked salmon.

I am Chicana uber Democrat. I am lawyer from a family of hard-working parents who raised six children on the salary of a cleaning lady and trash truck driver. My parents kept us in school and we are all professionals now. I have regularly volunteered to mentor Latino/a children by tutoring on Saturdays for grade school children; I actively participate in mentoring Latino/a college and law students; and, I work zealously on the issue of Latino representation in Federal Service. I believe passionately in advancing the interests of our community in D.C. and across this Nation. Only by working locally and nationally can we change the tide of grim statistics that we face as a community. Gracias a dios we have many groups working in an organized fashion so that we have a voice. I have become a member of the Latino PAC and thanks to them I attended the forum last night. It was historic and heartwarming though the performance of the candidates with a couple of exceptions left much to be desired.

I think Ms. Crop was unprofessional -- her visceral attack on Vincent Orange made me and many others in the audience uncomfortable. She cannot read an audience and I fear that should we ever challenge her decisions she will just shout at us or otherwise attempt to 'crush' us.

I was offended that Fenty had an 'accent' and "outed" himself as being part Panamanian. Why is the first time ever that we have heard that we have a Latino council member? So he claims his identity when it benefits him? We were so important he left early and kept looking at his blackberry while he was there. He has been on City Council for a while now -- what has he done for the Latino community and where was he before?

Vincent Orange's back and forth with Crop was embarrassing to him for certain, but worse yet was when he urged us to attend a job fair where they were hiring janitors. Let's see, hhmmm, I might be over qualified since I, like him, have several advanced degrees -- a couple from Ivy League institutions.

Once again the two voices of sanity where non-council members Marie Johns and Michael Brown.

Marie Johns has a lot to say to our community. She talked about the elephant in the room that worries me: the tide of intolerance, race baiting and the witch hunt against "undocumenteds" which is really code word for anyone Hispanic, brown, and/or with an accent. She was firm and clear on this issue.

However, the candidate who spoke to the values and issues that are the most important to me was Michael Brown. He talked honestly about how we need to address both manufactured and actual conflicts that occur between the Black/Latino community – a real and pressing issue in this City in particular and in the country in general; the need for a multi-prong approach to education involving the whole community; expanding OLA; and, most importantly, getting a Latino/a elected to office.

Now for anyone following the Washington Post articles it does not take a rocket scientist to know that Lori Montgomery, (Post Reporter) appears to have a personal vendetta against Michael Brown. Her 'reporting' really belongs in the editorial section. I am not certain what Brown did to her, but it must have been serious because she is hopping mad about it and intent on painting him a charlatan. (How about that for someone Orange suggested might find employment as a janitor?)

For all of you who contend that we only need a locally active Latino organization to carry our cause forward – have you heard of the EMILY’s List? The national PAC that endorses women candidates or those friendly to progressive women’s issues? They are wildly successful and have done a great deal of good. While it might be in the interest of people to keep this race local, I will remind you that the power of the Latino community is strengthened when more of us are involved. Michael Brown is NOT a rabid Republican so I am quite shocked at the response of people who are attacking the candidate and organization doing the endorsement. Brown is a true blue DEMOCRAT. Furthermore, Brown appears to be the only candidate – outside of Marie Johns – to address how ridiculous it is for the City Council to spend all night debating the new stadium yet our schools are literally falling apart, our libraries are closed, and the Latino ‘push-out’ rate remains appalling. WE HAVE A CRISIS in our community! Brown is the ONLY one talking about our youth. Is anyone else listening? Does anyone really care? This is NOT about the bona fides of the organization that endorsed Brown. This is about who will be serious and brave about dealing with our issues. I am tired of the Lori Montgomery types who purport to tell me as a Latina who I should trust in a Latino organization. When was the last time she addressed an issue that impacts our community in one of her articles? I am from the rancho, but I did not 'arrive yesterday.'

Sylvia Trujillo

Let me hasten to add that all of my comments above are my OWN opinions and do not reflect those of any organization that I have joined!

Thanks to Lori Montgomery for digging deeper into the endorsement by the Latino Coalition. This is not being critical but merely pointing out factual inconsistencies in statements that have been made by the group. Criticizing candidates for making inappropriate statements, at the forum for example, is a different kind of exercise, and one that belongs in an editorial. Being someone who disagrees with some of the comments made by candidates, which I believe reflect ignorance, I appreciate the difference between reporting that reveals more information or throws light on false or misleading statements and simple opinion.

Also, learning more about the nature of the group is relevant in understanding that endorsement so the article was useful in that regard. Personally, I find the group suspect, as a little reading on their website was enough to convince me that there was a reason why they are not active in the DC Latino community, despite being headquartered here for a number of years. It would be more useful if Mr. Brown engaged the Latino groups who are already active in the community, being in the trenches here for years.

As always we should thank Lori Montgomery for going deeper into the story and seeing who this Latino group that endorsed Michael Brown really is.

I think for any community it is the local groups endorsement that really matters. For anyone to say that Michael Brown has done more for Latino's in the District than any other candidate clearly shows they are not invovled in the District. Mr. Brown is a bright well intentioned individual but he does not have a record in the District with the Latino community or actually much of a record with any community in the District. He speaks well and is ready to make promises but don't claim his record in the District is what led to the endorsement. It was most likely more his business associations.

As to the other candidates, they do have records of serving the community and I think the Latino community will have to choose among them and see whose record of service to individuals is the best. The Latino community needs to find a candidate that will promote and carry out the Language Access Act, who will promote Latinos to the highest levels of government and will make sure that the Latino community is represented on every Board and Commission in the District so that their concerns, which is some cases are unique, will be addressed.

The individual they endorse must also be prepared to work with the Latino business community and to strengthen the Latino Commission as it does outreach into the community.