Valley Hispanics launch voter registration drive

A major effort is underway to register Valley Hispanics to vote in the November election.

Phoenix Mayor Phil Gordon was among those launching the Si Se Puede Voter Registration Drive Wednesday.

``I ask everyone who can to register to vote -- brown, black, white, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, European -- new residents in this country who have earned the right to vote to please do so.," Gordon said.

Phoenix City Councilman Michael Nowakowski said the goal is to register 100,000 people.

``We are going to register people to vote, to educate people on the importance of voting," Nowakowski said. ``As you look behind me, you see people who are concerned and who want people to go out and vote because voting is our voice."

Meanwhile, Maricopa County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, a leader in the Hispanic community and a supporter of Sen. Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential race, said she hopes the nominee, Barack Obama, will choose Clinton as his vice presidential running mate.

``I'm first and foremost a good Democrat, and I believe in the democratic principles which Hillary Clinton put forward," Wilcox said. ``I do believe Barack Obama believes in those also. It's obvious he has the votes and we're moving forward with Barack Obama. He'll be the next president of the United States of America."

Now that Obama has clinched the nomination, Gov. Janet Napolitano, an early supporter of his, was asked if she might be undergoing background checks as a possible vice presidential candidate.

She sidestepped the question, saying, ``As you all know, there's nothing about my career that's not already public information, including my financial information."

Napolitano insisted she's focused on being governor.