Corbett responds to criticism of Latino comments

Gov. Tom Corbett is doing a bit of damage control in light of a comment he made last week that has sent Democrats into a frenzy over what they’re construing as his latest insult to Pennsylvanians.In a speech to the Harrisburg Regional Chamber of Commerce Thursday, Corbett made indirect references to the controversy over his remarks to a Latino newspaper in Philadelphia that he doesn’t have any Latinos serving on his staff.

He says his words have been taken out of context.

“And in some cases, many of you may have probably responded to some of that recently that has been taken out of context,” he said. “And I want to thank you for that because the people of Pennsylvania need to know what the truth is and need to know what the problems are.”

Corbett’s spokesman says he was referring to his immediate staff, and points to three Latino appointees in his cabinet — one who has resigned and another who was never confirmed by the Senate.

The governor earned applause Thursday when he said he hoped on Election Day he would be judged for what his administration has done …

“And not how sometimes they want to twist and reinterpret the words that I say. Because it is our actions, not our words,” he said.

Corbett’s comment about Latinos comes just weeks after the governor came under fire for attributing part of the state’s unemployment rate to the fact that employers can’t always find applicants who can pass drug tests.