Republicans eye Hispanics

Party eager to win more support among largest US cultural minority

WASHINGTON - Republicans are trying to thrash out a strategy to win more votes from the demographically critical and diverse group of US Hispanics - without alienating the party's conservative base.

A sky-high 73 percent of Hispanics - the largest US cultural minority - have a negative view of the Republicans, pollsters Latino Decisions said this week, after three years of failed efforts in Congress to iron out an immigration reform plan.