Candidates want the Latino vote, and Samuel Rodriguez is just a phone call away.

Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Leadership Conference, has been a go-to guy for politicians looking for a Hispanic evangelical voice. He has also been the center of attention recently as journalists want to know more about evangelical voting patterns.

McClatchy Newspapers reported that Republican candidates Sen. John McCain and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee have sought Rodriguez's support, and an aide to former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney put in a call.

Today, NPR aired an interview with the California pastor and Newsweek profiled Rodriguez in late December. The Chicago Tribune also recently profiled the California pastor, saying that Christian leaders call him the "Karl Rove of Latino evangelical strategy."

Posted by Sarah Pulliam on February 5, 2008 2:39PM