A man called William Blaine Richardson III, a graduate of Middlesex prep school in Concord, Mass., and Tufts University, is charging that Senator Ted Cruz “should not be defined” as a Hispanic. Here is what Mr. William Blaine Richardson III said on the subject yesterday to ABC News:

“I’m not a fan. I know [Ted Cruz is] sort of the Republican latest flavor. He’s articulate. He seems to be charismatic, but I don’t like his politics. I think he introduces a measure of incivility in the political process. Insulting people is not the way to go. But I guess he’s a force in the Republican political system, but I’m not a fan.”

ABC News: Do you think he represents most Hispanics with his politics?

“No, no. He’s anti-immigration. Almost every Hispanic in the country wants to see immigration reform. No, I don’t think he should be defined as a Hispanic. He’s a politician from Texas. A conservative state. And I respect Texas’ choice. But what I don’t like is… when you try to get things done, it’s okay to be strong and state your views, your ideology. But I’ve seen him demean the office, be rude to other senators, not be part of, I think, the civility that is really needed in Washington.”

Mr. William Blaine Richardson III is of course former New Mexico governor Bill Richardson. Both Richardson and Cruz are of partially Hispanic descent. I am not going to get into an argument about which is “more” a Hispanic. That runs counter to the melting pot theme of American history that we have so valued. I’ll only say this: Shame on you, William Blaine Richardson III.

But what is just as offensive as trying to define Ted Cruz out of his heritage is saying that a Hispanic can have only one point of view on immigration. Cruz is right to make a different case from the one that Democrats make to Hispanics on immigration. What probably troubles Mr. William Blaine Richardson is the possibility that Rafael Edward “Ted” Cruz will be able to take some Hispanic voters away from the Democrats. Still, don’t you hate racial politics?

Meanwhile, Democratic strategist James Carville thinks that Cruz is the most talented and fearless Republican he's seen in 30 years.

That's got to scare Billy Blaine…

THIS JUST IN:

In a piece in the Boston Herald, Jennifer Braceras sheds more light on why GOP Hispanics drive Democrats nuts. Jennifer is writing an open letter to Gabriel Gomez, the Republican running against Ed Markey to fill Secretary of State John Kerry’s old Massachusetts Senate seat:

Congratulations, Gabriel Gomez. You just earned yourself a spot on top of the Democratic National Committee’s hit list.

It’s not just because you’re the Republican nominee for Senate. Or because you’re a Washington outsider who threatens to prevent lifelong political hack Ed Markey from becoming “Senator for life.”

It’s not even because you’re a Boston Marathon-running, former Navy SEAL who exudes the kind of patriotism that embarrasses many liberals today.

No. The real reason Democrats regard you as public enemy No. 1 can be summed up in two words: Republican Latino.

You’re new to politics, so I’ll be blunt. Democrats may dislike Republicans, but they despise Republican minorities.

The simple reason is, of course, electoral. Crucial to Democratic success is a trifecta of subgroups: minorities (including Latinos), young people, and women. This coalition has been described as a three-legged stool. A Republican who can even begin to crack one of the legs can potentially knock the stool over.

So it shouldn’t be too long before we begin hearing that Gomez just isn’t Hispanic enough.