Longoria to be on stage at inauguration

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WASHINGTON, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- Actress Eva Longoria, who helped U.S. President Barack Obama secure the Hispanic vote in November, says she will be onstage with him at his inauguration.

The "Desperate Housewives" star stumped for the president last year and hosted star-studded fundraisers, generating millions of dollars for his re-election campaign, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday.

Longoria said her primary goal as a political power player in Washington is to argue that "Latinos aren't a drain on the economy or criminals crossing the border."

"Most are hardworking people who are America's emerging market," she added.

After working with Obama last year on immigration policy, Longoria is now planning meetings with his advisers and other politicos -- including one she's hosting this weekend with Mark McKinnon, a strategist for former President George W. Bush and U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the Journal said.

She plans to meet with former Secretary of State Colin Powell and anti-tax activist Grover Norquist to discuss investments in housing and retail developments in Hispanic communities.