Legal Commentary

Obama Launches Spanish Ad Attacking McCain on Immigration

By Jeralyn

Dos Caras...Two-Faced. That's the theme of Sen. Barack Obama's new ad airing in Spanish in Colorado and New Mexico.

The Obama campaign has released new radio and TV ads in Spanish that seek to tie Sen. John McCain to anti-immigrant comments made by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh. The ads also suggest the Republican has "dos caras" -- "two faces" -- when it comes to his relations with Latino voters. The new messages, airing in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, come in response to recent Spanish-language ads by the McCain campaign that suggest Obama is responsible for the collapse of last year's bipartisan immigration reform efforts.

More...

Ad highlights:

"They want us to forget the insults we've put up with, the intolerance," the television ad's announcer says in Spanish as a picture of Rush Limbaugh appears onscreen with quotes of him saying, "Mexicans are stupid and unqualified" and "Shut your mouth or get out."

"They made us feel marginalized in a country we love so much," the ad continues. "John McCain and his Republican friends have two faces. One that says lies just to get our vote and another, even worse, that continues the failed policies of George Bush that put special interests ahead of working families."

Concluding message:

"Don't forget that John McCain abandoned us rather than confront the leaders of the Republican Party. Many of us were born here, and others came to work and achieve a better life for their families -- not to commit crimes or drain the system like many of John McCain's friends claim. Let's not be fooled by political tricks from John McCain and the Republicans. Vote so they respect us. Vote for a change."

This is a fight that McCain began Friday with his attack ad on Obama.

The Post today says the Obama campaign will push hard for the Latino vote.

A July survey by the Pew Hispanic Center gave Obama a wide lead over McCain nationwide among Latino voters, and Democrats don't plan to let the lead slip.

"Whenever we get a punch from Senator McCain, we're going to counterpunch harder," former transportation secretary Federico Pena said on the conference call. "We're not going to take any vote for granted."

Obama plans to begin airing ads in Florida next week.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on September 17, 2008 (boomark / email).