(CNN) – John McCain is airing a new ad - in which he calls Hispanic Americans “God’s Children” - in his latest bid to win over that key voting bloc.
The spot comes amid a major push on that front by the presumptive Republican nominee, including private meetings with community leaders, Spanish-language radio ads, the launch of regular campaign conference calls with Hispanic pastors, and speeches at high-profile gatherings like this week’s address at the League of Latin American Citizens and next Monday’s speech at National Council La Raza - two of the trifecta of major Latino conferences McCain will make an appearance at this cycle.
The new ad – which will air in Nevada, Colorado and New Mexico, all neighbors of McCain’s home state of Arizona which are all heavily-contested states this cycle – features comments from a summer 2007 debate in which the senator praises the service of Hispanic veterans.
“My friends, I want you the next time you're down in Washington, D.C., to go to the Vietnam War Memorial and look at the names engraved in black granite. You'll find a whole lot of Hispanic names,” McCain said in remarks included in the 30-second spot.
He praised the service of members of the military serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, including “some of the few thousand that are still green card holders who are not even citizens of this country, who love this country so much that they're willing to risk their lives in its service in order to accelerate their path to citizenship and enjoy the bountiful, blessed nation.”
“So let's from time to time remember that these are God's children. They must come to our country legally, but they have enriched our culture and our nation as every generation of immigrants before them,” he concluded.
McCain faced tough criticism from many conservatives early in the campaign for his support of comprehensive immigration legislation, and had shifted on the trail to an enforcement-first message that resonated with GOP primary voters, who listed immigration as among their top concerns.
The campaign has released both English and Spanish-language versions of the ad.
From CNN Politics
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"God's children" will be out of the country quicker than you can say President McCain. The GOP is determined to get every illegal out. These last years under the thumb of George Bush have not been easy for latinos.
Obama 08
Sorry John, but you're not going to be able to break off the 35% of Hispanic voters necessary to get you the presidency. The Republican snake is going to be stepped on in November.
A bunch of bull....! I agree they're God's children, but they need to go back to their country if they're here illegally. What in ILLEGAL don't they understand?
McCain - Sensible views on immigration. And he doesn't want to force Americans to learn Spanish like Obama
McCain 08
@T GUY...I guess u would be refering to the AA community that supports the Dems. Why on earth would AA ever vote for a republican? They didn't even have the decency to show up to debates in the primaries that were hosted by AA organizations and colleges. EVERY SINGLE one of them DECLINED. They have showed little or no interest in those that are perceived as being less than them. They don't even attempt to garner the AA vote. They act as if we don't exist like there is no point to try and get support. Most AA would have voted for which ever candidate won be it Hillary or Barack. And you can't say that blacks only went to him b/c he is part black. The majority of Hillary's supporters were women, do you think this is a coincidence? Do you think they just voted for her by chance or b/c she was a woman?
Good to hear that Mrs. Clinton is not being considered for the VP.
The Clintons and her supportors have done a lot of demand to the party and we need to move on and work toward another direction to win this election in November. I am so tired of reading and hearing that Clinton's supportors are still mad. That is not Obama problem any more and we must continue to move forward. Why waste any more times on Clinton's supportors when there are another voters Obama needs to help him win.
dont be fooled latinos the republicans as well as john mccain wants to tear your families apart hes just pandering to you vote for him and you will be very very sorry!!!!!
At what point do we just stop listening to this man? He's digging hole after hole for himself. Unfortunately, Obama doesn't seem to be much better-voting for FISA, for God's sake? What, the telecoms threatened to not vote for him? If they weren't doing anything illegal, according to the Decider, what were they afraid of?
I can hardly wait until they name VPs and that circus gets going!
However, should Bush not control his trigger-finger and attack Iran, we're all doomed anyway. Can't you tell he and Cheney are just itching for another war? Somebody get out the straight jackets, please???
Odds are he'll just alienate the "AMURRRREEEEEKA" white supremacist anti-immigrant crowd. Which is just fine by me.
Remember folks: McCain thinks the illegal immigrants are Gods Children, and the blue collar Americans struggling with the effects of an economy in crisis are whiners. And Obama's the elitist in all this?
Talk about pandering?!?!?!?!
What's next, Cindy McCain opening a tacqueria?!
Looks like Obama can learn a few things from the McCain campaign about coalition building!
ONLY Hispanics are GOD's children and the REST OF AMERICANS are a "bunch of whiners" who are suffering from "mental depression"....
John McShame, we get it!...............I need some of that stuff you and your lifelong economist buddy Phil Gramm are smoking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I wonder what John Hagee will say when he reads this?!
Wait did he really say this about Hispanics! What is this world comeing to??????
Obama 20028 and 2012
NO WAY JOSE.WHERE VOTING FOR BARACK OBAMA.
McSane should be ashame of himself, he will say and do ANYTHING to get a vote and the sad part about it is they will probably believe him. If by chance he becomes the next President which I doubt it, the Hispanic community will then see first hand how he REALLY feels about them.
Obama 08
Stop it, McCain. Last I checked, we were all God's children...North Americans, South Americans, Africans, Europeans, Asians, etc. Please don't bring my God into your campaign spin!
What a pandering political hack ... we have already suffered through the worst presidency in our history ... let's not let another moron into the White House!
And this is just why liberal McCain will never win the election.
Can anyone spell "pandering"!!!!!!!!!!
I thought according to the bible we were all God's children!!!!!!!!!
Oh please...McCain is just desperate to get votes. Immigration reform had nothing to do with "Gods Children". It was only about rewarding big $ constituent lobbyists with a vast endless pool of cheap labor. Bush actually met with lobbyists from the construction industry to promote McCain's amnesty bill. That pretty much sums it up .
john mcsain did not vote on this either
as for MR MCSAIN
WE ARE ALL GODS CHILDREN (KYE-LIEBERMAN)
Thanks Mr. McCain. I'll let my wife and children know. Up until now they weren't sure abou that...
NO CNN, PLEASE POST THIS!
And what ethic group would that be @ T GUY? Obama is one of the best and true figures the younger and mid aged blacks have had in a long time and you want to dicount us?!?!
60's leaders such as: Sharpton, Jesse Sr. and some of the others don't speak for us blacks of this generation (excluding: MLK and Malcolm). Please let us be happy in our decision of who we like and don't apply it as if we are delusional.
Why does McCain always bring war into all his speeches and comments?
My father had some senility problems as he got older and had the same types of symptoms.............he kept referring to many instances he was familiar with which for he most part were from times long past but when confronted with current events he quite often displayed forgetfulness and confusion.
Buyer better beware on this one as your future may depend on it.