Obama and McCain try to woo Hispanics

Washington: Both John McCain and Barack Obama will be trying to appeal to Hispanic voters this week, a growing group in American politics that is expected to play a role in a number of swing states.

The two candidates, who appeared at one Hispanic-sponsored event in late June, will both be addressing the League of United Latin American Citizens' national convention today in Washington and the National Council of La Raza on Saturday in San Diego.

The three appearances by both candidates in less than a month at Hispanic-sponsored events underscores the influence the voting block may have during this November's elections.

Hispanics were long considered part of the Democratic base but in more recent years have become swing voters.

Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Florida all have a significant number of Hispanic voters. President George W. Bush narrowly won all four states in 2004, and they could all be hotly contested this year.

Although Bush did well with Hispanic voters in both of his elections, many swung back to the Democrats in 2006, after many Republicans staked out tough positions against illegal immigration. The Democrats regained control of both houses of Congress.

Obama, who is trying to become the first black president, hopes to gain many Hispanic voters who preferred his Democratic rival Hillary Clinton during the primaries by nearly 2-to-1.

McCain, who was one of the leading advocates of an immigration measure that would have given a path to citizenship to millions of illegal immigrants currently in the United States, must make sure that his efforts to appeal to Hispanic voters doesn't put off conservatives who view immigration legislation as amnesty.

The legislation, which was also supported by Obama, died amid criticism that it offered amnesty to illegal immigrants.

That claim contributed to the near collapse of McCain's presidential candidacy last summer. After the immigration measure failed, and in the heat of the Republican nomination race, McCain emphasised the need to secure the borders first before enacting other reforms, which he said were still needed.

Immigration issue

During their appearances in June at The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, both candidates said immigration would be one of their top priorities if elected.

Obama will also be making campaign stops this week in North Carolina, Georgia and Virginia, all southern states that have been largely dominated by Republicans.

Obama's campaign hopes he can make a dent in John McCain's support in the South by appealing to the region's large black populations and moderates unhappy with the Bush administration.