McCain: Ich bin ein Latino (courting the vote)

[Amerigo Vespucci]

McCain, Obama court Latino voters

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/06/28/mccain.obama.latino/index.html



WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Sens. John McCain and Barack Obama took their campaigns back to Washington on Saturday in an effort to reach out to Latinos.

Both McCain and Obama spoke at the annual conference of NALEO, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, at the Renaissance Hotel near the White House.

Much of McCain's speech focused on the issues he has been pushing throughout the week -- energy solutions and the lagging economy.

McCain's speech was disrupted several times by hecklers from the anti-war group Code Pink.

According to the group, Phoenix resident Liz Hourican, holding a camera aimed at the candidate, stood up when McCain said "I represent Arizona..." Video Watch McCain get heckled »

"John, you do represent Arizona! And we want a peace candidate!," she yelled. "We want a peace candidate! Peace takes courage!"

McCain, laughing off the disruption, joked, "that's a long trip out."

"I'm sure you've seen the polls out now about trust and confidence in our government, and the one thing the American people want us to stop doing is yelling at each other," he said.

Five minutes later, two more women jumped up.

"Your silence is consent to war crimes! War criminal!" one yelled. Another woman carried a pink banner that read "McCain=Guerra" -- or "McCain=War."

McCain, however, was met with a standing ovation by the audience at the end.

:eyes: