GOP presidential candidate John McCain is renewing his efforts to woo the Hispanic vote by touting his attempts at passing comprehensive immigration reform before immigration advocacy groups and releasing Spanish-language political ads in targeted areas.

The McCain campaign has scheduled their candidate for a trio of major speeches before Latino interest groups, including the National Council of La Raza-- group reviled by many of McCain’s right-wing critics.

“I and many other colleagues twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation,” McCain told members of the League of United Latin American Citizens at their annual meeting in Washington Tuesday.

At the rally, some of his supporters carried signs that read “Estamos Unidos McCain” which means “we are united for McCain.” The phrase is also the title of one of one of the campaign’s Spanish language radio advertisements that was released in Nevada and New Mexico last month.

McCain recently launched a different Spanish language radio ad last to question Obama’s relationship with the Hispanic community.. In it, a Latino McCain supporter says McCain has “earned the trust of Latinos” and “it seems to me that the other candidate has just discovered the importance of the Hispanic vote.”

McCain’s Democratic opponent, Barack Obama, also addressed LULAC Tuesday. Like McCain, Obama reminded the audience of his work in the Senate on behalf of Latinos.

“I reached across the aisle in the Senate to fight for comprehensive immigration reform,” Obama said.

Obama also used the occasion to take a shot at McCain, claiming McCain downplayed his work on immigration reform during the Republican primary for political expedience. Continued...