SEIU, Obama super-PAC team up to hit Romney in Spanish

By Josh Lederman - 01/24/12 04:32 PM ET

A super-PAC supporting President Obama and a major labor union have teamed up to air Spanish-language radio ads in Florida blasting Mitt Romney's stance on immigration policy.

Priorities USA Action and Service Employees International Union will split the cost of a six-figure ad buy knocking Romney for pandering to Hispanic voters while supporting policies they say inflict harm on Hispanic immigrants.

The ads will air over the next several weeks in Tampa and Orlando, possibly expanding to other Florida media markets. SEIU has already endorsed Obama and vowed to aid his reelection efforts.

"Mitt Romney has no shame. He shows one face to the Hispanic community and another completely different one to everyone else," the narrator says in the ad.

The ad, dubbed “Dos Caras” or "Two Sides," points out that despite Romney's Spanish ads claiming he shares the Hispanic community's values, he has vowed to veto the DREAM Act and touted the endorsement of Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach (R), who has helped draft anti-illegal-immigration laws across the country.

"Let’s not be fooled. He might have two faces, but we know all too well who the true Mitt Romney is," the ad says.

The ad was unveiled as Democrats are aiming to turn Hispanic voters against Romney ahead of Florida's primary on Jan. 31. Immigration was a major topic of discussion in a Monday presidential debate where Romney reiterated his opposition to providing a path to legalization for those in the country illegally.

"Hispanics, like all Floridians, are supporting Mitt Romney because they know he has a proven record as a conservative businessman, and is the best person to rebuild the economy that President Obama has spent three and half years destroying," Romney adviser Albert Martinez said in an email.

Paul Begala, a Democratic operative and adviser to Priorities USA Action, told reporters on a conference call Monday that this was the first Spanish ad the super-PAC had aired, but that it wouldn't be the last. He likened Romney's rhetoric to that employed by Florida's unpopular governor, Republican Rick Scott, and to failed 2010 candidates Meg Whitman and Sharron Angle.

"Mitt Romney's brutal attacks are certain to come back to haunt him, and we're going to make certain they do," he said.

- This post was updated at 6:02 p.m.