Democrats are calling Mitt Romney the most extreme GOP candidate for president in a new Web ad that attacks him on immigration.
The ad from the Democratic National Committee (DNC) seizes on Romney's support during Wedneday's debate for a tough anti-immigration law in Arizona and attempts to make a play for Latino voters.
"Before last night's debate, Mitt Romney was already on the extreme right on immigration," onscreen text reads, before a montage of Romney stating his opposition to the DREAM Act at previous campaign events rolls. "Then last night, he took another big step to the right."
The clip then shows an exchange during Wednesday's debate in which Romney says he "sees a model here in Arizona" for immigration enforcement.
"What is the Arizona model?" the onscreen text reads, before the ad cycles through news clips that describe the legislation as "harsh and mean-spirited" and "draconian."
Said the DNC in a statement, "Perhaps the most important and underappreciated takeaway from last night's debate? Mitt Romney embracing fully and wholeheartedly the most controversial, divisive and extreme anti-immigrant law in the U.S.
"Mitt Romney's the most extreme GOP candidate on the issue, and if he becomes the nominee will have already ceded the Hispanic vote in this election."
Arizona's immigration law, which provides police expanded power to question and detain those they believe might be illegal immigrants, was signed into law in 2010. Since then, legal challenges have prevented some provisions — including those that allow police to question an individual's immigration status — from being enforced.
