The Straightaway

As predicted earlier, the McCain campaign is targeting the key Mountain West states (Colorado, Nevada, and New Mexico), which he hopes will put him over the top in the electoral vote count. The latest attempt is a new Spanish-language commercial airing in those three states that blames Obama for the failure of the McCain-Kennedy comprehensive immigration reform bill that sputtered in Congress this year.

This is false. Obama voted to pass this bill, despite its unpopularity.

Here is Barack Obama’s immigration plan, quoted directly from Obama’s campaign website:

Create Secure Borders

Obama wants to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.

Improve Our Immigration System

Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.

Remove Incentives to Enter Illegally

Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.

Bring People Out of the Shadows

Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.

Work with Mexico

Obama believes we need to do more to promote economic development in Mexico to decrease illegal immigration.

These views are in line with the bill McCain accuses Obama of killing. This ad is a clear distortion of the facts aimed at securing a key demographic in key states.

Here is the ad in Spanish. The translation is offered below.

ANNCR: Obama and his Congressional allies say they are on the side of immigrants. But are they? “

The press reports that their efforts were ‘poison pills’ that made immigration reform fail.

“The result:

“No guest worker program.

“No path to citizenship.

“No secure borders.

“No reform.

“Is that being on our side?

“Obama and his Congressional allies ready to block immigration reform, but not ready to lead.

“JOHN MCCAIN: I’m John McCain and I approve this message.”

If you didn’t see it, below is SNL’s season-premiere opening sketch featuring Amy Poehler’s Hillary Clinton and SNL alum Tina Fey’s impeccable Sarah Palin impersonation. Fey looks pretty similar to Palin, but the dealmaker has to be her uncanny voice impression. One of the funniest impressions I’ve seen in a while. Unfortunately, the rest of the show wasn’t really that funny. Michael Phelps was the host and…let’s just say he should stick to swimming really, really fast.