Obama warned of risk of losing Latino vote

WASHINGTON, June 12 (UPI) -- U.S. Sen. Barack Obama has been warned to do more to help illegal immigrants become citizens or risk losing the Latino vote, Hispanic Democratic lawmakers say.

Obama, D-Ill., and the presumptive Democratic Party nominee for president, was advised that unless he promises comprehensive immigration reform, lawmakers told The Hill, the only other way he will get the Latino supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., may be to name her as his running mate.

There was no explicit call to add Clinton to the ticket but some lawmakers indicated that her bond with Latino voters will get them to the polls in November, just as it drew them into the primaries.

"Hillary holds the entire Latino community in the palm of her hand," said U.S. Rep. Jose Serrano, D-N.Y.

Obama's National Latino Vote Director Cuauhtemoc "Temo" Figueroa scheduled his first meeting in Washington Thursday with members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus.

Latinos also like the probable Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., the report said. McCain co-sponsored the immigration bill the Congressional Hispanic Caucus is demanding, one which would push the United States' estimated 12 million illegal immigrants toward citizenship.