The SEIU (one of the country’s largest unions) and Priorities USA (the super PAC run by ex-White House official Bill Burton) have teamed up to the tune of $4 million, putting together an ad that focuses on Mitt Romney’s campaign-trail gaffes to demonstrate how ostensibly out-of-touch Romney is with the concerns of Latino voters. The “Mitt Romney is his own words” commercial will air on tv and radio in Colorado, Nevada, and Florida (battleground states with hefty Hispanic populations):

“This ad is part of a broader effort to ensure Latino voters know the stakes in this election and who has been on the side of Latino Families and who will continue to stand with them in the coming years,” said SEIU National Political Director Brandon Davis in a statement. “The contrast could not be more clear.” …

“It’s easy for him to say that since he doesn’t have the same necessities as us,” says a Latino man in Spanish. “When you are really out of work, you are worried, you don’t want to laugh or make fun of anybody. …

The ad comes as Democrats work to solidify their lead with Hispanic voters, the fastest growing demographic in the American electorate. In a Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll released late last month, 61 percent of Hispanic voters said they would vote for Obama, while just 27 percent backed Romney. More Hispanic voters see Romney more negatively than positively, and only 22 percent say they view the Republican Party in a positive light.

Democrats have been lagging way behind in terms of television spending — they were sorely outspent by independent Republican groups in early June, with pro-GOP groups spending about $37 million on presidential-race tv ads while pro-Dem groups only spent $11 million. And as spittin’ mad as liberals and unions were about all of that ‘sketchy money’ that went into the Wisconsin race, they’re realizing that they should probably start stepping up their game right about now.

Team Romney hasn’t been silent about Hispanics — last week in Texas, he promised to be a president for “all Americans, Hispanic and otherwise” — and his camp has more plans in the works to appeal to the fast-growing electoral group, including hashing it out with Sen. Marco Rubio on his upcoming modified DREAM Act. Good thing, too: right now, Hispanic voters favor President Obama by a more than 2-to-1 margin. Republicans really need to work on communicating the message that prosperity and economic growth are good for all Americans, regardless of race, background, etcetera, and that President Obama’s policies are just a bunch of fail.

Spanish-speaking surrogates are being trained, and there are ongoing talks with a major Hispanic advertising firm to work on new television ads that are aimed at Spanish-speakers. …

“I can’t deny the fact that he’s going to inevitably have to cross the proverbial Jordan of immigration,’’ Rodriguez said. “If he wants to step into the Promised Land, he’s going to have to address immigration reform.’’

Romney is preparing a speech on June 21 before a group of Latino officials in Orlando, an address that some of his Hispanic advisers are pointing to as a potential major turning point. Romney will address that group, the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, one day before President Obama does…