Hispanic group to grill McCain, Obama on Tuesday

A leading Hispanic organization is demanding assurances from the two major presidential candidates that they'll push for comprehensive immigration revisions and dramatically increase Hispanic representation in the federal government.

John McCain and Barack Obama are scheduled to appear Tuesday before the 79th annual convention of the League of United Latin American Citizens as part of their continuing offensive to bolster their support among Hispanics, the nation's fastest-growing minority. More than 9 million Latinos are expected to vote in the November general election.

Leaders of LULAC said Monday that they planned to press McCain, the presumed Republican nominee, and Obama, the victor of a grueling Democratic primary race, for their positions on several issues that are important to Hispanics.

LULAC, the nation's largest and oldest Hispanic organization, with 115,000 members, is insisting that the next president support — and force Congress to pass — comprehensive immigration legislation that would create a guest-worker program and put millions of illegal immigrants on paths to citizenship.

LULAC leaders say that they'll also insist that Obama and McCain promise to reverse decades of inadequate representation by Hispanics in the federal work force. Hispanics constitute about 15 to 16 percent of the population but hold just more than 7 percent of federal jobs.