Lieberman policy hits home for Latinos in Southwest

"I think he's the best candidate to run for the Democratic ticket," said Phoenix resident Mary Cordova, who went to El Portal restaurant to hear him speak. "I think he's a man of a lot of integrity, honesty, and respect. There's a lot of Latinos supporting Lieberman. I like his stance on Hispanic affairs and immigration."

Even Arizona's Democratic Governor Janet Napolitano, who has remained neutral in the presidential primary, mentioned Lieberman when asked which candidate was effectively courting Latinos.

"Senator Lieberman has made a particularly strong quest for Hispanic votes, with lots of Spanish ads and press," Napolitano said. "And Hispanic leaders have signed up to support his campaign."

One is Mary Rose Wilcox, who's on the county board of supervisors. She likes Lieberman because of his views on the economy, education and immigration, and she also respects Lieberman's faith, an attribute she said Latinos can relate to.

"To gain Latino support, I think candidates have to listen and reflect what we say in their policy," she said.

During his visit to El Portal, Lieberman turned on his trademark humor but immediately mentioned immigration.

"We're going to go from El Portal to la Casa Blanca [the White House]" Lieberman told a rowdy crowd. "You give me the opportunity, and we are going to fix immigration."

Before formulating his immigration policy, Lieberman listened to people on the front lines. Last year he traveled to Nogales, a border town in southern Arizona, met with local leaders, and hosted a community forum, said Steve Gallardo, Lieberman's Arizona campaign director.