A leading surrogate for President Obama’s reelection campaign on Friday compared Mitt Romney’s problems attracting Latino voters to those of an alcoholic, one of the most withering criticisms to date of the presumptive Republican presidential nominee.

Rep. Xavier Becerra (Calif.), who is also a member of the House Democratic leadership team, critiqued Romney’s efforts at attracting Latinos as half-hearted. Becerra said Romney will have to take drastic measures to repair his relationship with Latinos, who favor Obama by almost a three-to-one margin.

“Mitt Romney has a Latino problem. And like those who are alcoholic and go to Alcoholics Anonymous when they’ve got a problem, Mitt Romney should go to a place where he could learn what his problem is and really try to change his ways,” Becerra told Univision News. “You’re not going to get rid of that disease that infects you if you don’t treat it and you don’t believe it.”

The Romney campaign dismissed Becerra’s remarks as desperate.

“These comments are unfortunate, but they aren’t surprising given the desperate and negative reelection campaign President Obama is running,” responded Romney adviser Albert Martinez. “Democrats are lashing out with outrageous rhetoric because they’re frustrated at the reality that President Obama broke his promise to Hispanic voters while his party controlled Congress.”

Read the full story at Univision News