On October 31, The Denver Post reported that “U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., endorsed Republican Rick O'Donnell in his 7th Congressional District campaign” but failed to note that O'Donnell's campaign has run television ads condemning McCain's immigration plan, which the campaign says would “give illegal aliens amnesty.”

The ad, titled “Amnesty,” attacks O'Donnell's Democratic opponent, Ed Perlmutter, and misleadingly attributes the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Act, which passed the U.S. Senate, solely to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA). In fact, Kennedy co-sponsored the bill along with several Republican senators, including McCain. According to the Rocky Mountain News, “O'Donnell calls immigration the 7th District's No. 1 issue.”

From the ad:

NARRATOR: Millions stream in over our broken border. Something needs to be done. But Ed Perlmutter supports Ted Kennedy's plan to give illegal aliens amnesty. It costs over 50 billion dollars. Perlmutter would give illegals welfare, Social Security, even in-state tuition rates at our colleges. Ted and Ed's plan? Illegal immigrants get handouts and amnesty. We get the bill. Rick O'Donnell says, “No handouts, no amnesty, secure the border.”

O'DONNELL: I'm Rick O'Donnell, and I approve this message.

In an October 3 (an online version of the story appeared October 2) "Ad Watch" analyzing O'Donnell's “Amnesty” ad, the Post reported McCain's co-sponsorship of the Senate bill, noting, “Perlmutter has said he supports the 'broad principles' of a bill that passed in the U.S. Senate but has not passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The ad fails to mention that the bill also is sponsored by a Republican, U.S. Sen. John McCain of Arizona.”

This information was not included in the Post's October 31 article about McCain's endorsement of O'Donnell.

On his website, McCain touted the legislation he and Kennedy co-sponsored, which would provide a “path to citizenship” for the estimated 11 million to 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the United States:

The new policies as provided for under this legislation will increase border security and provide for a new, temporary worker program to enable foreign workers to work legally in this country when there are jobs that American workers won't fill. And, it will acknowledge and address in a humanitarian and compassionate way the current undocumented population.

From the October 31 Denver Post article, “McCain endorses O'Donnell in 7th CD”:

U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., endorsed Republican Rick O'Donnell in his 7th Congressional District campaign Monday.

The O'Donnell campaign sent the endorsement letter from McCain to 20,000 unaffiliated and Democratic voters in the district.

Recent federal fundraising reports show that the Democratic candidate in the 7th Congressional District, Ed Perlmutter, is beating O'Donnell in the fundraising category since Oct. 1.