Posted on 03/30/2006 11:38:15 AM PST by Icelander
By Steve Holland and Randall Palmer
CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico, March 30 (Reuters) - Mexican President Vicente Fox played tour guide to U.S. President George W. Bush at ancient Mayan ruins on Thursday before holding talks to urge him to push through long-sought U.S. immigration reform.
Hosting a North American summit, Fox planned to offer tighter border controls and incentives to lure some illegal immigrants home, a pledge meant to help Bush convince a skeptical Congress to let more Mexicans work legally in the United States.
Bush and Fox, joined by new Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at Mexico's rowdy beach resort of Cancun, kicked off with a visit to the nearby 1,500-year-old pyramid complex at Chichen Itza, where some archeologists believe human sacrifices took place.
It was a rare sightseeing detour for Bush, who usually keeps to a tight diplomatic schedule, and raised speculation he was trying to revive a back-slapping relationship with Fox that saw them dubbed "the two amigos" at the start of their administrations.
Chichen Itza, a symbol of Mexico's status as the center of ancient Indian empires before the Spanish conquest, was placed under security lockdown for the visit by the three leaders.
Rifle-toting federal police in riot gear scuffled briefly with 30 Mayan handicraft sellers bearing signs that said "Bush, go home" and complaining of being barred from the site, and a handful of anti-globalization demonstrators.
The summit marked Bush and Fox's first meeting in a year, and immigration topped the agenda.
"This is a good start to a very important series of discussions," said Bush after touring the hot, dusty ruins.
The U.S. Senate opened debate on Wednesday with Republicans split on whether to back Bush's call for sweeping reforms to create a guest worker program and put some of an estimated 12 million illegal immigrants on the path to citizenship.
Conservatives in Bush's party, normally his allies, reject that as a form of amnesty and seek instead to erect a fence along a third of the U.S.-Mexico border and make illegal immigration a felony. The issue has brought out thousands of mostly Hispanic protesters in major U.S. cities.
NEW TEST FOR BUSH
With his job approval ratings at a low point, immigration is a new test of Bush's political strength at a time when his second term has been beset by woes.
Fox, who has failed for five years to convince Washington to let more Mexicans get jobs in the United States legally, is making one more push before leaving office in December.
His government worked with the Mexican Senate to produce a written document that recommends a crackdown on people smugglers as well as housing and economic incentives to attract undocumented immigrants into returning to Mexico.
That may help Bush win over some doubters in his party, but opponents of his approach will demand decisive action by Mexico, which accounts for more than half of all illegal immigrants in the United States.
Fox will tell Bush the document shows Mexico's "sense of shared responsibility", diplomat Geronimo Gutierrez said.
Mexican migrants in the United States sent about $20 billion home to their families last year, the country's second largest source of hard currency after oil revenues.
Mexicans once had high hopes for Bush, who took office promising to make America's southern neighbor a priority but pushed the region to the back burner after the Sept. 11 attacks.
In Cancun, police and sniffer dogs mingled with U.S. and European college students on spring vacations. Crowds were smaller this year with many hotels still closed after last October's Hurricane Wilma.
Harper, a conservative, said this week the Cancun summit would help build better relations with Washington after friction between Bush and former Prime Minister Paul Martin.
Bush hopes to solve a dispute with Canada over softwood lumber, but Canadian officials said a deal was unlikely in Cancun. Canada ships $6 billion in softwood lumber to the United States each year.
Washington has slapped duties on the imports, saying Ottawa unfairly subsidizes logging. Canada denies the claims and accuses the United States of being protectionist.
NO kidding. I worked for him in 2000 and 2004 and I am getting to the point I despise him. This issue did it for me. He is showing his NE elitest mindset. He is a Limo Lib in Republican clothing.
Only goes to show you--what does a TEXAN fear the most? A YANKEE with a U-Haul.
I never thought I would miss Clinton.
He pays attention to us, or to Fox.
There is no pressure, of course his good buddy Fox gets the nod.
Good Lord no! You probably knew that before you asked though!
Are you for real?
Clinton who did nothing about the borders for 8 years.
At least Bush has stopped the catch and release program, sends illegals back inland, new predator drones, fences, 3,000 border agents.
Clinton's supreme court judges kept abortion legal.
Old Bill coming to power killed millions of babies.
Clinton's supreme court judges gave us affirmative action which only helps the flow from mexico.
Clinton did nothing for 8 years and gave us 9/11.
Clinton ran from somalia.
What exactly did you like about clinton?
The dot com bubble?
Clinton's hillarycare?
Clinton doing nothing about social security and passing it to the next generation.
His approval ratings, here in America at least, must be going through the floor. I can't find anybody that likes him.
"Admittedly this is anger, but does he have the cajones to put Fox in his place for once?"
It's "cojones" and no.
BUMP!!!!
Bush has done a lot of good and gets hell day in and day out?
Bush needs to hit back against these traitor critics of his.
Enough is enough
Bush is real terrible, he gave us roberts and alito instead of two ruth bader ginsbergs.
Bush is trying to drill in anwr, fix social security.
What the hell don't you like about Bush.
You need 60 seats in the senate to get anything done. Bush would love to end medical malpractice junk lawsuits, end estate tax.
I am sick to death of Bush haters. If you want to be in the same company as sharpton, jesse jackson, farakkhan bashing bush then you are disturbed.
I want to know what Bush has done wrong from the Perot loving Clinton brigade?
Como se dice `boner reach-around' in Espanol?
I'm sure your friends will love Speaker Pelosi, President Hillary Rodham and Majority Leader Reid.
I'm sure you will love some race baiting supreme court justice nominees Hillary picks.
I'm sure you will love HillaryCare.
I'm sure you loved when Boxer tried to stop Bush's victory last year screaming about Diebold?
I'm sure you will also love Chairmen kooks like rangel, conyers, waxmen impeaching bush.
I'm sure you love democrats like nagin and blanco going after Bush.
Bush must be doing something write when he has these kooks in a frenzy.
You must hang out with liberals because you have the same opinion of Bush as Sheehan.
Bush has done just as much damage to this Republic as Clinton ever did. I am aware of Clinton's misdeeds but Bush is giving him a run for his money. How can we ask soldiers to go give of themselves for this country in Iraq while their homeland is being turned 3rd world by illegals?
Far from me to define what a "texan" is to a Texan, but as a fellow Southerner, may I remind all that W was born in Connecticut, raised in elite Northeastern schools (where the tuition is more than most of us gross in a year), and is about as much a Texan as I am.
You mention "traitor critics" of Bush. Surely you are not suggesting that anyone who criticizes this president is a traitor, are you?
"Here, Mr. Fox, let me fix that for you."
The illegal aliens and the criminals who hire them and the criminals who harbor them are getting out in the street making their desires known. It is way past time those of us who support the rule of law and secure borders did the same.
Join Veterans for Secure Borders, The Minuteman Project, Latino Americans for Immigration Reform, Mothers Against Illegal Aliens, and other groups protesting amnesty for these criminals, and demanding the government protect our borders.
http://www.areckoning.com/
FReepers should be at this rally in strength. Saturday, May 6, in Crawford, TX.
I wish the headline would say "BUSH PUTS PRESSURE ON FOX OVER IMMIGRATION"...oh, just dreamin'.
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