Posted on 03/30/2006 6:00:20 PM PST by NormsRevenge
CANCUN, Mexico - With Mexican President Vicente Fox at his side, President Bush gave Congress a long-distance push Thursday to open the United States to immigrant workers who have been sneaking across the borders to fill low-paying jobs.
"We don't want people sneaking into our country that are going to do jobs that Americans won't do," Bush said at the end of a private meeting with Fox, where the issue was on top of the agenda. "We want them coming in in an orderly way, which will take pressure off both our borders."
The meeting between the Mexican and U.S. leaders came on the first day of a two-day North American summit that also includes Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Harper, meeting with Bush for the first time since taking office two months ago with the promise of building stronger ties with Washington, said the two countries are moving past their "tension" over Iraq.
Still, he took a combative stance on their long-standing dispute over U.S. tariffs on Canadian softwood lumber, saying Canada would "pursue all its legal options" if he and Bush can't work out an agreement.
But it was the immigration debate, which has dominated the U.S. Senate this week, that took center stage in talks conducted in a beachfront resort surrounded by bikini-clad spring breakers. A new immigration law could affect as many as 6 million Mexicans living illegally in the United States — about half of all those who are estimated to have sneaked in from other countries seeking new opportunities they can't find at home.
Bush is pushing for a guest worker program that would let foreigners in low-paying jobs stay temporarily, which Fox says is a good first step toward some form of legal status for all Mexican illegal immigrants.
The issue has united the two leaders, whose friendship dates back to Bush's time as Texas governor but was strained over Fox's objections to the war in Iraq. But immigration has divided Bush's Republican party, with business interests who want cheap labor battling conservatives who want a get-tough policy against illegal immigrants.
Fox suggested the issue is largely out of their hands now.
"The matter is in the Congress of the United States and that is where the decision will be made," Fox said. "It is no longer between President Bush and President Fox."
But both leaders were clearly trying to sway the debate.
"I told the president there is a legislative process that's going forward," Bush said. "And that it may look cumbersome to some, but that's how our democracy works."
Bush added, "I'm optimistic that we can get a bill done."
The summit included plenty of time to be neighborly. The three leaders dressed casually in open-collared shirts and strolled together among the ancient Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza before sitting down for more intense one-on-one meetings. Fox planned a lavish dinner for his guests.
After spending the morning sightseeing, Bush had a few hours off before the formal meetings began. He used part of the time to work up a sweat in his hotel's gym.
There was tight security despite the fun-loving atmosphere generated by college students who have flocked to Cancun for spring break. Gunboats patrolled the turquoise waters off Bush's spa resort, and fencing kept out all but hotel guests. "I'd like to make sure you work more than you play," Bush joked to reporters.
The trilateral meeting was expected to be Fox's last, since he is set to leave office this year because of term limits. Bush lauded Fox for stabilizing the Mexican economy and improving the net worth of his people.
"That's important for the American economy as well," Bush said. "The more net worth there is in Mexico, the more likely it is the Mexican may be wanting to buy a U.S. product. And vice versa, by the way."
In his meeting with Harper, Bush sought to make the newly elected leader look good at home, making it a point to stress how hard the Canadian leader had pressed him on the softwood lumber issue. Harper "made an emphatic case," Bush said.
"I appreciate his steely resolve to get something done," the president said. "I appreciate your pushing."
But Bush didn't give Harper much of substance, saying only that "my intent is to negotiate in good faith and a timely fashion to resolve this issue."
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On the Net:
U.S. Trade Representative: http://www.ustr.gov
White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov
Glad to keep you laughing - I already admitted the Supreme Court has never directly addressed the alleged ambiguities claimed by Deal and others who want to limit the 14th Amendment's scope:
"That creates an opening for Congress to restrict birthright citizenship -- and then let the courts decide whether that limit is constitutional. In Deal's view, the phrase "subject to the jurisdiction thereof" is ambiguous enough that it might exclude children of parents who are foreign nationals. Automatic citizenship is now granted to anyone born in the United States, even the children of tourists.
Opponents say Deal and his supporters -- his legislation had 83 cosponsors as of last week -- are overreaching. All immigrants, legal or not, are subject to the jurisdiction of U.S. laws, says California's Howard L. Berman, the No. 2 Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee. Furthermore, Berman says he is baffled at conservative Republicans, who normally insist on a textual reading of the Constitution, building a case that the court must "interpret" the 14th Amendment. "The fact that the court has not had reason to explore this is because Congress has not had the inclination to adopt something that is so contrary to the plain meaning of those words," he said."
Bye-bye.
Just looking at who is doing the accusations is sufficent reason for me to ignore the comment. I suggest you do the same.
I believe sinkspur simply asked a question. That you refuse to answer says much more IMO.
We should remember that Quebec almost seceded a few years ago b/c they had a french as opposed to English culture.
The writing for the U.S. is indeed on the wall.
We will have separate hispanic and American cultures.
I would say "... a wage Americans CAN'T afford to work for".
Most Americans want more than to live like the turd world... 12 people in a single-wide, sharing a 1987, run-out conversion van held together with baling wire and chewing gum.
The illegals can undercut wages by living this way and it's orders of magnitude from where they were.
In this way the U.S. will become what they escaped.
New world order.
You support the unconstitutional forcing of state and local governments to educate illegals because its not abortion? Besides being a poor reason I doubt its true. You just happen to support THAT particular bit of judicial activism.
If that evasive admission that your claim was false is the best you can do, it'll have to do.
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