Chess, not checkers {Mexico}

Washington Times ^ | January 23, 2008 | James Morrison

[3AngelaD]

Mexican Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan criticized U.S. presidential candidates for making "immigrant-bashing" a "wedge issue" and called on Mexico and the United States to turn their relationship toward broader, strategic issues. "The challenge at the end of the day is whether Mexico and the U.S. are able and willing to play chess instead of checkers," the ambassador said in a message posted on the Mexican Embassy's Web site (http://portal.sre.gob. mx/usa). He bemoaned the current state of U.S.-Mexico relations, noting that his country "is not among the top-tier foreign policy priorities in the minds of most Americans...." and complained that a "small but vocal group" of Americans see Mexico as a "threat to the security and well-being of the U.S."

Although both Democratic and Republican presidential candidates have denounced illegal immigration, Sarukhan spun the debate into one of opposition to all immigration.

"Elections are generally not best suited to constructively tackle foreign policy issues, and this year's election is no exception," he said. Immigration has become "a wedge issue in the primaries" and "immigration- bashing and challenging the effectiveness of free and fair trade in fostering greater economic and social well-being have become all too easy tools in scoring political points in some sectors of American politics ..." he said.

[3AngelaD]

Mexican ambassador interjects himself into the U.S. domestic political process. Imagine the Mexican reaction if the U.S. Ambassador in Mexico City opined in this critical fashion about the Mexican political process. Oye, Ambasador Sarukhan, ¿Por qué no te callas?

[CindyDawg]

Mexico acts like it is a state with rights instead of another country.

[chesley]

"Elections are generally not best suited to constructively tackle foreign policy issues, and this year's election is no exception," he said.

Where else do Americans get to make their voices heard?

Yep, we should all just let the elite make us peons.

I have a theory that if slavery became economically viable on Tuesday, by Friday it would be legal again.

[freekitty]

Why not? Our current President is allowing this behavior.

[freekitty]

I agree with you.

[mtbopfuyn]

Arturo can sit and spin on it.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

"The challenge at the end of the day is whether Mexico and the U.S. are able and willing to play chess instead of checkers," the ambassador said in a message posted on the Mexican Embassy's Web site .

O.K....

[NDNBill]

The Government and people of Mexico have effectively declared war on the U.S. and its people and I’m not ‘amused’.

[mirkwood]

[E. Pluribus Unum]

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION != LEGAL IMMIGRATION

PERIOD.

[sourcery]

All such statements on this issue by Mexican officials should be immediately rejected as hypocritcal, unless and until they make their own immigration laws and practices at least as lenient as those of the US.

[SwinneySwitch]

Old Mexico ping!

If you want on, or off this S. Texas/Mexico ping list, please FReepMail me.

[chesley]

It was capitalism that broke the back of slavery, and as much credit as can be given to Christianity for the impetus, and for creating the culture that nutured liberty, without there being a better, more efficient way to produce goods and services, people wouldhave stayed with what they had.

[E. Cartman]

All such statements on this issue by Mexican officials should be immediately rejected as hypocritcal, unless and until they make their own immigration laws and practices at least as lenient as those of the US.

In Mexico, a private foreigner who made such statements could be expelled from that Shangri-La south of the Rio Grande for interfering in Mexican politics. Pity that Bush and no other elected officials have the balls to do the same here. BTW, does anyone else find it a bit surreal that Bush wants to spend American money to keep Iraq safe from invasion while more than tacitly welcoming it at home?

[AuntB]

Oregon employers launch immigrant-rights coalition
http://www.registerguard.com/csp/cms/sites/dt.cms.support.viewStory.cls?cid=53527&sid=1&fid=1

[antiRepublicrat]

Checkers is a very underrated game.

[steel_resolve]

I would never be a good politician because I don’t have the capacity to stand in front of a bank of cameras and tell straight faced lie after straight faced lie. Ask the Congressional switchboard operators, the talk radio operators, the various senators and congressmen that just a slice of America opposed the disastorous immigration bill last year. It is such an outright lie that I wonder if he feels any shame to tell it?

[rpgdfmx]

HUH? U.S. Ambassadors have been doing that since the first U.S. Ambassador, Joel Poinsett openly organized Mexican political parties. Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson organized a coup in 1912 that overthrew the democratically elected Francisco I. Madero and led to the impostition of Victoriano Huerta (and touched off the Mexican Revolution, which radicalized the country much more than Madero did). Tony Garza openly criticized Mexican candidates in the last Presidential election. It’s something foreign ambassadors do.

[AngelesCrestHighway]

Go pound checkers in your A@*!!!!.....

[3AngelaD]

Wilson’s behavior during the Mexican revolution was shameful. I read Katz’ biography of Pancho Villa last year and cringed all over again. Katz makes it clear he thinks Wilson acquiescence to Madero’s murder. But Garza’s comments that I saw during the Mexican election were related to American law and policy. He did not tell Mexican voters that “Elections are generally not best suited to constructively tackle foreign policy issues,” or that their concerns about illegal immigration into Mexico are unfounded. Imaginate! When American presidential candidates begin campaigning in Mexico City, I think we will have parity.