Thread: Apparent Mexican Winner Attacks Border Wall

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/co ... 01248.html

Apparent Mexican Winner Attacks Border Wall
In First Statements to International Press, Calderón Disputes Bush on Immigration

By Manuel Roig-Franzia
Washington Post Foreign Service
Saturday, July 8, 2006; A09


MEXICO CITY, July 7 -- Less than 24 hours after being named president-elect in a disputed official count, Felipe Calderón took a firm stance against building a wall along the United States-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration.

Echoing his campaign theme, Calderón said the best solution to the immigration crisis was creating jobs in Mexico, "not walls or troops," a reference to President Bush's decision to send National Guard troops to support the U.S. Border Patrol.

Calderón's remarks, delivered during his first post-election briefing for the international news media, angered a leading Capitol Hill proponent of increased border security. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) said in a phone interview that he was "insulted" by Calderón's statement, "just as Mexico would be rightly offended if we were to not only condemn their immigration policies but actively work to aid and abet illegal immigration."

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) another proponent of increased border fencing, said Friday in an e-mailed statement that he was "hopeful Mexico's president-elect will also look more closely at the benefits security fencing brings to both sides of the border."

The reaction presages what is likely to be one of the most contentious issues facing Calderón if his victory is upheld by the special elections court that will a hear a challenge of the results by his main opponent, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Attempts by Mexican presidents to influence U.S. policy have often received frosty receptions. The outgoing president, Vicente Fox, failed to reach an immigration accord with the United States.

Immigration legislation in the U.S. Congress is stalled. The House of Representatives voted in December to build 700 miles of new fences along the border, and the Senate has voted to approve 370 miles of fencing. But neither proposal has been passed into law.

Calderón was declared the winner of Mexico's presidential race Thursday after an all-night count yielded an official tally that showed him half a percentage point, slightly more than 200,000 votes, ahead of López Obrador. López Obrador alleges that the vote was marred by numerous "inconsistencies," such as more votes being recorded than the number of ballots delivered at thousands of polling places. He plans to hold a rally Saturday in Mexico City's large downtown square, the Zocalo. On Friday, 1,000 of his supporters began a 60-mile march to Mexico City from the town of Pachuca.

Mexico's special elections court has until Sept. 6 to decided whether to certify the results. But Calderón is talking and acting as if his victory is assured On Friday, he said there was no doubt about the results and predicted he would work well with opposing parties, even though his National Action Party does not have a majority in the legislature. He also said he would not privatize Mexico's Pemex oil company.

Calderón also wants measures that will protect what he called "vulnerable" crops, such as corn and beans. López Obrador had vowed to defy provisions of the North American Free Trade Agreement that call for reducing tariffs on U.S. corn and beans. Many small Mexican farmers have said the reduced tariffs would put them out of business. Calderón said Friday he would not try to renegotiate the provisions. "The way the U.S. Congress is now," he said, "I don't see a large probability that the winner of the renegotiation would easily be Mexico."

Calderón said one of his first trips as president would be to the United States, where he wants to meet with Mexican Americans. More than 20.6 million people of Mexican origin live in the United States, representing 58 percent of the nation's Hispanic population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Pew Hispanic Center says there are also 6.2 million Mexicans living in the United States illegally.

Calderón said one of his first trips as president would be to the United States, where he wants to meet with Mexican Americans.

Gee, it's deja vu all over again.

Why not just move the Mexican capitol up here? I'm sure our government wouldn't mind.

Hell, we'd probably even pay for it.

Calderón said one of his first trips as president would be to the United States, where he wants to meet with Mexican Americans. More than 20.6 million people of Mexican origin live in the United States, representing 58 percent of the nation's Hispanic population, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The Pew Hispanic Center says there are also 6.2 million Mexicans living in the United States illegally.

Why? So that he can continue "Vinnie" the Fox's interference with immigration reform.

Yes, the best solution is for "creating jobs in Mexico" but in the meantime we need walls, troops plus enforcement of our laws. Please, Mexico, learn to deal with and take care of your people, we cannot possibly keep absorbing them. But then again, absorbing them is the aim of many isn't it?

Build the wall! If there ever was a time to build a wall build it now

It's time for Mexico to take care of their poor population! We can't be their crutch for social welfare anymore! Let them foot the bill!

MEXICO CITY, July 7 -- Less than 24 hours after being named president-elect in a disputed official count, Felipe Calderón took a firm stance against building a wall along the United States-Mexico border to stem illegal immigration.

Hey El Presidente Calderon,
Instead of spending all that money to come and talk your illegal trash living here, how about spending it on something useful
LIKE YOUR OWN PEOPLE IN YOUR OWN COUNTRY.

Go ahead and bitch all you want Calderon. I'm not listening.
GET OVER IT. THE WALL IS GOING UP. IF OUR GOVERNMENT DOESN'T BUILD IT, THE MINUTEMEN WILL!

Good fences make good neighbors.

Well George, I guess you now have your orders, no fence, no walls or troops at the border! This new President has said he will not bow down to the American people, to bad the same cannot be said for our own President who has been bowing down to the Mexican people and Mexico for a long time now!


One can only hope, when the new President of Mexico makes his first journey to this country to "talk" with his "Mexican American" people, he might play the part of the pied piper and lead them all back across the border with him!
Of course that won't happen though, if all the illegals go home then Mexico's economy would collapse, not my words, someone else's here but so very true!

Fox II...the sequel

He will, no doubt, come up here and demand we also give Mexico more of OUR jobs....So many American companies over there and they still can't make it?

He needs to stay home and demand all companies in his country start paying a living wage!

Originally Posted by dlm1968

Fox II...the sequel

No doubt. Something about their elections stinks. This is guy is all revved up about the FTAA. The guy running against him was opposed to it. Hmmm.