Nothing new after Calderon's visit to Washington

President Felipe Calderón concluded his two-day visit with President Barack Obama on Thursday.

There were not many surprises about the issues they discussed. There were not any surprises either in Calderon’s message to the U.S. Congress. It was a rhetorical message or a well-intentioned wish list with a doubtful possibility of any of them being implemented.

Calderón urged Congress to do something to stop the flow of weapons into Mexican territory. He asked legislators to bring back the Federal Assault Weapons Ban–which expired in 2004–arguing that more than 80 percent of the weapons seized in Mexico in recent years came from the U.S.

Knowing that he was stepping into difficult terrain, Calderón alluded to the Second Amendment, saying that although he understands and respects the purpose of it, “many of the guns are not going to honest American hands.”  He went further, advising legislators to regulate the sale of those weapons saying that by letting the weapons get into criminal hands, they will, in turn, attack American authorities and citizens.

Calderón said what he was supposed to say, but it’s hard to imagine that after listening to him the Congress will reinstate the AWB. In fact, it is not likely that Democrats are willing to discuss the ban with their Republican counterparts right now. It will surely be a surprise if they actually decide to do so.

And the same can be said for the immigration issue. Although President Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress may be in favor of immigration reform, it doesn’t seem likely they will achieve it in the short term. 

Obama’s comment to Calderon on Tuesday, “I don’t have 60 votes in the Senate,” summarized the status of the issue. The question remains– is Obama’s Administration determined to push for an issue that historically has divided Americans? After the heated health care debate and with the upcoming mid-term elections in November, it appears very unlikely that Congress will move toward a debate on immigration reform.

You could say that Calderon did his homework and brought the issue before Congress, but, unfortunately, besides all the applause and a fancy dinner in the White House, his visit won’t result in the short term in any concrete or visible actions that will benefit Mexicans living in Mexico or abroad.

Comments

[chris lopez]

I personally had an uneasy feeling watching the State Dinner and all its glory knowing the reality of what is going on in Juarez.

[M. Walsh]

Calderone is as usual deferring all the blame for his problems on the US! And to make matters worse, Obama offered no objection to the comments. I don't know which one is more more disgusting!!

[Paul Daniggelis]

Lourdes - President Calderon typically wants it both ways depending on which is the most severe breach of law.

Is the DEMAND for drugs in the U.S. more egregious than the SUPPLY coming from Mexico?

Or, is the DEMAND for guns from Mexico more egregious than the SUPPLY from the U.S.?

Once you determine which is most offensive, then you can cast aspersions on whomever is most at fault.

However, if it should be decided that BOTH are equally egregious, then you can sit down and attempt on an equal basis, how to resolve the problem.

President Calderon blames the U.S. on both counts which makes him an idiot, or, at the very least, desparate.

President Obama, on the other hand, is equally deserving of the idiocy charge since he has accepted the notion that the U.S. is to blame on both counts. Of course, Democrats in the U.S. applaud both men for their idiocy. That's America today.

But take heart! There are signs of change in the wind. November mid-term elections should show a trend of U.S. political thinking. If all goes well, then the 2012 elections will tell the tale.

The U.S. is so deeply in debt, that anything less than severely curtailed spending will send this country the way of European socialist-economy nations that have failed miserably. It may come to the point where, in order to save ourselves, the U.S. will have to abandon traditional financial handouts to foreign nations - including Mexico.

In other words, watch your back because Big Brother will be after you to provide even greater resources to prop up failing governments.

Ciao!