Posted on 08/19/2007 12:30:10 PM PDT by processing please hold
WASHINGTON — Never fond of interrupting his Texas vacations, President Bush is doing it this year to bolster ties with the leaders of Canada and Mexico, two friendly neighbors and vital partners.
Bush joins Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon on Monday in Montebello, Quebec, in hopes of expanding cooperation among their countries, which enjoy the largest trading partnership in the world.
The two-day North American Leaders’ Summit appears to lack a signature issue, except perhaps a new U.S. push to halt Mexico’s bloody drug wars.
Instead, the broad theme is economic prosperity, built around several topics: border security, competitiveness with India and China, product safety and energy solutions.
Underlying those points are technical but important matters, such as aligning bordercrossing procedures and commercial standards.
“It’s not necessarily sexy stuff, but it’s essential to our security. It has to be done,” said Roger Noriega, Bush’s former assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs. “And it just so happens that Mexico and Canada have renewed themselves with the election of two right-of-center leaders who see the world a lot like Bush does.”
The setting will be at a massive red-cedar chateau on the banks of the Ottawa River. Some nettlesome issues await the leaders.
Bush promised to deliver an overhaul of U.S.-Mexico immigration policy, and now he will be seeing Calderon for the first time since that effort collapsed in Congress. Calderon has made clear he is after more from the U.S. than hundreds of miles of fencing to keep the countries divided.
Harper is frustrated over a U.S. law that tightened passport rules for Canadians visiting the United States, although Bush has little influence over the matter.
The leaders probably will discuss how best to counter the message of Venezuela’s fiery president, Hugo Chavez, who is leading a leftward shift in Latin America. Each has a strategic interest in promoting democracy in the Western Hemisphere, an area of emphasis for Bush before he leaves office in January 2009.
“What’s really important is that they continue to reflect the significance of North American integration — the fact that there are post 9/11 problems, but they aren’t going to undermine trade and investment,” said Charles Doran, a scholar at John Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies.
Doran foresees no dominating issue at the summit. “That’s a good thing. There’s not one thing that’s going to preoccupy them,” he said.
The meeting comes as the U.S. government is poised to offer a major aid plan to Mexico to fight drug trafficking and violence. Bush may announce part or all of the proposal during the summit if the details are completed in time. The effort is expected to help pay for equipment and training.
Calderon has cracked down on drug traffickers and sent soldiers into violence-plagued areas since he won election last year. The effort has earned praise from Bush. Still, many people in Mexico are wary of U.S. intervention, fearing it could threaten their sovereignty. That is a common worry in cross-border efforts.
“I think (Calderon) understands that he can’t — and he shouldn’t have to — take these guys on all by himself,” said Noriega, now a visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. “And I think President Bush realizes that whether Calderon succeeds or fails will have a dramatic effect on our security.”
Mine as well. lol
I am sure our President will stand “Rock Solid” against the presidente from South of the border. Him lookie after our welfare really goody.
As solid as the Rock of Gibraltar. Wait a minute, isn't the Rock being argued over as to who it really belongs too? :)
All of it, if he has his way. He is selling us out.
It is incomprehensible to me how THREE IGNORANT TRAITORS are being allowed to decide the fate of the Western Hemisphere without a fight from those whose lives will be forever affected by this monstrosity.
Where are the screaming voices of United States Senators and United States Representatives? Have they all gone mute in fear?? Cowards!!
This has been in the planning process for over 25 years. The more I read, the more shocked I truly am.
This morning an op-ed was published in the Coshocton Tribune. I tried to post it, but it was blocked because of copyright issues. The title was, “Hillary Clinton’s policies would ruin the Nation”.
http://www.coshoctontribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070819/OPINION03/708190310/1014/OPINION
The fifth paragraph down got my attention:
“Hillary, Bill, and the Bushies approve of NAFTA and apparently the job losses it causes American workers. They are members of the so-called Trilateral Commission, a group of elites who have been cooking-up the Security and Prosperity Partnership and North American Union since 1973. They will soon claim their pot of gold at the end of their rainbow. And they don’t believe it’s any of your business”
Trilateral Commission? I did a google, and found out a lot:
http://www.trilateral.org/about.htm
Guess who was at the top of the roster?
http://www.apfn.org/apfn/cfr-members.htm
The above information is just a drop in the ocean of available facts. (And, I don’t know if I can stomach learning any more.........)
I believe the majority of them-agree. Money, money, money. Sovereignty means little to them now, only how much wealth and power they can accumulate.
BOHICA
I think you are correct. The Brits and Spain perhaps. Doesn’t matter much as the Moors will come across the straits soon, behead all the monkeys and convert all the humanoids to islam – problem solved.
Thank you for the links. As I’ve said on here several times, NAFTA was the camels nose under the tent. It proved to them that a NAU was possible.
I don’t remember what that means and I didn’t see it in the FR lexicons.
Doesn’t matter, I agree. The Moors will take care of that little dispute.
No, they're in on the scheme just like Bush is.
Military slang ... "Bend Over, Here It Comes Again."
Thanks...ouch!
Bend Over Here It Comes Again
I think Presidente Calderon is going to be needed back home in Mexico after hurricane Dean hits it twice.
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