| US: In Mexico, McCain talks trade, border
Found: Fri Jul 04 00:33:47 2008 PDT
Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2008 Miami Herald Media Co.
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Author: Jeremy Schwartz, Cox News
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In Mexico, McCain talks trade, border In Mexico, McCain talks trade, border - 07/04/2008 - MiamiHerald.com
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In Mexico, McCain talks trade, border
Sen. John McCain discussed immigration, trade, drugs and border security with Mexican officials and visited the country's holiest Catholic shrine.
Posted on Fri, Jul. 04, 2008
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BY JEREMY SCHWARTZ
Cox News
MEXICO CITY -- Presidential hopeful John McCain called for a ''tamper-proof'' temporary worker program, promoted free trade and praised joint drug-fighting efforts Thursday as he finished a three-day tour of Colombia and Mexico.
''I believe we must have comprehensive immigration reform, but the American people want our borders secured first,'' McCain said, speaking in a heavily guarded federal police hangar in the rough Mexico City neighborhood of Iztapalapa.
''In the short term the United States and Latin America need a temporary worker program, but one that is verifiable, with biometric tamper-proof documents . . . When it is known that people who come to our country illegally can't get a job, that will then cut off the magnet that attracts people,'' McCain said.
McCain met with President Felipe Calderon to discuss immigration, trade and the recently passed Merida Initiative, a $400 million U.S. aid package to help Mexico fight an increasingly bloody drug war that has claimed more than 1,800 lives this year.
McCain's visit was eagerly awaited in Mexico, where he enjoys a largely favorable standing despite deeply negative opinions of President Bush.
In an editorial, El Universal newspaper said Thursday McCain's support for U.S. aid to help Mexico fight its drug cartels, his push for immigration reform and strong backing of NAFTA showed he has ``a better understanding of this country than that shown so far by his opponent.''
It was McCain's third trip abroad since becoming the Republican Party's presumptive nominee in March.
The foray into Latin American was intended to remind voters that he can operate easily on the world stage and to contrast his international free-trade policy against Barack Obama's.
Obama has vowed if elected to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement to include enforceable labor and environmental provisions.
NAFTA and the Colombian free trade pact have been unpopular in important electoral states like Ohio and Pennsylvania.
In Mexico and Colombia, McCain hailed the economic benefits of free trade and raised to prospects of a broader, hemisphere-wide agreement if elected. McCain wants to help U.S. workers displaced by free trade agreements to receive job training and other benefits.
McCain began the day with an early morning visit to Mexico's most revered shrine, the Basilica of Guadalupe, where the Protestant candidate was blessed by Monsignor Diego Monroy.
It was a visit with potential political appeal in the U.S. Hispanic Catholics could be a key voting bloc in November in important states like California and Florida.
McCain was accompanied on his visit to the basilica by former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, President Bush's brother, who was visiting Mexico on a business trip.
Leaving the church, McCain was heckled by student Jose Corral Correa, 20, who yelled, ``Imperialist pig, you are not welcome. You don't play around with the people's faith.''
Wednesday, McCain dined with a group of Mexican businessmen, including Carlos Slim, the telecommunications mogul who's been named the world's richest man.
McCain's tough stance on border security has not gone unnoticed in Mexico.
''It seems this candidate tells everyone what they want to hear,'' Concepcion Badillo, a columnist for the Mexico City daily La Cronica wrote this week. ``To conservative groups he talks of the necessity to guard the border while with the Latino community he talks about the urgent need for guest worker programs.''
McCain was accompanied on his trip by his wife, Cindy, and by Sen. Joe Lieberman and Sen. Lindsey Graham.
McCain plans to spend the July 4th holiday with family in his home state, Arizona.
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