Same S____, Different Chief Diplomats

Back in the day, Presidents George W. Bush and Vincente Fox agreed in principle to a comprehensive immigration reform plan.

Yesterday, during a state visit by current Mexican President Felipe Calderon at the White House, President Barack Obama pledged to seek “comprehensive immigration reform” to stem what he called the “frustration” that has led to measures like Arizona’s controversial anti-illegal immigration law.

But turning domestic, Mr. Obama said he could not accomplish that goal with the help of his own party alone, and he called on Republicans to join in fixing what he called “our broken immigration system.”

www.csmonitor.com/USA/Foreign-Policy/2010/0519/Obama-and-Calderon-agree-Arizona-immigration-law-is-wrong

In 2004, the story was similar. Without modern immigration policy between the two nation's, the two president's proposed a new temporary worker policy. Linked here is President Bush's address in Jan., 2004.

georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2004/01/20040107-3.html

"I propose a new temporary worker program that will match willing foreign workers with willing American employers, when no Americans can be found to fill the jobs. This program will offer legal status, as temporary workers, to the millions of undocumented men and women now employed in the United States, and to those in foreign countries who seek to participate in the program and have been offered employment here. This new system should be clear and efficient, so employers are able to find workers quickly and simply. "

I give President Bush credit, he tried to push to govern on the immigration issue. But his temporary worker policy, which was drafted in the Senate by liberal lion Ted Kennedy and 2008 GOP Presidential candidate John McCain (bi-partisan!) was killed on Capitol Hill, where it was called Amnesty. McCain, running for his Senate life in racially-profiling Arizona, said he would not vote for the bill he once drafted.

It's easy to figure out why he wouldn't support the political non-starter.

It's the governing that's hard.

Same ______, different day. So much for Change You Can Believe In.