A fresh approach in Mexico

Dallas Morning News: The Mexican presidential race has not crystallized around a single issue or two -- at least, not like in 2000, when PAN candidate Vicente Fox boldly promised to break the eternal grip of the PRI. But a remarkable trend is emerging around the issue of immigration, which is as important to Mexico as it is to the United States.
Mexico's three presidential candidates have not used the topic as a wedge issue to pit Mexicans against the United States. In other words, there's been no Mexican equivalent of then-German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder running hard against President Bush and the Iraq war to further his re-election prospects in 2002.
Instead, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador of the left-leaning Democratic Revolution (PRD), Felipe Calderon of the center-right National Action Party (PAN) and Roberto Madrazo of the power-oriented Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) have more or less said the same thing: Mexico should build up its economy and crack down on lawlessness in places like Acapulco and Nuevo Laredo.
Rule of law
In an interview with the Dallas Morning News last week, Calderon emphasized how he would uphold the rule of law and generate investment in Mexico's economy. On the stump, Obrador talks about growing jobs in Mexico and even getting the military to fight drug traffickers. In his speeches, Madrazo proposes improving Mexico's competitiveness and rounding up criminals.
Ironically, the threesome's focus on homegrown solutions could make it easier for the U.S. Congress to create a more open immigration system this year. By showing they are serious about controlling the exodus of Mexican workers, the candidates make it more palatable for members of Congress to embrace a plan that expands annual work visas and puts more agents and cameras along the border.