Candidates on Immigration

Check out Julia Preston's latest article on the candidate's changing lines. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/politics/29immig.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin

Here are two choice paragraphs:

Because of persisting political rifts and a crush of priorities related to reviving the economy and unwinding the Iraq war, advisers to the campaigns say it is increasingly unlikely that either candidate would propose to Congress an overhaul of the immigration system during the first year in office, something both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama had pledged to do.

The McCain campaign is hoping that his differences with the Republican Party will help to reinforce his image as a maverick, especially among Hispanic voters. One of his television advertisements in Spanish shows Mr. McCain speaking of illegal immigrants as “God’s children,” as Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado, the Republicans’ most outspoken foe of illegal immigrants, looks on, scowling.

New Stats

From the AP:

"Immigrants are sending less money home. Remittances by Mexicans living in the United States registered their biggest drop in August since record-keeping began 12 years ago. Mexico's central bank said they fell 12 percent from August 2007."

Impatience

In a recent article "Flood of absentees may delay election night results" by Ed Fletcher and Robert Lewis, I read the following:

The trend toward voting by mail suits Californians' busy lifestyles, allowing them to work through long, complicated ballots on their own time. But absentee voting could result in delayed results, particularly in tight races, elections experts say.

....

"People want resolution. They don't want to hear that there are a million votes still to be counted," said Mark Baldassare, president and chief executive officer of the Public Policy Institute of California.

------------------------------------

I have two questions.

One, is that true? People want resolution. People who have been following this political dynamics of an election can't wait a week for a thorough counting of votes? I certainly could.

Two, if people are anxious to know...who cares? What damage is done to anyone other than a little stress if they know the results Nov. 4 or Nov. 11?

Pause

Sorry about the pause...having switched to the visa section things have been more hectic than expected, yeah unbelievable interview quotas!

On the other hand, after tomorrow's July 4 celebration at the ambassador's residence, a marvelous vacation in Central America awaits.

Oh...and did you happen to see the images of McCain's recent visit to Mexico? There was a rather unflattering photo making the rounds...the ambassador looked great but the McCains didn't look their best. Was this photo chosen for some political purpose? You decide.

A Sour Smell

Robyn Hudson, a researcher at Mexico’s National Autonomous University in Mexico City and her team found that residents of the capital were less able to detect common odors like coffee and orange juice than those in a nearby town with low air pollution. Their noses are so badly damaged from a life inhaling toxic particles that they also find it harder to detect the scent of rotten food, said researcher Robyn Hudson, who ran the study.

Tighter Visa Policy

Starting in 2009, DHS will require travelers to the U.S. from countries whose citizens aren't required to obtain visas to register three days before their arrival.

The registration will be valid for two years. The program include a number of European countries, Singapore, Japan and Australia.

I Should Be Singing

The State Department has decided to recognize me for tenure. Woohoo! If I had not been recommended for tenure earlier than Nov. 3, 2008, I would have lost my security clearance, and my job. Some officers have appealed their not being recommended for tenure and have found themselves sitting in a nonclassified Washington office waiting for a panel to review their case.

Fantastic news!