When Presidents Whisper…We, the People, Lose 

By Billy Tedreck – Washington County Resident – The Spectrum                        

"This is my last election. After my election I have more flexibility."  These words, not meant for public consumption, were uttered by President Obama to Russian President Dmitri Medvedev in hushed tones on a hot mic during a huddle in which they were discussing the planned implementation of the U.S.-NATO anti-ballistic missile defense shield. Russia is adamantly opposed to the missile defense shield that would be deployed in Europe, claiming that it would compromise their nuclear delivery system and prevent them from making necessary pre-emptive strikes.

After learning of this exchange, many of our citizens are wondering what else is on Obama's agenda that he isn't sharing with the American people? What is he whispering to other world leaders that, if known, might negatively impact his re-election chances?

A few days after the hot mic incident, Mexico's President Felipe Calderon came calling on President Obama. We don't know what was whispered between them, but it is known that they share common interests not necessarily shared by the American people. One of which is pro-immigration reform (or de facto amnesty).

Obama would like to further pander to the large US Hispanic population (legal & illegal) in the hopes of increasing the Democratic voter base, but is leery of a voter backlash that might impact his re-election bid. If he could whisper to Calderon that "after my election I have more flexibility", word would get out to the Latino community that Obama is still pandering.

For his part, Calderon would like to open the floodgates for his countrymen to cross their Northern border and access the milk & honey America has to offer.  According to the Pew Hispanic Center study, between 2009 - 2010, immigrants (both legal & illegal) gained 656,000 jobs while US born workers lost 1.2 million jobs. The part that Calderon likes is that during that year $21.2 billion was sent to Mexico by remittances from Mexican workers (mostly illegal). Last year, more than $17 billion in remittances helped considerably in mitigating the Calderon Administration's budget shortfalls.

Because of their mutual goals, Obama and Calderon have a cozy relationship (Calderon visited the US at least 5 times last year).  And Calderon has Obama's back by not publicly criticizing the fiasco known as Fast & Furious in which Eric Holder's Justice Dept. and the ATF Bureau orchestrated the delivery of more than 2,000 firearms to Mexican drug cartels, resulting in the death of US Border Patrol agent Brian Terry and at least 200 homicides in Mexico.

But Calderon is quick to criticize any state that attempts to pass legislation that would curtail his citizen's illegal access to America. He joined with the Obama Administration in suing Arizona over its attempt at protecting its citizens and sovereign border against the illegal invasion from the South. Calderon has high praise for sanctuary cities and states, but uses terms like racist and xenophobic for policies that he does not agree with.

For Presidents Obama and Calderon, the immigration issue is a tool for votes and power for one and money and greed for the other.

Either way legal US citizens lose.