Harry Reid: “The amendment offered on my behalf and that of the Democratic leader concerns a country, regrettably, that does not get…”

“The amendment offered on my behalf and that of the Democratic leader concerns a country, regrettably, that does not get a lot of attention in the Senate. In recent months--and rightfully so--we have focused intently on Iraq, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iran, Colombia, Pakistan, and many other countries scattered around the globe. Our close neighbor and critical friend to the south, Mexico, too often receives little, if any, attention. In some respects, the lack of attention may be a good thing. Last Sunday, for example, Mexico held midterm elections that resulted in President Fox's party losing 40 seats in the Mexican Congress in an election that was uniformly recognized as free and fair. It was not too long ago that elections in Mexico would have been front-page news in the United States, and the news would have not been good. In all likelihood, the reports would have told of rigged elections and another power grab by the long-ruling PRI. So the lack of attention to our friend Mexico is in one sense good news, but in a much larger sense it is a serious problem.”