To: Jim McMannis who wrote (2642 ) 11/15/2007 3:09:54 PM From: Tadsamillionaire Respond to of 3197 Mexico's leader asks favor of U.S. candidates He urges that migrants not be 'hostages' in race Mexican President Felipe Calderon took the unusual step Wednesday of injecting himself into U.S. presidential politics, calling Mexican migrants "thematic hostages" of the race and urging candidates not to use them as a talking point. Speaking at a conference here, Calderon criticized what he called "the growing harassment" of Mexicans in the United States and said his administration will finance a media campaign to underline immigrant success stories. Calderon made his remarks one day before his environment minister, Rafael Elvira Quesada, is scheduled to release a report concluding that the U.S.-Mexico border wall is damaging the environment. Calderon's statement on the U.S. presidential race caught many people here by surprise. Addressing delegates at a conference sponsored by the Mexican government agency that assists migrants, he said: "It is my duty to make a respectful but firm call to the candidates of the various political parties in the United States for them to stop using Mexicans in that country as thematic hostages of their speeches and their strategies." Calderon has frequently criticized U.S. immigration policy, but it is unusual for a Mexican president to make such a direct comment about U.S. presidential campaign. Immigration has emerged as a hot-button issue, consistently ranking high on the list of voter concerns and figuring prominently in debates. Given the national focus on immigration, it is very unlikely that candidates would heed Calderon's call. "Good luck," said Michael Dimock, associate director of the Pew Research Center, of Calderon's plea.chron.com