Pubdate: Tue, 12 Sep 2000 Source: Corpus Christi Caller-Times (TX) Copyright: 2000 Corpus Christi Caller-Times Address: P.O. Box 9136, Corpus Christi, TX 78469-9136 Feedback: http://www.caller.com/commcentral/email_ed.htm Website: http://www.caller.com/ THE SENATOR'S EXCELLENT IDEA Hutchison's plan could improve U.S.-Mexican relations. Just how confident is Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of prevailing in her bid for re-election this fall? Confident enough to take a serious run at an issue which under other circumstances she might have deferred until her return ticket to Washington had been punched. Granted, overconfidence every now and then precedes a mighty fall. Given that Hutchison's Democratic opponent is retired military lawyer and perennial candidate Gene Kelly, however, you have to conclude that she doesn't have anything to worry about on that score. She could simply have cruised to re-election, then, without running any risks at all. Last week, however, she took on an issue with genuine heft: the touchy matter of the certification process under which nations deemed to be centers of drug production and trafficking must get a clean bill of health from the White House before they can qualify for U.S. foreign aid. This ill-considered mechanism has been particularly upsetting to the relationship between the United States and Mexico. Though Mexico has never been decertified, its government and people detest the process - with reason: As they point out, if there were not an insatiable appetite in the United States for illicit drugs, the drug lords would be out of business. Last week, Hutchison called for a one-year moratorium on the certification process for Mexico. The stunning victory of Vicente Fox in this year's race for the Mexican presidency makes such a new beginning highly desirable, she said: "Democracy is beginning to be real in Mexico, and we want to do everything we can to encourage this democracy." Excellent point. If there were ever an auspicious moment to launch efforts to improve U.S.-Mexican ties, this is it. Shelving the certification process, and the arrogant thinking that produced it, would represent an excellent start toward that end. - --- MAP posted-by: Jo-D