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U.S. and Mexican Leaders Talk Immigration & Drugs; Struggle Under Way in Thailand; U.S. and Mexican Presidents Speak in Rose Garden; Praying the Oil Away; Dow Drops
Aired May 19, 2010 - 12:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Looking to a higher power, Gulf Coast residents gather to pray for an end to the oil leak. We will bring you their plea for divine intervention.
Also, Google putting your Internet security in question. Find out how its method of mapping out your neighborhood and the world has given Google access to your personal information.
Those stories and much more, straight ahead, next hour, in the CNN NEWSROOM
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ANNOUNCER: This is CNN in 60 seconds.
Happening right now, Mexican President Felipe Calderon meets with President Obama. Immigration and drug violence are hot topics.
Voters send a message in yesterday's primaries -- establishment candidates, beware.
Nearly a dozen insurgents and a U.S. contractor are killed when militants launch an early morning attack on Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. The Taliban claims responsibility.
Street violence in Bangkok, Thailand, reaches new heights. At least five people were killed today.
Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on Elena Kagan's Supreme Court nomination will begin June 28th.
The Coast Guard says tar balls found on Florida Keys beaches are not from the massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill.
Oil prices hit a seven-month low, while gasoline prices at the pump fall for the 13th straight day.
Two astronauts make repairs and replace some batteries outside the International Space Station.
Actors John Travolta and Kelly Preston are expecting a baby.
This is CNN in 60 seconds.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: Hello again, everyone. I'm Tony Harris.
Top of the hour in the CNN NEWSROOM, where anything can happen. Here are some of the people behind today's top stories.
Mexico's president says a U.S. law discriminates against his country. Felipe Calderon and President Obama talk this hour about immigration tensions. We will bring it to you live.
Worst fears realized. Oil spewing into the Gulf hits shore. Residents ask for divine intervention.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're not trying to get God to decide where the oil should go. Everybody's going to hurt from it. So what we do want God to do is just contain it and dry it all up.
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HARRIS: You're online right now, and we are, too. Ines Ferre is following the top stories trending on the Internet -- Ines.
INES FERRE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Tony, checking out what's hottest on CNN.com right now, a Hooters employee says that the restaurant offered her a gym membership in order to slim down.
Also, on Yahoo!, one of the most viewed stories in Lawrenceville, Georgia. County employees are being asked to return thousands of dollars in bonuses that they were paid -- overpaid over the last 16 years -- Tony.
HARRIS: All right, Ines. Appreciate it. We'll check back with you in just a couple of minutes.
Let's get started with our lead story, drug violence and illegal immigration, two major issues on the agenda at today's meeting between President Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
White House Correspondent Dan Lothian joining us with more on the meeting.
And Dan, how is the White House framing this meeting between these two leaders?
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: (INAUDIBLE) they can build on that during this meeting, the fourth time that President Obama has had a chance to hold a bilateral meeting with President Calderon.
But you pointed out some of the key issues that the president and Mr. Calderon will be focused on. Obviously, the drug violence. More than 6,000 people have been killed last year directly connected to the drug violence.
The Mexican government saying that 90 percent of the cocaine that flows into the United States flows through Mexico. And they are particularly concerned about the weapons coming from the United States, tens of thousands of weapons that they believe come from the U.S. and helps to fuel that violence there in Mexico. So, that, obviously, is going to be an issue that they'll be discussing.
And, also, you talk about immigration and that Arizona law. We heard Mr. Calderon talk about that during his arrival ceremony here. That will continue in the discussions with Mr. Obama as well -- Tony.
HARRIS: And, Dan, a couple of things here.
First of all, does the president, does this White House believe it has a partner, an effective partner, in the issues that we're talking about here -- immigration, trade, the drug war -- in President Calderon, who has about two, maybe two and a half years left in his presidency?
LOTHIAN: Right. They really do believe that they have an effective partner. And one of the areas where you'll hear that come up time and time again is when they talk about what has been done in terms of confronting the drug cartels in Mexico.
Yes, there are those who say that no big names have been targeted or even caught at this point, but certainly the government has made it clear that they are going after these drug cartels. They've made some high-profile arrests as well. But there's still a long way to go, and there's concern here in the U.S. about corruption even inside that government.
But certainly, this administration believing they do have a good partner there in terms of dealing not only with the drug violence, but also immigration issues, and also building this business relationship, because most of these countries depend on each other. When one does well, the other one benefits.
HARRIS: OK.
At the White House, our White House correspondent, Dan Lothian.
And, of course, we will bring you the news conference, the statements from these two presidents, and the question-and-answer session, as soon as it begins, right here in the CNN NEWSROOM.
Democratic Senator Blanche Lincoln is headed to a runoff in Arkansas. She came up short of 50 percent of the vote in her primary fight against Lieutenant Governor Bill Halter.
Another veteran senator went down in defeat in Pennsylvania -- Republican-turned-Democrat Arlen Specter.
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SEN. ARLEN SPECTER (D), PENNSYLVANIA: It's been a great privilege to serve the people of Pennsylvania.
(APPLAUSE)
And it's been a great privilege to be in the United States Senate. And I'll be working very, very hard for the people of the commonwealth in the coming months.
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HARRIS: And in Kentucky's Senate primary, Tea Party favorite Rand Paul crushed the candidate backed by the GOP establishment. We're talking about a 24-point victory.
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RAND PAUL (R), KENTUCKY SENATE CANDIDATE: I have a message, a message from the Tea Party, a message that is loud and clear and does not mince words. We've come to take our government back.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: And in just a few minutes, what all of this means for November with CNN Political Editor Mark Preston.
Taliban fighters launch a bold but unsuccessful attack on American forces in Afghanistan. Despite what the Taliban claim, U.S. military leaders say the militants never got inside Bagram Air Base. One American contractor was killed, nine troops wounded, in the fighting.
The military says almost a dozen of the Taliban fighters were killed. Four of them described as intended suicide bombers.
A deadly standoff between the Thai government and protesters reached a boiling point today. Security forces surged into a park where demonstrators have been camped out for weeks now. The troops used live ammunition to disperse thousands of Red Shirt protesters. Authorities say seven anti-government leaders were taken into custody while several others fled.
Enraged followers shot grenades and set fire to at least a dozen buildings, including the stock exchange, several banks, and one of Asia's biggest shopping malls. A CNN iReporter sent us this video as shots were being fired. We're told at least five people were killed, 64 wounded, and an overnight curfew is now in place.
CNN International anchor and correspondent Jim Clancy says a clash struggle is under way in Thailand.
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JIM CLANCY, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Tony, the government and the army may have won that street fight in Bangkok, but as the stock exchange media outlets and banks burned, it looked weaker than ever. This is a prime minister who is not elected, who speaks Thai with a foreign accent, and is just not credible with huge numbers of Thai citizens, particularly those poor people who live in rural areas.
What we have witnessed on the streets lays bare a class struggle in Thailand today between the elites in Bangkok and the rural poor. Some reports stress the government has effectively lost control of provinces in the north and the northeast. That's where most Thais live.
Tony, the only thing, ironically, that might restore the government's authority, precisely what those protesters were demanding -- new elections.
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HARRIS: Jim Clancy for us.
Jim, thank you.
Both the presidents, both went to Harvard, both had young kids. A look at the Mexican president, Felipe Calderon, and his neighborly relationship with President Obama.
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HARRIS: Not mincing words, the former administrator for the U.S. Agency for International Development criticizes Haiti's government for its inability to deal with the January earthquake aftermath.
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ANDREW NATSIOS, FMR. ADMINISTRATOR, USAID: I think the worst thing we can do is be nice about this and live in a Disney World assessment of what we're dealing with. We are dealing with one of the worst-governed countries in the world, one of the worst-governed countries, clearly, in Latin America -- clearly in Latin America.
There was an earthquake in Chile that was comparable to Haiti. Five hundred people died. Two hundred and thirty thousand people died in Haiti, 500 died in Chile. What's the difference?
The difference is the Chilean, along with the Costa Rican government, are the two best run Latin-American governments. And so, if you have an earthquake in a country that's highly functional, with a good government, you help them do their work. You don't do it for them.
For the last 30 or 40 years, we have basically been running public services in Haiti through NGOs, through contractors, through the U.N. agencies, because the Haitian state can't do it.
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HARRIS: You know, for whatever reason, the loose crude floating in the Gulf has largely stayed at sea. But that may be changing. We're talking about thick, gooey muck beginning to bathe Louisiana's delicate marshes.
We're back with that story in a moment.
You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: Yes. Mexico's president gets a red carpet welcome at the White House. Felipe Calderon is meeting with President Obama at this hour. We are expecting the two men in the Rose Garden in just a couple of minutes, and we'll take you there live when we see the two presidents.
Drug violence, trade and the economy are all on the agenda. So let's find out more about Mexico's president.
CNN's Ines Ferre has been working on a profile of Felipe Calderon, as she joins us once again from New York.
Tell us about the Mexican president, Ines.
FERRE: Tony, Mexican President Felipe Calderon comes from a long line of politicians in the family. In fact, his wife is a former congresswoman.
He was elected in 2006 in a highly controversial and close election. He studied at the Harvard Kennedy School and graduated with a Masters in public administration. By the way, President Obama also studied at Harvard, although Harvard Law. And Calderon is known as a social conservative, but his administration has been fiscally moderate to liberal -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK. We've been talking about it all morning, and certainly into the afternoon now. Drug trafficking is one of Mexico's biggest challenges. Everybody knows that.
How has President Calderon tackled that?
FERRE: Well, he ran his campaign on the promise that he would fight drug traffickers, and he declared a war on the drug lords. And during his presidency, he sent out more than 45,000 military troops and 5,000 federal police, many of them to the northern part of Mexico, fighting against the drug violence there. And also, Tony, his public security minister removed 284 federal police commissioners all suspected of corruption and replaced them with hand-selected officers.
Now, how did the gangs respond? Well, they responded with escalated violence. More than 23,000 people have died in Mexico since President Felipe Calderon took office, mostly due to drug violence -- Tony.
HARRIS: Yes. Well, we mentioned it last hour. That could really drag down your public opinion polls. Right?
So, where does public opinion stand on his presidency? FERRE: Yes, and analysts that I've spoken with say, look, he started with very high approval ratings, and they have come down since then. But public opinion in Mexico shows that while most may support the president's work, many people feel or they perceive that the drug lords are winning. And one thing to note, Tony, the president has two and a half years left in his presidency -- Tony.
HARRIS: OK, Ines. Appreciate it. Thank you.
You know, a new drug control policy shifts the focus from the war on drugs to a war on demand. The White House announced the new plan last week. I think we're just moments away from the two presidents. The shift from punishment to prevention in that new plan and the man behind it, Gil Kerlikowske, he joins us tomorrow at 12:00 Eastern to discuss the new policy and plans to reduce the demand for drugs in the United States.
A quick break, and then we will get you to the Rose Garden.
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HARRIS: Let's get you caught up on top stories right now.
Four of nine members of a Midwest militia accused of plotting to overthrow the government out of jail today until their trial begins. And they will have to wear electronic monitors and stick to the conditions set by a judge. Prosecutors had tried to keep all nine members in jail.
OK. Let's get you to the Rose Garden right now. President Felipe Calderon of Mexico and the president of the United States, Barack Obama.
(JOINED IN PROGRESS)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: And Michelle and I are delighted to be hosting the president and first lady Margarita Zavala, and their delegation for this state visit. And we're looking forward to returning the hospitality, the wonderful hospitality that we received in Mexico when we have our state dinner this evening.
I've often said that in our interconnected world, where nations and peoples are linked like never before, both the promise and perils of our time are shared. Nowhere is this clearer than among the neighbors, the United States and Mexico.
The trade and tourism between us creates jobs and prosperity for both our peoples. When a flu spreads or an earthquake strikes or cartels threaten innocent people, it affects lives on both sides of our common border. When our neighbors are in need, whether in Honduras or in Haiti, we respond together. And when we expand partnerships between our people, it forges connections that leads to greater prosperity and opportunity for decades to come.
In pursuit of our shared future, I have a true partner in President Calderon. We've worked together in Mexico City and Guadalajara, in Washington and Pittsburgh, in London and L'Aquila. And when he speaks before a joint session of Congress tomorrow, I believe the American people will see what I see.
They'll see a leader who is guiding his country through very difficult times, with vision and with courage. And he has been an outstanding partner to me and an outstanding partner to the United States.
Indeed, our progress today marks another step forward in a new era of cooperation and partnership between our countries. The partnership based on mutual interests, mutual respect and mutual responsibility.
We agreed to continue working aggressively on our highest economic priority, just creating jobs for our people. Mexico is one of our largest trading partners, with trade that supports countless jobs here in America and in Mexico. And because 80 percent of the trade passes over our land border, we reaffirmed our commitment to a 21st century border that is modern, secure, and efficient. And we're directing our governments to develop an action plan to move in this direction, because our shared border must be an engine and not a break on our economic growth.
To create jobs and increase our competitiveness in the global economy, we agreed to streamline regulations and strengthen the protection of intellectual property. We agreed to continue working with our G-20 partners to encourage that global economic growth is balanced and sustained, especially as we approach next month's Toronto summit. And as the United States works to increase our exports and the jobs that come with it, we'll be working closely with our partners in Mexico, which is one of the largest markets for American exports.
To create clean energy jobs and industries of the future, we're building on a partnership we launched last year with new initiatives to promote regional renewable energy markets, green buildings and smart grid technology. These initiatives will also help us implement the commitments we made at Copenhagen, especially as we work toward the climate conference in Cancun later this year. And let me say that as a leader in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and in helping developing countries do the same, Mexico's leadership under President Calderon has been and will be critical.
For the sake of our shared prosperity and security, we discussed the need for immigration that is orderly and safe, and we acknowledged that both our countries have responsibilities. President Calderon is working hard to we create jobs so that more Mexicans see a future of opportunity in their country.
To fix our broken immigration system, I reaffirmed my deep commitment to working with Congress in a bipartisan way to pass comprehensive immigration reform. And comprehensive reform means accountability for everybody -- a government that is accountable for securing the border, businesses being held accountable when they exploit workers, people who break the law by breaching our borders being held accountable by paying taxes and a penalty, and getting right with the law before they can earn their citizenship. We've been working hard to get this done. There's a strong proposal in the Senate based on a bipartisan framework, and it can and should move forward.
We also discussed the new law in Arizona which is a misdirected effort, a misdirected expression of frustration over our broken immigration system, and which has raised concerns in both our countries. Today, I want every American to know, my administration has devoted unprecedented resources in personnel and technology to securing our border. Illegal immigration is down, not up, and we will continue to do what's necessary to secure our shared border.
And I want everyone, American and Mexican, to know my administration is taking a very close look at the Arizona law. We're examining any implications, especially for civil rights, because in the United States of America, no law-abiding person, be they an American citizen, illegal immigrant, or a visitor or tourist from Mexico, should ever be subject to suspicion simply because of what they look like.
President Calderon and I also reaffirmed our commitment to stand together against the drug cartels that have unleashed horrific violence in so many communities.
Mr. President, you and the Mexican people have shown great resolve in a fight for the security and safety for your country. And as I pledged to you before, Mexico can count on the United States as a full partner in this effort.
As your partner, we will give you the support you need to prevail. Through increased law enforcement on our side of the border, we're putting unprecedented pressure on those who traffic in drugs, guns and people. We're working to stem the southbound flow of American guns and money, which is why for the first time, we are now screening 100 percent of southbound rail cargo. And guided by our new national drug control strategy, we're bringing new approaches to reducing the demand for drugs in our country.
As regional partners, the president and I discussed the situation in Honduras and the need for continued cooperation to support the people of Haiti as they recover and they rebuild. And as global partners, and given Mexico's seat on the U.N. Security Council, we agreed on the need for Iran to uphold its international obligations or face increased sanctions and pressure, including U.N. sanctions. And I'm pleased that we've reached on agreement with our P5-plus-1 partners on a strong resolution that we have shared with our Security Council partners.
Finally, I'm proud that we're expanding exchanges between our college and university students, and launching a new exchange program for our high school students. I'd note that it was a Mexican student at an American university who went on to become the president who stands next to me today. And with these exchanges, we'll bring together the next generation of American and Mexican leaders.
This is the progress that we've made today. It's progress that calls to mind a Mexican proverb that I'm told says, "Tell me who you walk with and I will tell you who you are."
Mr. President, the United States is proud to walk with Mexico. And through our work, we're reminded again of who we are, which is two neighbors, two partners bound by a common vision of prosperity and security for both our people.
President Calderon.
PRES. FELIPE CALDERON, MEXICO: Thank you, President. Thank you, President.
Good afternoon.
(through translator): Ladies and Gentlemen, good afternoon.
First off, I would like to thank the kind invitation of the people and the government of the United States to carry out this visit, and I am the bearer of a respectful and affectionate greeting of the Mexican people to this nation which is our neighbor and friend. I would like to thank the words and the hospitality of President Barack Obama.
The United States and Mexico are nations that trade dialogue and complement each other economically, mutually. We're nations that have a political understanding of the highest level, and we are also countries with a fruitful dynamic and ties between people, communities, public and private institutions throughout 3,000 kilometers of border. Our relationship is characterized by an honest and open dialogue based on trust, respect and core responsibility.
As it has been stated by President Obama this morning, we held a broad and fruitful dialogue. We reviewed our bilateral relationships, the problems, the challenges, and also the many opportunities that we face. We analyzed different proposals and visions on the side of Mexico and the United States to strengthen North America as a region.
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FELIPE CALDERON, MEXICAN PRESIDENT (through translator): Different proposals and visions on the side of Mexico and the United States to strengthen North America as a region.
We talked about the relevance of solving our differences and trade problems in the fastest possible way. We covered the border topics such as security, migration, and we also examined initiatives to consolidate our cooperation in global scenarios and global interests.
I can highlight here that the areas where we agree are broader than our differences. There is a broad convergence of interest. And this is not only given to the fact that we share common goals, but there is a will in both of us to turn the fact of being neighbors into partnerships that will act as a leveler for shared development.
Fortunately, the serious economic global crisis is giving up. This opens up a window of opportunity for Canada, the United States and Mexico to reposition Mexico and North America as a vigorous region, competitive and prosperous, capable of generating more and better jobs. A region that will be attractive for investments, trade exchange and tourism, with great perspectives (ph) facing the future. Together we should increase our exporting capacity in a contest of growing competitiveness among different regions of the world.
We talked about the different obstacles that are there for complying with transportation. Obligations that have been established at NAFTA. A situation that impacts jobs, companies and consumers in Mexico and in the United States. And we shall work in order to achieve a quick solution with a constructive, creative solution in the long term in this and many other areas.
As the president has stated, we gave special attention to the border matters. The border is not only a place of encountered (ph) for both our nations, but it's also an area of opportunity for our aspirations that we share regarding development. For this, we will allocate more resources for the border infrastructure in order that it will be at the height of the needs of our economies and communities. And that it will benefit both sides of the border. We will strengthen the coordination among the government officials on both sides of the border to re-enforce security.
We want to make this quite clear. We, both countries, want to have a safe border. A safe border for our people. We agreed upon the urgency of re-enforce the actions to stop the flow of drugs, weapons, and cash. And for this we will work with full abidance to the legislations and jurisdictions of each country in a co-responsible way.
In reference to the migratory issue, I have noticed the sensitivity and the commitment for President Obama to look for a comprehensive solution that will be respectful of the rights of the individuals and we will be adjusting itself in a realistic way to the needs of both our economies. We talked openly about this and other issues.
We identified that the economies of our countries are clearly complimenting each other. And when we integrating them, they are a powerful tool to bring productivity and competitiveness up within the whole region. Greater competiveness in North America means more jobs and better living conditions for the people of the United States and for the people of Mexico.
In Mexico, we are and will continue being respectful of the internal policies of the United States and its (INAUDIBLE) right to establish in accordance to its Constitution, whatever laws it approves. But we will retain our firm rejection to criminalized migration so that people that work and provide things to this nation will be treated as criminals. And we propose oppose firmly the SB-1070 Arizona law given unfair (ph) principles that are partial and discriminatory. This and other issues were covered during this meeting, which I will dare to say that it's historic given the level of understanding and trust that we have reached.
For the meantime, I would just like to highlight this open and honest and constructive dialogue that we keep and hold with the president of -- with the government of President Obama and these two countries that allows me to see the strength and leadership of the president of the United States.
Thank you, President Obama, for your hospitality. I want to thank all of you for your kind attention.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: OK. We're - we've got time for one question each. I'm going to call on Lurdis (ph) from (INAUDIBLE).
Why don't you wait for the microphone so we can hear you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Thank you, Mr. President.
President Calderon called again the Arizona law discriminatory. You have called it misdirected. Do you agree with him? What impact do you think that this law can have on the U.S.-Mexico relations, the prospect for immigration reform, and the lives of millions of Mexican- Americans in this country? And what actions did you tell President Calderon that you would follow -- in the following days and weeks?
OBAMA: Well, I think the Arizona law has the potential of being applied in a discriminatory fashion. Now, after it was initially passed, the Arizona legislature amended it and said that this should not be carried out in a discriminatory way, but I think a fair reading of the language of the statute indicates that it gives the possibility of individuals who are deemed suspicious of being illegal immigrants from being harassed or arrested and the judgments that are going to be made in applying this law are troublesome.
Now what I've directed my Justice Department to do is to look very carefully at the language of this law to see whether it comports both with our core values and existing legal standards, as well as the fact that the federal government is ultimately the one charged with immigration policy. And I expect to get a final report back from the Justice Department soon, at which point we'll make some decisions in terms of how we are going to address that law.
Now, what I've also said though is that the Arizona law, I think, expresses some of the frustrations that the American people have had in not fixing a broken immigration system and, frankly, the failures of the federal government to get this done. I'm sympathetic to those frustrations. I share those frustrations, which is why from the time that I was a U.S. senator, through the time that I ran for president, until now, I've consistently said that I'm supportive of a comprehensive immigration reform approach. And I think the majority of American people are open to a comprehensive immigration reform approach, which would say the following things.
Number one, that the federal government takes its responsibilities for securing our borders seriously. And as I just stated in my opening remarks, we have actually put more resources, more personnel, on the borders and illegal immigration is actually down on the borders, not up. I know that's not the perception out there, but that's the fact. But we haven't done enough. So we've got a responsibility to create an orderly border and that's something that we have to do, not unilaterally, but also working with the Mexican government because there are enormous flows of trade and tourists and people along the border region, the economies are interdependent and we've got to control boarders but do so in a way that does not have an adverse impact on the economies of those regions.
The second thing we've got to do is we've got to make sure that businesses are following the rules and are not actively recruiting undocumented workers so that they don't have to abide by overtime laws, they don't have to abide by minimum wage laws, they don't have to abide by worker safety laws and otherwise undercut basic worker protections that exist. And they have to be held accountable and responsible.
The third thing we have to do is to make sure that those who have come to this country illegally are held accountable. And that means they need to pay a fine, they need to pay back taxes, I believe they should learn English, I believe that it is important for them to get to the back of the line and not in the front, but that we create a pathway so that they have an opportunity, if they're following the rules, following the law, to become legal residents and ultimately citizens of this country.
Now, that kind of package in which everybody has responsibilities I think is one that can pass. And it is one that I'm fully supportive of. And I've said this again and again. And I think if we get that done, then you will be less likely to see the kinds of measures that we saw in Arizona.
Here's the challenge that we have politically. The political challenge is, is that I have confidence that I can get the majority of Democrats, both in the House and the Senate, to support a piece of legislation that I just -- of the sort that I just described. But I don't have 60 votes in the Senate. I've got to have some support from Republicans. When we made an effort of this sort a few years ago, it was under the leadership of John McCain and Ted Kennedy. And because there was a bipartisan effort, we were actually able to generate a majority of votes in the Senate. And we just missed being able to get it done in the House. If we can recreate that atmosphere -- I don't expect to get every Republican vote, but I need some help in order to get it done. And there have been some people who expressed an interest, but if they're willing to come forward and get a working group and get this moving, I'm actually confident that we can get it done and the American people, including the people of Arizona, are going to prefer that the federal government takes responsibility and does what it's supposed to do.
And it's my job to work with members of Congress to see that happen. And it's also my job to work with the Mexican government to make sure that it happens, because President Calderon recognizes that he has responsibilities on his side of the border as well.
And the last point I'll make on this topic is this. You know, I think all of us recognize that some of the pressures with respect to immigration just arise out of economics. People in Mexico are looking for opportunity and they feel that they can make more money here in the United States.
What we also have to recognize, and I talked about this with President Calderon, is, every nation also has the right to secure its borders and make orderly decisions about who comes in and who comes out. And the key here is for us to keep both principles in mind. That, you know, people want to find a better life where they can. And if they have an opportunity in America, they're going to want to come here. We can't just try to use force to prevent that.
On the other hand, the United States has to be able to make determinations about who comes in and who comes out in an orderly fashion. And if we are both a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants, than I think we will not only be true to our core values, but we're also going to be creating a more prosperous future for everybody.
CALDERON (through translator): Radio Formula (ph) Israel (ph) has a question.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (INAUDIBLE) issues but not to detour from this same topic, I would like to know if you have already a strategy plan in regards to the Arizona law because it is violating the fundamental rights of people. How are you going to turn around this trend, President Obama, that has been shown in different states, at the United States, against migrants? This migratory reform that you're talking about, to know when it will be taken to Congress and what's the scope that it will have?
The second area in regarding security, President Obama. I would like to know how do you value the battle against organized crime that President Calderon is having. Has this been a success? What is it missing?
And following this issue, to know if you have seen that the weapons that illegally cross from the United States to Mexico are the ones that are used by the organized crime people in Mexico. Shouldn't there be an initiative that will regulate guns as they are sold? Is there going to be a -
OBAMA: In respect to your first question, I felt like I gave a pretty comprehensive answer earlier. So I'm just going to take your second question. And that is the issue of security.
This is, obviously, a shared concern and is going to require shared effort on the part of both of our nations. I said the first time I met President Calderon and have said ever since that I greatly admire his courage, his dedication, his tenacity in trying to deal with the drug traffickers and cartels that have created such a public safety crisis in many communities within Mexico. As we pointed out, this is not just an issue of the drug trade. This is an issue of how is it affecting people's day-to-day lives within Mexico? And the Mexican people have an interest in dealing with this. And he has stood up consistently because he recognizes that his foremost job, his most important task as president is to keep the Mexican people safe. So we are fully supportive of the efforts that he's been making. We have had extensive collaboration over the last several years in making sure that in a way that respects Mexico's sovereignty, we are responsive to whatever requests are made by the Calderon administration, to the extent that we can help through the Morita Initiative, provide equipment, provide trading, provide technologies that can help in these efforts. We have done so. And we will continue to coordinate as effectively as we can with the Calderon administration to make sure that we deal with this problem.
Now, as you point out, this is not just a problem in Mexico. It is a problem that the United States has to address. And the two things that we have to address, and I have said this when I was in Mexico and I'll repeat here, it is absolutely true that U.S. demand for drugs helps to drive this public safety crisis within Mexico. And so we've got an obligation not to drive the demand side of the equation. And so, most recently, we've put forward our new strategy that emphasizes not just enforcement, but also prevention, also treatment, so that we can drive down demand and weaken the grip that these drug cartels have.
The second aspect of this that we have to deal with is the southbound flows from the United States of both weapons and cash that helps to empower these drug cartels. And so what I've directed my Department of Homeland Security, ATF, all our various agencies that have responsibilities in these areas to do is to ramp up our efforts at interdicting these southern flows.
And I already mentioned to you, for example, we've now instituted a policy where we are searching 100 percent of rail cargo that's going south. That is a significant investment of law enforcement resources on our part, but it's the right thing to do. We want to crack down on illegal gun dealers who are selling weapons into Mexico. All those are steps that we are doing in coordination with the Calderon government and we will continue to emphasize the importance not only to Mexico, but also the United States, of tackling this problem.
OK. Thank you very much, everybody.
TONY HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: All right. Trade, the drug war, safe and secure borders. As we told you, top agenda items for the two presidents, the Arizona immigration law. That's SB-1070, seen as discriminatory by the Mexican president. President Obama has called the law misguided. He is worried about people being harassed and profiled. The president acknowledging that the immigration law in Arizona comes out of the frustration many in the country, not just in Arizona, feel about the lack of a cohesive national immigration policy. Of course, more coverage of President Calderon's visit to the White House in the next hour of CNN NEWSROOM with Ali Velshi.
A quick break. We're back in a moment.
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HARRIS: OK, so the oil just keeps gushing and moving ashore, primarily in Louisiana. The federal government has put more of the Gulf of Mexico off limits to fishing. Nineteen percent in all. New video from BP shows the oil and gas gushing underwater right before a tube was inserted into the well. That has slowed, but not stopped the leak. Tar balls -- tar balls washing up on the Texas and Alabama coast. The scientists say the ones found in the Florida Keys are not from the Gulf oil leak.
Tomorrow marks one month since the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon rig and heavy crude oil is beginning to coat Louisiana's sensitive marsh lands. If the sludge destroys the marshes, the seafood industry will take a major hit and so will Louisiana's thin barrier to a hurricane storm surge. All along the coast last night, people from New Orleans to Florida, evangelicals gathered on beaches to pray - to pray the oil away. WALA reporter Cary Chow takes a look.
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REV. JOSEPH JOHNSON, MT. HEBRON CHURCH: We're not trying to get God to decide where the oil should go. Everybody's going to hurt from it. So what we do want God to do is just contain it and dry it all up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On (ph) our Gulf Coast, Lord, perform a miracle.
CARY CHOW, WALA REPORTER (voice-over): Organized by the Gulf Coast Christian Evangelistic Association, around 1,000 people across the Gulf Coast met at 7:00 p.m. and prayed together for an end to the oil spill.
REV. CLINTON HOBBS, FOUNDATION OF LIFE CHURCH: And I just believe that when we come together as not Baptists or Methodists or Assembly of God or not black and white or Asian, we come together as believers, God hears our cry.
CHOW: A cry that's ringing across the entire Gulf Coast.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HARRIS: A quick break. We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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HARRIS: So before we turn things over to our chief business correspondent Ali Velshi at the top of the hour for more CNN NEWSROOM, I want to get a market check here with Stephanie Elam.
Stephanie, we've been watching the markets turn down considerably for much of the day here. I think we're off of session lows at this point. But it's still a steep selloff.
STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT: We are.
HARRIS: What's going on?
ELAM: Yes, well we're off 110 points. So we're off of our lows, as you said. So we're 10,400 right now. But we are off 1 percent. The Nasdaq is off 1.25 percent right now. Really, we've seen some solid numbers coming in economically. We've seen solid numbers coming in as far as earnings are concerned.
But, what is going on is that investors are just a little freaked out by still what's going on in Europe. The euro zone concerns weighing on the market here. Also the euro at this four-year low versus the dollar. That is an issue for a lot of people simply because if our goods are more expensive in Europe, then they may not buy them and that may hurt our recovery here. So that has some companies a little concerned and investors concerned about that as well. So that's what we're seeing play out in the markets.
HARRIS: OK.
ELAM: But we are - we are off of our lows for the day, but we're keeping our eyes on it.
HARRIS: All right. I'll see you next hour with Ali.
We're back in a moment. You're in the CNN NEWSROOM.
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