Obama Speaks in Mexico on Town Hall Disruptions

Leave it to Obama to be the cool cucumber. He says the town hall noise is part of the process. He really is a grown up.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Obama's speech in Mexico:

Obama in Mexico: Swine Flu, Trade and Drugs

I've been trying to find coverage of this Mexico trip. But the media has its head wrapped around birthers and the health care town hall mobs. Of course, those are the two most important things to most Americans. That's sarcasm, just in case it didn't come through.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Apparently, swine flu plans a wallop for the fall:

John Brennan, Obama's chief homeland security aide, said the talks are timely — and crucial, given the long borders the U.S. shares with Mexico and Canada. As important as it is to further link up health officials and ready vaccine and antiviral supplies, the three leaders also must together and publicly reinforce a determination not to panic when cases arise, he said.
"There are people who are going to be getting sick in the fall and die," Brennan said. Keeping the severity and reach of the illnesses to a minimum is a priority, but officials also "want to make sure that we do everything possible to ensure the continuation of commerce, transportation and trade between the three countries."
America's first- and third-largest trade relationships are with Canada and Mexico. All three are partners in the North American Free Trade Agreement, the largest free-trade zone in the world. Closing borders or restricting travel would be very costly for families and businesses on all sides of the borders, an important consideration given the limping economy and the fact that health experts see such actions as pointless in containing the flu's spread. AP

Obama Leaves for 2 Day North American Summit

Mexico will host the North American Leaders’ Summit in Guadalajara on August 9 and 10, 2009. President Obama will join his counterparts—Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper—for this fifth annual summit.

The North American Leaders’ Summit provides a unique opportunity for our three neighboring nations to identify ways to collaborate on shared opportunities and collectively address our common challenges. The leaders will discuss improving North American competitiveness as we recover from the economic downturn, promoting clean energy to combat climate change, and protecting the safety of our citizens. Read more at SSP

Obama Attends North American Leaders Summit in Mexico in August

Obama in Canada

Via Politico, via Robert Gibbs:

"The President will travel to Guadalajara, Mexico, August 9-10 to attend the North American Leaders Summit with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. The summit meeting will provide an opportunity for the United States, Mexico, and Canada to engage on a broad range of issues, including economic recovery and competitiveness in North America, our shared interest in energy and the environment, and cooperation among our governments to promote the safety and welfare of our citizens, including continued close cooperation to counter the A/H1N1 influenza pandemic."

White House Designates Kingpin Cartels

Obama in Mexico

FACT SHEET: US-Mexico Discuss New Approach to Bilateral Relationship

On April 16, President Obama made his first trip to Mexico and his first to Latin America to highlight and reinforce the United States’ commitment to work with Mexico on a broad range of issues, in particular on meeting our shared security challenges. The United States and Mexico are committed to a new approach in our bilateral relationship based on comprehensive engagement and shared responsibility. The President discussed with President Calderon a number of important steps the United States intends to take to deepen the cooperation we have with Mexico as our neighbor and partner.

Security

Merida Initiative. The Merida Initiative is a $1.4 billion, multi-year package that aims to strengthen regional security cooperation with Mexico and the nations of Central America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti in their fight against drug and arms trafficking and other transnational organized crimes. For Mexico, the U.S. Congress has provided $700 million of the $1.4 billion multi-year commitment. The Fiscal Year 2009 Spring Supplemental includes $66 million to procure urgently needed Blackhawk helicopters to transport Mexican soldiers combating cartel activities. The Fiscal Year 2010 budget request includes $450 million for the next tranche of funding. Should Congress fully fund these requests, we anticipate requesting the remaining funding to fulfill the U.S. commitment in future budgets.
Arms Trafficking. The United States and Mexico each have Integrated Ballistic Identification Systems (IBIS) that store digital photos and arms-related information related to criminal investigations. The United States and Mexico will bridge their IBIS systems in order to share digital images, ballistic markings, other arms-related information to help identify leads in violent crimes both in Mexico and in the United States. The President will also urge the United States Senate to provide its advice and consent in order to ratify the Inter-American Convention Against the Illicit Manufacturing of and Trafficking in Firearms, Ammunition, Explosives, and Other Related Materials.

Kingpin Designation for Cartels. To undermine the financial underpinnings of Mexico’s cartels, on April 15 the President identified the Sinaloa Cartel, Los Zetas, and La Familia Michoacana as Significant Foreign Narcotics Traffickers, exposing them and their associates to financial sanctions under the U.S. Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. The United States and Mexico also agreed to deepen their cooperation on financial investigations and to share financial intelligence to target the drug cartels.

Energy and Climate Change (read more here)

Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change. Building on the President’s January 2009 conversation with President Calderon, the United States and Mexico agree to launch a Bilateral Framework on Clean Energy and Climate Change. This framework will enhance our cooperation on clean energy and climate by establishing a formal mechanism for collaboration and information exchange and demonstrates high-level support for joint efforts to achieve clean energy economies. The Framework reinforces our work in the Major Economies Forum for Energy and Climate and the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, as well as complements the Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas, which will be announced in coming days at the Summit of the Americas. WH

Calderon Cleaning House in Mexico

Obama's set to visit Felipe Calderon tomorrow in Mexico. Read more about that here. His Mexico trip will be followed up by a trip to Trinidad and Tobago for the Summits of the Americas.
Andrea Mitchell says Calderon feels there is a new opportunity with Obama. Mitchell says we are exporting our recession to Mexico, which is just starting to feel it. She also said Mexico is willing to be an intermediary between Havana and Washington.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Gibbs Press Briefing April 9

Obama's doing a transportation event on Monday in Maryland. Tuesday, the Philadelphia Phillies will be in D.C. to celebrate their World Series victory and Obama will be heading to Mexico on Thursday. There will be an event on Wednesday but Gibbs didn't give any details. The press is really worried about whether Obama bowed to King Abdullah or not. Earth to media and wingnuts: WE DON'T CARE.

Video of Obama Meeting With Calderon

Obama met with Mexico's Calderon Monday. Obama discusses what they talked about: