Opinion: Arnold looks south

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It’s intriguing that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has visited Mexico City twice within the last month. The day after his re-election, the governor headed to Mexico on a two-day trade mission, and then he showed up last Friday for President Felipe Calderon’s inauguration (along with Bush 41).

Early in his administration, Schwarzenegger was a bit dismissive of Mexico, first embarking on an Asian trade mission and going out of his to denigrate Spanish-language media in the state. But he seems to be changing his tune as he has moved back to the center.

Schwarzenegger’s embrace of Mexico is smart policy as well as smart politics. Our neighbor, after all, is the state’s largest trading partner. And if the governor wants to become a leading national politico, he is going to have to realize that whether you came from Austria or Mexico, immigrants best stick together.