Houston Democrats

By Jim Forsyth

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, Sept 8 - A Mexican army convoy rolled into the United States on Thursday with food and medicine for Hurricane Katrina victims, its first military operation on U.S. soil since the mid-19th century.

A 44-vehicle convoy of 200 unarmed troops flew Mexico's red, white and green national flag from every cab as it moved into San Antonio, where Mexican forces killed 189 rebels in the famous Battle of the Alamo in 1836 during the Texas revolution against Mexican rule.

It was the first time a regular Mexican army brigade was on U.S. soil since 1846 when, during a full-blown war, the United States took what are now its southwestern states from Mexico.

The last time a Mexican military force of any type was in the United States was when revolutionary Gen. Francisco "Pancho" Villa staged a small raid into New Mexico in 1916. His forces killed several people, prompting Washington to send a larger force south of the border in retaliation.

To me, the obvious question is this: Are these Mexican rescue workers coming into the United States going to take jobs away from American rescue workers? Or, conversely, is this simply another case of Mexican nationals coming up here to take on the challenging jobs that Americans aren't willing to do? Based on how Mr Bush performed upon realizing a massive storm was threatening the Gulf Coast, I'd have to guess that this is simply the kind of work at least our federal government thinks is beneath them.

Maybe someone should hang a "help wanted" sign outside of FEMA. That might at least distract the Minute Men from showing up in Houston for a while.