MEXICO CITY – John Kerry (search)'s sister urged Americans living in Mexico to support the Democratic presidential candidate, saying Thursday they could help the United States "get back to having a president we can feel proud of."
Diana Kerry (search), chairman of Americans Overseas for Kerry (search), campaigned for a second day in Mexico City. Absentee ballots from Americans living abroad have taken on new significance since the 2000 U.S. presidential election.
The U.S. Embassy estimates that 385,000 U.S. citizens live in Mexico — not including those with dual citizenship.
Diana Kerry, a volunteer worker in her brother's first U.S. Senate campaign in 1984, has spent most of her professional life teaching in Indonesia, Thailand, Iran and France. She answered questions Thursday at the home of her brother's Mexico campaign coordinator, Ana Maria Salazar, a former Pentagon official.
She was questioned about criticism of the North American Free Trade Agreement by her brother's running mate, North Carolina Sen. John Edwards. Edwards has said he would have voted against the trade pact involving the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Diana Kerry said her brother, as president, would have the final say. As Massachusetts' U.S. senator, John Kerry voted for NAFTA (search), but he wants to subject portions of it to environmental and labor reviews.
"He's the one who will be dictating policy from the White House," Diana Kerry said.
President Bush has shown more enthusiasm for NAFTA and said he wants to reach similar free trade pacts with other nations.
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