Mexican politicians want to get the US out of Mexico with change of formal name

MEXICO CITY – MEXICO CITY (AP) — President Felipe Calderon's conservative National Action Party has revived a proposal to change the country's formal name, which is now "The United States of Mexico."

In casual use, few people use the title adopted in 1824.

And that's the point. According to the Senate proposal, "when nobody, not even us, uses the name 'The United States of Mexico,' conserving it appears to be little more than an imitation of our neighbor."

A similar proposal in 2003 never made it to a vote.

The bill was submitted Tuesday, a day before Mexico celebrates the bicentennial of its independence.

The name reflects the desire of Mexico's founders to create a federalist system like that of their northern neighbor.