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The problem, Bush said, is strong resistance on Capitol Hill. The only workable plan: A go-slow strategy. And then, when an agreement is reached, both Bush and Fox would have to push hard to sell it in both their countries. Fox -- who wants action within months, not years -- expressed disappointment, but told Bush he appreciated the frank assessment, according to accounts of the meeting.

You can look at this glass as either half-empty or half-full: After years of suspicion and coded messages, the two largest North American nations finally have two leaders who can discuss difficult problems without sugar-coating their words or worrying about wounding the other nation's collective pride. During the two-day state visit by Fox, it was clear that President Bush's heart is in the right place when it comes to U.S.-Mexican relations. It's too bad he's not willing to use more of his accumulated political capital to convince Capitol Hill to enter the interdependent economic world of the 21st century. He'd be wise to abandon his caution and embrace a shorter timetable.

From Texan Bush, there was no condescension toward our southern neighbor. He treated the President of Mexico as an equal, not as a mere visiting dignitary from a second-tier country. For once, an American president talked about economic development in Mexico that would benefit poor Mexicans and not just wealthy American corporations.

PARTISAN ROADBLOCK. Fox, the man who ousted the corrupt Institutional Revolutionary Party [PRI] that had ruled Mexico for seven decades, presented his message forcefully, without pulling punches. Cross-border migration has greater economic benefits to the U.S. than the costs it entails, he told skeptical Republicans on Capitol Hill. What's more, an orderly process for Mexicans to work in the U.S. would take away the danger and dehumanization of illicit border crossings.

Fox's role is the Mexican version of the one Ross Perot tried to play a few years ago. Yes, there's a big difference: Perot opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement and wanted more limits on immigration. But, like Fox, he was a radical centrist battling the odds to reform long-discredited political and economic institutions. Fox's messages should not be dismissed out of hand.

The two former border-state governors have a great opportunity to seize the day and build a close alliance after a long period of mutual suspicion between Mexico and the U.S. But Bush is blocked from embracing Fox's agenda by partisans on both sides of the political spectrum in the U.S. On the left, critics protest that the tide of illegal workers is driving down American wages and taxing underfunded social services. On the right, America-first Republicans rail against the tide of immigrants flowing into the U.S. And hardline conservatives protest that Mexicans who enter the U.S. illegally shouldn't be rewarded while others who play by the rules must wait years for the opportunity to become naturalized citizens.

3 MILLION REASONS. Some of these points are valid. And immigrants from around the world -- not just Mexico -- deserve the same treatment. But the reality is clear. There are more than 3 million Mexicans illegally residing in the U.S., and it is not feasible to deport all of them. President Bush must figure out a way to deal with these undocumented immigrants -- the sooner, the better.

The President's gut reaction would be to create some sort of program to legalize Mexican workers who are paying taxes and contributing to the American economy. But he said on Sept. 5 that it could take four years to develop and implement such a policy.

In my judgment, that's a cop-out. It's time to be bold, even if the position is unpopular within the President's own party. By providing Mexicans living in the U.S. with legal protection, and by pushing for a new program to allow other Mexicans to work in the U.S. on a temporary basis, Bush could boost the local economies on both sides of the border. What's more, he should encourage American businesses to invest in Mexico. By creating better jobs and more wealth South of the Border, Bush and Fox could undercut the chief motivation for Mexicans to head north.

WORDS AND ACTIONS. Americans shouldn't be doing all the ``giving'' in the bilateral give-and-take, however. Fox can and should do more to foster foreign investment in Mexico. He can start by overhauling his nation's discredited ``justice'' system. American businesses must feel confident of the rule of law before they risk billions of dollars. The Mexican President also should use some political capital at home by opening up the country's energy and telecommunications sectors to crossborder investment.

Now is the time for bold action, not just bold words. Presidents Bush and Fox are headed in the right direction. They're just not moving quickly enough.