Wow, it's only taken them forever to require you to have to actually show some sort of requirement to get back into the U.S. When I used to live in Rochester, New York we could go to Niagara Falls and cross the Rainbow Bridge into Canada. When we came back they didn't require ID, they'd just ask "What country are you a citizen of?" or something like that and let you in. They didn't check anything.

Is it really that much of an inconvenience to require you have a valid passport? The fact that it won't go into effect until 2008 is ridiculous though. Opponents mainly seem to include tourism businesses that are trying to instill fear of long lines and loss of revenue. Blah blah blah whatever.

Washington Post

Millions of Americans will be required to show passports when they reenter the United States from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean by 2008 under new rules announced yesterday by the State and Homeland Security departments.

The new policy, designed to thwart terrorists from exploiting the relative ease of travel in North America, means that Americans who lack U.S. passports will have to obtain them to travel between the United States and neighboring nations. It also will require Mexicans and Canadians to present either passports or another official document to enter this country, with details to be determined.

Currently, U.S. citizens in most cases need to show only driver's licenses to reenter this country from Mexico and Canada, though officials said that since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, some officials at border crossings at times have asked for additional documents.

...

"For the last-minute traveler, this could be a problem," said Hank Phillips, president of the National Tour Association, which represents the tourism industry. "We're concerned about this, but we're taking a wait-and-see attitude, because security is a top priority."

Other Commentary:

Darleen's Place
The Moderate Voice
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Daily Pundit