Speaking of trade deals slipping under the radar during talk of Iraq...

[madfloridian]

While we are all concentrating on our anger at being sold out again about leaving Iraq, while we are irately listening to Petraeus Betray Us...the possibility is very real the trade deals will slip through.

I was speaking of this yesterday about the Fast Tracking, and posted a way to share your feeings on this.

Fast Tracking: Democrats pave path for Bush to pass more NAFTA expansions



Like most Americans, you probably don’t trust this administration to have more authority over anything! Well, here’s some good news: President Bush’s grant of Fast Track authority – the un-democratic Nixon-era law that transfers Congress' constitutionally-mandated control over U.S. trade agreements to the White House – expired June 30, 2007.

And then there is the shockingly bad news – Democratic leaders recently struck a "deal" with President Bush that he and his corporate allies are trying to use to pave the way to new “Fast Track” authority – and more of his devastating trade policy.

Today I see that Tom Donahue, president of the Chamber of Commerce, is all eager for the trade deals to be done.

The president of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce wants Congress to quickly approve trade agreements with Peru and Panama in order to build momentum for more controversial deals with Colombia and South Korea.

"It's time to get off the dime and get them done," said Tom Donohue, who held a press conference in Washington, D.C., before flying to Australia to attend the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., said in early August that the Peru trade agreement will be a top priority when Congress returns in September.

Some business lobbyists have advocated postponing action on the Peru and Panama deals until an agreement is worked out to move the Columbia pact as well. Donohue, however, said, "I'm all in favor of momentum" instead of waiting.
Business wants quick approval

Tom Donahue...hmmm..mmm is that the same guy let the secret slip out that the so-called labor provisions were unenforceable to union standards? This guy? The one mentioned when Charlie Rangel said to just seal it and catch hell rather than being honest and open?

Rangel..."bam, seal it and catch hell" ...about the trade deal

The US Chamber of Commerce welcomed the bipartisan deal, saying it would secure support for Congressional approval of the four pending bilateral trade agreements... Said Tom Donohue, president and chief executive of the world's largest business federation. "we are encouraged by assurances that the labor provisions cannot be read to require compliance with ILO Conventions."

Sounds like some unions are getting on board at least partially.

Support voiced for trade deal

Farming and manufacturing representatives also praised the agreement, and the AFL-CIO‘s chief international economist, while not endorsing the deal, said it was an improvement over past trade agreements.

A majority of Democrats and their key labor and environmental group allies have long been wary of free trade deals, saying they lead to the flight of U.S. jobs abroad, exploitation of foreign workers and depravation of foreign environments.

Baucus said that as a result, Peruvian workers would be assured the right to organize and bargain collectively and Peruvian children would stay in school rather than work in sweatshops.

...."AFL-CIO unions were on both sides on the Peru agreement, and it was putting its priorities into opposing two other pending free trade agreements, with Colombia and South Korea.

Maybe they don't realize the labor provisions are unenforceable.

I got chills down my spine last night listening to John Dean on Countdown. I remember the Watergate hearings on TV. I remember the sadness at what was happening.

But it was nothing like this. I don't have his exact words, but he left no doubt that good men who cared for their country had to step up and do the right thing....or as he said there would be nothing to hand his grandchildren. He was not joking. Neither was Olbermann.

The votes coming up on the Iraq war and the trade deals, the attitude of the party toward those of us who speak out, are part of it. They are not standing up as they should, and it is worrying me greatly. A few here and there, but not many.

[redqueen]

1. Kucinich stands apart on this issue

and many others.

[Joanne98]

2. Fucking bastards!

[madfloridian]

4. They are not going to stand up on issues.

.

[madfloridian]

3. More info today.

http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2508

"Sept. 11, 2007

As Peru NAFTA Expansion Vote Looms, Opposition Grows

Not One Union, Consumer, Latino Civil Rights, Environmental, Family Farm or Faith Group Supports ‘Modified’ Peru Free Trade Agreement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – A growing number of constituency groups key to the Democratic base are calling on Congress to oppose a proposed free trade agreement (FTA) that would extend the NAFTA-CAFTA model to Peru, Public Citizen said today, as the Senate Finance Committee held a hearing on the pact.

“The majority of Americans oppose more NAFTA-style trade deals based on their experience, so it’s not surprising that unions and consumer, environmental, faith and Latino groups oppose a Peru NAFTA expansion,” said Lori Wallach, director of Public Citizen’s Global Trade Watch division. “What’s surprising is that a Democratic-majority Congress would consider more Bush NAFTA-style pacts, especially since the Democrats’ majority was delivered by candidates who explicitly ran against incumbents’ votes on past NAFTA-style deals.”

When some Democratic trade leaders announced in January 2007 that they would engage the Bush administration to obtain changes to free trade agreements with Peru, Panama, Colombia and South Korea that the Bush administration had negotiated, unions and civil society groups listed minimal changes necessary to avoid their opposition."

..."The groups also listed as necessary the addition of enforceable labor and environmental standardsand a ban on trade in mahogany. On May 10, some Democratic leadership members and the White House agreed to add improved environmental and labor standards to the FTAs, but they failed to address many FTA terms that directly contradict Democrats’ domestic agenda on food safety, job-offshoring, environmental protection and more. The FTA provisions on timber trade failed to require changes to current Bush administration policy."