A Rare Bipartisan Success
Congress and the White House appear to have two years of bloody brawling ahead of them, a fruit of the Democratic takeover in last year's midterm elections. No one expects too many opportunities for bipartisan solutions, especially those which continue allocated executive power in significant strength. However, yesterday proved an exception to the partisan turf wars:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco), joined by congressional leaders and two Bush administration officials, announced a new bipartisan trade policy Thursday that will ease passage of pending trade agreements with Panama and Peru and could pave the way for renewal of the president's authority to "fast-track" trade agreements through Congress."Today marks a new day in trade policy," Pelosi told a news conference, standing between Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson Jr. and U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab. The new framework, she said, incorporates labor and environmental standards into trade agreements, a change that labor unions and environmental groups have demanded for years.
"Last November, Americans voted on a new direction, and that includes a new direction on trade," Pelosi said, urging open markets but also warning: "We can have a bipartisan consensus on trade, but only with a recognition of labor and environmental principles." ...
In a statement late Thursday, President Bush said he was pleased with the new policy and looked forward to a renewal of his trade promotion authority, popularly known as "fast track," which expires next month. "Fast track" gives a president the authority to speed trade agreements through Congress without amendments, only a yes or no vote.
This is not a bad compromise for either party. Fast-track treaty power is a tool that Congress allows the executive for trade negotiations, and the terms under which Congress surrenders its powers should reflect the sense of each Congress. Congress surrenders some significant tools in order for the President to have credibility in negotiations abroad, and this Congress has the right to adjust its demands accordingly.
And it does appear that actual compromise worked in this situation. The White House seemed pleased enough by the development that it issued its own celebratory press release. The US Chamber of Commerce also announced its pleasure with the deal that allows fast-track authority to remain in place. Republicans in Congress also expressed relief that a deal finally came to fruition.
This will see its first application to four pending trade agreements. Peru and Panama will likely see an immediate passage of their agreements, although Charles Rangel intimated that Democrats would likely split on both. Pending trade agreements with South Korea and Colombia will have to get reworked in all likelihood, especially the latter, as Alvaro Uribe discovered when the Democrats snubbed him during his state visit to the US.
Even so, it is cheering and even uplifting to see government work as it should. Perhaps this might lead to less vitriol and more honest debate in the coming two years.
Posted by Ed Morrissey on May 11, 2007 9:46 AM | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)
Comments (3)
Posted by Angry Dumbo![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| May 11, 2007 10:34 AM
Trade deals with Panama AND Peru. Damn that Bush plays hard ball.
Posted by Carol_Herman![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| May 11, 2007 11:35 AM
MUD PITS
Drudge has the headline, today, that congress has the same lack of approval ratings as Bush.
So, it seems NO TRACK IS THE RIGHT TRACK!
It's very muddy out there.
Probably? The hardest thing for Bush to do, is go to Maliki, who represents Iraq, and do what Mort Kondracke recommends: Plan B.
DIRTY.
Support the "good" Shi'a. Or those not crazed enough to follow Sadr. Recognize that Sadr is a fellow competitor to Maliki. A sick wart on the Iraqi body politic.
What happens in Plan B?
We let Iraq cut ties to its Sunni's. Tossing those who are in Iraq, out. If they live long enough on the move. Ah. Not exactly as an idea that would go over with the Saud's, now, is it?
In HOUSE OF BUSH / HOUSE OF SAUD, we're reminded that the Kuwaiti's LIED. There never were Saddam's troops in hospitals, tossing babies out of incubators. That lie was promogulated by the daughter of the Ambassador to the USA. A second cousin to the Saud's family. Who rule Kuwait.
WHY DID SADDAM MOVE AGAINST HIS OWN BORDER? All the satelite photos show that's what he did. While at the same time he announced that Kuwait had extended her own border INTO Iraq. And, was stealing Iraq's oil money.
Well, Bush #41, would have none of that.
Followed by the American people not wanting him in the White House, anymore.
THis Bush? He sold himself as a "born again." A Texan without roots in Maine. Or roots in what has become America's richest family. Alas, this bullshit was bought.
Well, it was bought in the primaries! So the choices in the voting booth, in 2000, dimmed.
James Baker, using his connections, saw to it that the Supreme-O bench sitters; upset Florida's apple cart.
And, we've been under a dark cloud ever since.
It's hardly likely the Realtor for the Sauds will do much except keep pressing onward. Iraq's become something worse than just a country living under a despotic monster's rule.
As to that oil rich area where the Kuwaiti border "extends" into Iraq? Probably can erupt, again. IF, as seems likely, Iraqi warriors can go there, again. And, stab the Sunnis in the soft underbelly of the lying Kuwaiti cowards. (Unless you want to buy their bullshit, again.)
In 1991, the Saud's poured billions into Hill & Knowles; an American marketeering firm.
But I think the world of advertising has met its match on the Internet, where more people have an idea that we got hit on 9/11; because this Bush wasn't working fast enough to please the Saudis. Who bankrolled him into office.
Iraq's been through hell and back. Reminds me of Poland. How Poland got Britian and France to suddenly fight against a strengthed Hitler.
And, when it was over? WW2, I mean. Stalin grabbed a few things from the map. Poland among the prizes he took away. No freedom for them! Not for 75 years. Still, for europeans, they're not as grudge oriented as the germans, and the french. They learned a very bitter lesson, under the thumb of the ruskies.
So, that, too, can happen, here. The Saud's are the nut-cakes. It's their Wahabbi religious fanatics that have fanned out across the globe; making life bleak for everyone, in every country, where they come in. (Yes. Even including Switzerland.)
Patraeus, even with a "surge" is 300,000 men SHORT of a commanding victory. And, we're still not letting our soldiers kill people. Because? They wouldn't be shooting soldiers. They'd be shooting passersby. And, men disguised with burkas on, shooting at them.
Sad stuff.
Even if you want to think both tracks those coming from the White House, and those coming from the Hill, offer no really great solutions, now.
While Bush, himself? Is exerting monumental pressures on Israel, to give up land. To give the Saudis control of real estate; by letting them say, what Nasrallah says now. "We won." Well, that's a sack of bullshit.
But in Israel? Like all democracies. Politics is dirty. And, the Likud sees a way back into politics. By suing. And, having finger-pointing committees doing the heavy lifting. So we watch.
If the Iraqis want to be free? Let them fight for it.
There are enough causes for war, ahead, that we should be prepared for this, anyway. But why serve as proxies? Why let the corrupted defense industry supply all the loo-loo's with toys?
While I think the surge? Is James Baker's way of putting in $8-billion-dollars in our latest technology; so when we pull out, the Saud's get delivery.
Trust no one. You haven't heard the truth.
Posted by Paul A'Barge![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/nav-commenters.gif)
| May 11, 2007 12:38 PM
Think this is cool? Think about what Pelosi and the DHIMMIcRATs did to Columbia.
We are soooo F'ed.