Bush loses authority to close trade accords

[InkAddict]

Source: AP - Jim Abrams

Washington- President Bush loses his power today to seal "fast track" trade agreements without intervention from Congress - the type of deals that Democrats blame for sending U.S. jobs abroad.

Since 1975, only one other president, Bill Clinton, has been stripped of that trade promotion authority, designed to speed the reduction of trade barriers and open new markets with other countries. Bush won't get it back again, and the next president might not either.

House Democratic leaders, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Rep. Charles Rangel of New York, whose Ways and Means Committee handles trade policy, said in a written statement Friday that their legislative priorities "do not include the renewal of fast track authority."



Read more: http://www.cleveland.com/business/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/business-2/1183208191120000.xml&coll=2

[alfredo]

1. Strip bush of his freedom like he has done to those in Gitmo.

[lynnertic]

17. F that, strip him of freedom like he stripped us of ours!

:mad:

Gitmo will close faster that way.

[alfredo]

19. True.

[aquart]

2. Good. Strip him down to his underwear.

And then look in his underwear drawer.

[MrPrax]

3. Strip him like old paint n/t

[Demeter]

4. And For All Our Sakes, DON'T CAVE IN!!!

[Joanne98]

7. I second that!

[Lasher]

11. I third it!!!

If we're not going to stick to our guns and win, pick another time to fight the battle du jour. It takes wind out of our sails and hurts our credibility when we take issue at one thing or another and then just give in. Same thing if we don't have the votes in Congress, such as the failed attempt to defund Lord Vader.

[Spazito]

5. I wonder if this affects the ongoing SPP (Security and Prosperity

Partnership Of North America? (also known as the North American Union)

http://www.spp.gov/index.asp

My understand they have recently met or are about to meet in Quebec to continue their talks, agenda is not public.

I wonder if the loss of ability to close trade accords affects and, at least, delays any action that might have been contemplated on the SSP.

[Joanne98]

8. Narco News had a really good piece on that...

The Age of Atlantica: As Goes Mexico, so Goes the US and Canada
The End of Sovereignty and Democracy Tolls for Upstate New York, Northern New England, Quebec and the Maritime Provinces, and, Soon, for Boston and NYC Too

By Al Giordano
Special to The Narco News Bulletin
June 6, 2007

Workers and farmers in the United States and Canada have been largely kept in the dark about the tragedy unleashed on their counterparts in Mexico with the 1994 entrance of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). But the same all-out screwing is about to happen to them.

An alliance of big business owners is openly plotting the economic Mexicanization of an important region of the Northeast US and Eastern Canada. They call their new world “Atlantica,” and have imposed their borders around it as if drawing a new “country” on a Risk game board. Here’s the map of “their” new country, not one founded upon democratic decisions, but with orders barked from an unelected elite of corporate flunkies whose only law is to maximize profits for the owners. Maybe you can see your house or job, or that of family members and friends, on their map:http://www.narconews.com/Issue46/article2691.html

[Spazito]

9. Yes, the interesting word "harmonize" keeps cropping up

lately. Harmonize usually means bring everything DOWN to the lowest common denominator, reduce standards, etc, and I see nothing to lead me to believe this latest attempt to "harmonize" is anything different. I know I am fighting tooth and nail to get the word out as are more and more Canadians, it has been encouraging of late that the opposition in our Parliament are starting to take notice and question the government on these secret meetings.

[Joanne98]

10. Good. It's a pretty important subject!

[Ian David]

6. Bush couldn't "Git er done!"

Maybe someone just needed a massage?

[diane in sf]

12. Good, no more secret meetings, no fast track, no HARMonizing,

no trade agreements without environmental and union representation.

[AP]

13. Why didn't people complain more about Bush's "decree" powers?

[madfloridian]

14. Well, he slipped the South Korean deal in today.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/30/AR2007063000310.html

WASHINGTON -- The United States and South Korea signed a free-trade agreement Saturday that reflected U.S. calls for stricter labor and environmental standards.

South Korean Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab signed the agreement in Washington, meeting a deadline under President Bush's expiring special trade powers.

That "fast track" authority prevents lawmakers from amending the deal before voting on it. The trade deal still needs to be approved by lawmakers in both countries to take effect.

Bush said Saturday that the Korean agreement would generate exports for U.S. farmers, ranchers, manufacturers and service suppliers. He urged Congress to ratify the agreement

[dysfunctional press]

15. buut it has to be ratified by congress anyway...

nt

[derby378]

22. True, but will there still be a "giant sucking sound" thanks to WH machinations?

This is a great step, but the Bush administration is not known for its respect for the law.

[nolabels]

26. I don't think * has been able ratify U.S. trade laws by executive decision yet......

But we will be watching for when he tries it :shrug:

[Robbien]

28. South Koreans are dead set against this

Hopefully the South Korean people will have a better chance of getting their representatives to vote this down. I expect our lobbyist loving congresscritters will fall in line with the bill.

[olddad56]

16. The best punishment ever for Bush, Rove and Cheney...

Make them work in a middle class blue collar job,and commute an hour each way to a 3 bedroom home in the suburbs for the rest of their lives. Make them live like millions of use for rest of their lives.

[emilyg]

24. Good idea.

[nam78_two]

18. K&R

Good job.

[DemBones DemBones]

20. Excellent! Anything they can do to get away from

the "unitary presidency" concept is good news.

[GeneCosta]

21. Clinton did it!

Oh, wait, I guess the mouths won't be falling back on that THIS time.

[burrowowl]

23. About time!

And let us get rid of NAFTA, etc. while we are at it.

[Mojambo]

25. Good first step. Long ways to go. n/t

[conspirator]

27. It should be "Bush looses authority.(period)" nt