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[Tyrone Slothrop]

Originally posted by Spanky
He got it through didn't he?

When you decline to answer the question for the second time, it suggests you don't have an answer.

Your partisan stripes are showing. You just can't give the Bush administration credit for anything. This is why your judgment is so screwed up because your total hatred of the administration doesn't let you distinguish reality from fantasy.

I'm a supporter of free trade. Compared with the expectations we all had six years ago, they've been disappointing at best, milking the issue for campaign donations while failing to do what it takes to get real progress.

There has been a big line drawn on free trade but that is because the Dems have abandoned free trade. Their leaders are all against free trade. You just don't want to accept that reality.

It's too bad that the Democrats and the Europeans have all ganged up on Bush, right? Anything bad that's happened is clearly their fault, but he deserves all the credit for everything good.

You leave out the possibility that Bush administration promotes free trade because they believe it is the right thing to do.

I didn't leave it out, except in the sense that I also left out the first line of War And Peace because I was addressing something else.

I was explaining why they hadn't spent political capital on the issue. If they believe in free trade, fine -- they still haven't spent political capital on the issue.

But if your point is that we should ignore the Administration's record because their hearts are in the right places, I say, if you love something, spend political capital on it to show how much you love it.

In addition, there are always more possibilities for free trade deals.

That's the advantage of failure -- more opportunity in the future for success. And that's why they'll keep going back to business for the $$$$.

In case you hadn't noticed the US doesn't control the Doha round. There are other players. The Business Round Table and the Chamber of Commerce (and the Economist) have given the Bush administration full credit for pushing really hard on the Doha round. I think these guys are little bit more in tune with what is happening than you, so I (and anyone with a brain) would trust their assessment on the administration's commitment to free trade as opposed to your highly partisan, hatred filled, and skewed view of it.

Golly, that's convincing.

Man. What blogs do you read to get this crap? The new US Chief negotiator was pretty much chosen by the BR and the CC. You don't think they know what they are doing? You don't think they are committed to free trade.

As I mentioned, my opinions on this subject are based largely on the Financial Times, which neither a blog, ignorant, partisan, non-conservative, or hate-filled. I acknowledge that the FT is skewed, but since it is skewed towards big business you don't score many points there.

You mean the people who already have an axe to grind with the administration and really have no vested interest in free trade. The people who have consistently shown they care about free trade support the administration.

I would have thought that referring to the FT explicitly in my post would have kept you from stepping on this particular rake, but I guess not.

The third world blames the Europeans. The third world got screwed in the last round because Europe promised to dismantle the CAP and they haven't. They are not going to be fooled twice. They won't move until the EU commits in writing to reduce the CAP and that is the cause of the stalemate. The US has been scrambling to come up with a solution. It is almost like the US is the only country that cares about continuing the round.

It is almost like you think that the rest of the world is full of obstructionists acting out of a narrow self-interest, while the poor beknighted Republicans who in the Administration, acting out of only the noblest principles, have laid everything on the line to try to achieve some progress.

Actually, you do seem think that. What's crazy is that you expect anyone else to believe it.

You are about as in tune with the Business Community as a Sumo wrestler is with his ass. I talk to the Executive director of the California Chamber of Commerce pretty regularly and the have the cell phone numbers of both the ED and the head of the national chamber of commerce. I am also involved with the Business Round Table. You are going to talk to me about the business community’s perspective? Someone who opposed CAFTA?

I suspect that most sumo wrestlers are quite in touch with their asses, but whatever. I was talking about actual businessmen, not lobbyists, though I gather that distinction is perhaps elusive for you.

I don't recall opposing CAFTA. Perhaps you want to go read those posts again. Or, don't bother.

The Economist, the Wall Street Journal, the Business Roundtable and the Chamber of Commerce all give Bush kudos for his consistent committement to free trade, and all agree a Democrat takeover of Congress would be a disaster for free trade.

I don't see Republicans who are willing to take the political hits necessary to get real advances on free trade. So progress is going to take a less partisan approach, and will require deal-cutting to get Dems on board. I'm not optomistic that this will happen in the next two years, but it would be for the best.