An Opportunity in Rural America

In my American Prospect article "The Democrats Da Vinci Code," one of the things I focused on was how successful red-state Democrats have made themselves the defender of the small family farm, in the face of big corporate agribusiness. The more Democrats do this, the better they will do in rural America.

And now, coming down the pike, there is a perfect opportunity for Democrats to ramp up this effort. First, as I've said previously, they can oppose Rob Portman's nomination as U.S. Trade Representative, because he is a free-trade zealot who has shown no regard for a trade policy that benefits small family farms. But equally as important is for Democrats to come out strongly against the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) that the Bush administration is pushing.

Farmers already know this deal will be a disaster for them. Just last month, a key committee of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture unanimously voted to oppose CAFTA. According to South Dakota's Aberdeen News:

"The vote sent shockwaves through the usually pro-trade NASDA whose members literally know the lay of the food and farm land in their home states. That's their job; looking farmers and ranchers in the eye everyday...Ag chiefs from coastal states worry about crop pests hitchhiking into the U.S. on food from Central America. Others say CAFTA's sugar imports will open the door to bigger sugar imports in future treaties. 'But my big problem with it,' said one state agriculture leader, 'is that CAFTA countries get access to U.S. food markets now and our access to theirs is phased in over 10, 15 and 20 years. For instance, their poultry tariffs won't be fully lifted for 17 to 20 years. That doesn't look like fair trade to poultry growers.' His point is even sharper if U.S. farmers view the trade pact as the White House views it: CAFTA is a small but necessary stepping stone to bigger trade bridges like the hemisphere-wide Free Trade Area of the Americas and Doha's worldwide ag deal.'"

And these state officials aren't alone. The National Farmers Union recently held a Capitol Hill news conference to "voice strong opposition to the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which farm leader[s] believes would negatively impact U.S. farmers." They were backed up by the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy which noted that "CAFTA Benefits Agribusiness Over Farmers" and that the "agreement would erode fair trade and farmers' rights."

Democrats - wake up. This is your red-state opportunity. Take it, oppose CAFTA, and start playing offense.