Big News on Trade

Last week in the Nation Magazine, I lamented the fact that not one U.S. Senator had stood up to oppose President Bush's nomination of free-trading U.S. Rep. Rob Portman (R-OH) as America's next U.S. Trade Representative. That piece had followed an earlier op-ed I wrote urging politicians of both parties to stop his nomination. So I was thrilled to read this new AP story about Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) announcing "his opposition to President Bush's nomination Portman." Bayh is "protesting what he says is the administration's failure to enforce trade laws." According to CongressDaily, Bayh has told Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-TN) that he is putting a formal hold on Portman's nomination.

I am not a huge fan of Evan Bayh, especially considering his ardent free trade positions in the past. And certainly, this move may be motivated by his 2008 presidential aspirations. That said, however, this is HUGE news, as it means the Democratic Party is finally starting to take trade issues seriously. The fact that one of the party's most outspoken advocates for corporate free trade deals is now re-positioning himself on the trade issue means that a wholesale change is happening. Sure, Portman may still get through, and Bayh may not fight for this tooth and nail (though, let's hope he does) - but his move today alone signals a tectonic shift is occuring.

It's time for other Democrats to join Bayh and make Portman's nomination a referendum on the trade policy that the Bush administration is trying to ram down American workers' throats. Between this effort and the upcoming vote on the CAFTA deal, trade is becoming a central issue to highlight exactly how the White House is trying to abandon average Americans in order to do the bidding of its corporate donors.