Today in a mostly partisan vote the House Democrats voted to 'postpone' an important free trade agreement between the US and Columbia, one of America's few allies in Latin America.
The vote which passed by 224-195 on mostly partisan lines was aimed at eliminating a House rule that forces Congress to vote on trade bills within 60 legislative days after it's been submitted.
President Bush started the clock on the Columbiua Free Trade Bill two days ago.
The House vote essentially kills the bill for the rest of this year, and possibly forever.
Nancy Pelosi led the charge on this one,claiming that President Bush submitted the bill without adequately taking the Democrats issues on the bill into concern.
The reality, of course is that Pelosi and her friends simply didn't want this bill passed as a slap as Bush, and have been raising spurious objections all along to delay it. Now,they've used a procedural vote to stifle it, citing human rights considerations and competition with American workers.
This, frankly is sheer Donkey manure. In terms of economic impact, the bill is negligible, since most Columbian goods already come into the US tariff free due to existing agreements. The real impact of the bill would have been to enhance the prestige of Columbia's president Álvaro Uribe, who is one of the chief US allies in Latin America - and who now looks like an idiot to his own countrymen for getting involved with the yanquis and getting slapped down ion the process.
As far as any concern for human rights goes, just last year Pelosi and her friends approved a free trade agreement with the quasi-Marxist regime in Peru, and I haven't seen any of them challenging America's trade relationships with China or Saudi Arabia.Yet they were practically giggling with delight in putting the boot to a friendly Latin American country that has made incredible strides in this are in the last few years, and has been a staunch US ally as well.
Bush made one of his rare common sense statements after the vote, saying that the House vote "is damaging to our economy, our national security and our relations with an important ally." He said: "the message Democrats sent today is that no matter how steadfastly you stand with us, we will turn our backs on you when it is politically convenient."
"It aligns with the goals of (Venezuelan President) Hugo Chavez and South America's narco-terrorists," said Rep. David Dreier of California, top Republican on the Rules Committee.
Not that the House democrats would care about that, not when there was an opportunity beckoning to humiliate the president, the US, and a loyal ally..
Simply amazing.
Bitter! You bet I’m bitter. With manipulative, conniving, fools like Pelosi running our government, we don’t need enemies to destroy this nation. It is sad to see our industry, intellectuals, and money flowing oversees while the infrastructure, including highways and schools, crumble in a failing economy and failure of a government. I don’t recall who said it, but it is true that the last throes of a failing nation are when its government believes it is entitled to as much money as it wants to take from the citizens, and only gives tax breaks to themselves and their rich friends. I am retired after a lifetime of work, but I’m paying more in taxes and insurance for security than I ever did when I worked. Eighty-five percent of my Social Security check is taxed, and when I reach 65 this year, I will have another nine percent of my check withheld for Medicare even though I have excellent private health insurance. The idea that baby boomers will bankrupt the nation is a total fallacy. I no longer work but pay more taxes than when I did work; and the person who took my job is now paying the taxes I once paid. In another 5 years when I have to start withdrawing IRA funds, my taxes will increase faster than my income. Therefore, for each baby boomer who retires, the government income per worker will more than double. I haven’t heard anyone talking about that windfall. Maybe they don’t want us to know because we might revolt and cut into their favorite ear marked projects aimed at their constituents and large contributors. Will the government ever return to the original ideal of serving only by the will of the people?
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