Dems to Central America: bugger off

The Democrats' opposition to the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in light of the success of NAFTA, the fact that most Central American imports come into the US duty free anyway and the effect it will have on OPENING NEW MARKETS to American exports is shameful. Who is against it? The AFL/CIO (as always) and that same da*n sugar lobby that gutted part of the Australia Free Trade Agreement to Pres. Bush's embarrassment.

The ultimate effect if CAFTA is not passed, according to Michael Barone:

Over the past 20 years, most CAFTA countries have moved from dictatorship and, in some cases, civil war to democracy and the rule of law; their economies, with help from the CBI [Caribbean Basin Initiative, the trade agreement that lowered barriers to the US market in the mid-80s], have moved from subsistence to manufacturing. But the CBI expires in 2008, and unless it is replaced by CAFTA, the United States will have shoved its neighbors backward.

And that shove will be from the Democrats' pushing.