Obama starts new push on trade

[Enrique]

http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/80103-obama-starts-new-push-on-trade

The Obama administration is reaching out to business-friendly Democrats to win support for free-trade policies that divide the party.

The effort is part of President Barack Obama's push on trade that was launched with his State of the Union address. Obama said he wanted to double exports over the next five years as part of an effort to grow the U.S. economy.

The administration's move was reinforced by a speech this week by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on increasing exports. Locke focused on programs that could help small businesses increase their exports, as well as trade missions led by his department.

U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk met members of the business- friendly New Democrats Coalition on Thursday to discuss the trade agenda. The Democrats spoke to Kirk about pending trade deals with South Korea, Colombia and Panama that have stalled in the Democratic-led Congress, according to Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.).

Moving any of those deals will be difficult because of opposition in Obama’s own party.

(...)

[Kittycat]

1. Double exports???

We have to start making things again, first. Because the only thing this country has gotten really good at exporting, is our jobs.

[JVS]

2. We make good booze.

[amandabeech]

3. How much of it do we export?

Do other folks really like bourbon?

[jwirr]

5. We export a lot of guns and weapons. Unfortunately.

[amandabeech]

4. Cue more giant sucking sounds.

Can we split the country into two parts: one that wants jobs for all skill and ability levels and one that wants to send all the non-elite jobs overseas or bring in cheap labor from overseas to do the jobs.

You can lay people off from their jobs, but you cannot lay them off from citizenship.

Eventually, this place will tear itself apart and Obama will have to take his share of the responsibility.