Politics is Politics, But...

Are you becoming as offended as I am by the Democrats’ unilateralist approach to foreign policy?

I thought that Democrats were all supposed to be noble multilateralists and concerned about America’s good name in the world.

Obviously, Democrats are deeply concerned that the world think well of us when it comes to dealing with global Islamic extremism. But it’s obvious that they don’t give a damn when it comes to trade.

Here’s news item from Joshua Goodman and Mark Drajem at Bloomberg reporting on House action on the free-trade pact with Colombia.

The Democratic-controlled House voted 224-195 yesterday to deny President George W. Bush’s request for a vote on the trade pact within 90 days, likely postponing action until after the November elections. It is the first time Congress has refused a presidential request to pass a trade agreement.

You wonder, of course. Why would the Democrats give a damn about trade? It’s not as if Democrats have any dog in the race. They all work for the government (including government universities) or for non-profit foundations. Why should they care if the last five industrial-union workers lose their jobs in Pennsylvania?

And anyway, the pact is mainly about lowering import tariffs in Colombia, not the US!

It’s not as if the notoriously partisan President Bush hasn’t gone the extra mile adding to the free-trade pact with Colombia stupid labor and environmental provisions that Democrats like in order to appease their labor and environmental base.

It’s a bit late for Democrats to be standing up for hard-pressed workers in Pennsylvania. The cake was baked fifty years ago when the political culture taught union leaders to fight for labor agreements that basically promised billions in future corporate profits to the workers on the rather rash assumption that a corporation that was earning big bucks in 1948 would still be doing so 50 years later.

One thing you can say for Democrats. For one shining moment, back in the 1960s, they led the nation; they stood on high principle. They made the nation deal with its race problem.

But that’s about it. On everything else, it is Republicans that appeal to the better angels of our nature.

On top of that, watch President Obama or Clinton push the pact through Congress anyway on a quiet weekend in 2009.

Earth to Dem voters: Does it bother you that your leaders keep doing this to you?