well, good for Rangel....hopefully, Columbia will be next...



Peru Down, Colombia to Go
December 27, 2007; Page A10
The 110th Congress did one very good deed this month, as the Senate passed the U.S.-Peru free trade accord, 77-18. That follows the 285-131 vote in the House last month, and is a glimmer of pro-growth policy amid what has otherwise been a tide of tax increases and regulatory and lawsuit expansions.

Credit in particular goes to Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel, who managed the deal around and through the Democratic caucus. Kudos as well to GOP leaders, who provided enough House votes to make up for the fact that a majority of Democrats opposed the bill. In the House, the partisan breakdown was 109 Democrats and 176 Republicans in favor, 116 Democrats and 16 Republicans opposed. In the more free-trade Senate, a majority of both parties voted aye.

Peru is one of Latin America's fastest growing economies, and adding it to our club of free-trade partners is a strategic triumph in a hemisphere menaced by Hugo Chávez. The question now is whether Democrats will press ahead with the even more crucial Colombia free trade pact, or decide that Peru is enough.

By now, most unbiased observers have noted the remarkable job Colombian President Álvaro Uribe has done to return peace and security to that country since taking office in 2002. And we're confident Mr. Rangel wants to do the right thing, but he keeps getting whipsawed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the AFL-CIO.

Mr. Rangel recently said that failing to approve the Colombia FTA would be a "a rebuff to a great president and to a great country and a great ally." A day later, he released an email statement clarifying his position: "I do not support passage of the Colombia FTA -- there simply are not enough votes to take up this agreement." Do Democrats really want to lose Colombia?

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Obama-e fungis nati homines....

I really hope Congress votes in favour of a free trade agreement with Colombia as well. It is one of few South American countries where the extreme left of Hugo Chavez et al. has not gained much support.

(Just a note: the South American country is called Colombia, whereas Columbia is a US Federal District and a river between the States of Oregon and Washington, and British Columbia is a Canadian Province.)

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

Ironically, in my opinion the only reason that the left has not gained support in Colombia is because of the FARC, an allegedely leftist organization.

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"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
Matthew 5:9

I would not say FARC is the only reason, but it sure is an important one.

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President Josiah Bartlet: Sweden has a 100% literacy rate. 100%! How do they do that?
Leo McGarry: Maybe they don't and they can't add.

That could change if Ingrid Betancourt is released by the farc this week. She is a friend of Chavez and her party is progressive leaning.

This week?

She was not one of the hostages scheduled to be released.

And now none of them are anyway.

BBC NEWS | Americas | Colombian hostage release halted

Fuckin' FARC.

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"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God."
Matthew 5:9