U.S. Reaches Central America Trade Deal

[papau]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=716&e=5&u=/ap/20031217/ap_on_bi_ge/free_trade

U.S. Reaches Central America Trade Deal

By MARTIN CRUTSINGER, AP Economics Writer

WASHINGTON - Overcoming a last-minute snag on textiles, the United States reached a free trade agreement on Wednesday with four Central American countries.

Negotiators reached agreement in all areas, including textiles and agriculture, according to a U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.


U.S. Trade Representative Robert Zoellick and the trade ministers from the four Central American Countries scheduled a news conference for later in the day to formally announce the breakthrough.


The countries who completed the negotiations were Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras.


A fifth nation, Costa Rica, abruptly left the talks on Tuesday complaining about excessive demands being made by the United States for the nation to open up its market to foreign competition in telecommunications and insurance.


However, U.S. officials expressed hope that the differences with Costa Rica can be resolved in coming weeks so that it will be included when the administration submits the Central American Free Trade Agreement, or CAFTA, to Congress early next year. <snip>

[papau]

1. Wonder if the media will spin Bush as a weak- or strong - leader now?

Now will Bush lose the U.S. sugar cane and sugar beet farmer vote, the U.S. textile vote?

Last month Brazil forced the US to its knees as Bush begged for a "victory" in the 34-nation effort to create a hemisphere-wide free trade zone. And the EU seems to have knocked Bush around on Steel.


So where is this "strong leader" Bush again?

Oh ya - that is the media spin, which they then act innocent as they report folks see Bush as a strong leader.

Wonder if the media will spin Bush as a weak leader now?

:-)

[markus]

2. Please color North Dakota, Minnesota, Louisiana & Florida Blue

for the next election.

Thanks.

Ok, it will be tougher than that, but if we can't cause Bush severe discomfort in those states then shame on us.

Sugar farmers have been living high on the hog for generations on their sugar barriers, and they will be ruined by this. Many big-spending farmers will be out of business, along with the local sugar refinries (good factory jobs).

Way to many farmers up here in the midwest reflexively vote Republican for president, in spite of the fact that its the Democratic Party that's kept them alive this long.

A nice farmer revolt in the upper plains would be nice. We're over due for one.