WP: 'New Democrat' Bloc Opposes CAFTA (high-tech Dem support at risk)

'New Democrat' Bloc Opposes Trade Pact
High-Tech Industry's Support at Risk

By Thomas B. Edsall
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, May 21, 2005; Page A04


Traditionally pro-business and pro-trade House Democrats have announced plans to vote against the Dominican Republic-Central America Free Trade Agreement, a stance putting at risk support from the rapidly growing high-tech community, one of the few major industries that continue to give substantial backing to Democratic candidates.

The four co-chairmen of the 40-member House New Democrat Coalition have declared their opposition to the agreement, provoking an outcry from high-tech lobbying groups. The opposition is a major setback for the Bush administration, which is struggling to get House and Senate votes on the agreement before the Fourth-of-July congressional recess....

***

Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.), a New Democrat co-chairman, acknowledged that "there is no question, it's a risky step" to oppose the agreement. But, he argued, the Bush administration, with Republican congressional backing, has undermined the worker-protection precedents for domestic and foreign workers that were added to treaties during the Clinton administration. The Bush administration's goal is to "take care of business first, second and last, and not do enough to make sure workers are getting their fair share," Smith said.

Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), another co-chairman, said "the promise of trade liberalization has not lived up to the rhetoric, certainly not for American workers." She said the administration did not discuss the agreement with Democrats during the negotiations, prompting her to tell U.S. trade officials that "it's at your own risk that you leave Democrats out and you only come to us when you are 30 votes down."

Both Smith and Tauscher accused House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) and Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) of supporting the weak labor and environmental provisions in CAFTA in an effort to build the case with business donors that they should abandon the Democratic Party altogether. "There is no question Tom DeLay and other Republicans are saying 'Don't give to Democrats,' " Smith said....


http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/20/AR2005052001513.html

This is the first thing I've seen these "New Democrats" do right.

This CAFTA looks like an attempt to shrink the American "high-tech community", to me.

there was a write up in the Capital Times yesterday

...I hated NAFTA and I hate CAFTA. Good for the 'New Democrats' for not supporting this worker-rights and wage-busting piece of crap.

The article notes that Republicans appeal to technology executives. But that workers tend to be liberal on many social issues, which makes the Democrats attractive to them.

"...The result, in recent years, has been near parity in campaign contributions, splitting 54 to 45 percent in the Democrats' favor in 2004, 51 to 48 percent in the GOP's favor in 2002. ..."

Looks like the momentum just might be changing...

can't make up his mind about it. This is NC!!! Where have all the jobs gone Mel?!? Use your Brain!!

Looks like the biased media got it WRONG again! The sugar factories and major industry of the United States oppose CAFTA strongly. No amount of manipulation by crime lords like Tom DeLay has changed their minds. World trade like the Sugar Industry has utmost powerful influence...

I'm guessing there will be much stronger support from businesses, giving that CAFTA basically rapes the tech community and its industry blind......And feeds it to outsourcing.

Reps. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas) and Silvestre Reyes (D-Texas) are leaning toward voting for the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), according to Democratic and Republicans lawmakers and aides who are scouring the House for the roughly 20 Democratic votes they believe they need for passage.

Ortiz and Reyes could make their support known as early as next week, bringing the number of firm Democratic votes to six. Reps. Henry Cuellar (D-Texas), Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), William Jefferson (D-La.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.) have already publicly committed to supporting the controversial trade deal.

Supporters of the deal, which would encourage trade with five Central American countries and the Dominican Republic, believe that the potential backing from two Texas Hispanics will help galvanize support for a bill they believe will reduce poverty in the hemisphere.

Press secretaries for Ortiz and Reyes said the lawmakers are still undecided, but a Democratic lawmaker involved in building support said that an internal tally had Ortiz and Reyes in the ?yes? column.

http://www.hillnews.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/051905/cafta.html

I get the impression the story is really referring to some sort of "New-New Democrat".

This could go either way. As I understand, Silicon Valley is quickly losing jobs to India and China because of outsourcing, and the Dems may earn their "pissed-off" votes (although I'm pretty sure most ex-Employees voted Dem anyway, even before they were laid off).
On the bad side, however, the Dems may lose several votes, and since California is the place of High Tech, any major loss in support from the Bay Area or Los Angeles could make California a Red State in 2008. If that happens, the Democrats will be electorally destroyed.

The 'high tech support' refers to large cash donations from high tech fat cats. High tech workers have nothing to gain at all from yet another 'free trade' treaty that does nothing to protect workers or the environment either here or abroad.

It is time for the Democratic Party to get off of the Free Trade wagon. There is nothing wrong with Fair Trade other than we don't have any.

The Democratic Party can raise all of the money it needs from regular working individuals. It can stop whoring itself out to the corporate-fascist-taliban cabal. It must if it is going to survive.

FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS: For the first time in 30 years, the DNC out-raised the RNC. The DNC raised approximately $404 million for the 2004 election cycle. From Feb.2001-Feb.2005, the DNC raised approximately $535 million, shattering all previous DNC records. Just in 2004, the DNC raised $360 million to the RNC's $284 million and nearly doubled the 2000 totals with only hard money.

source...
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/parties/dnc05facts.html

psst... pass the word ;->

peace

I won't say I don't trust the "New Dems"...but I can't think of a way to finish that sentence.

If this is on the up-and-up, good for them. We'll see.

THIS is the Democratic party I remember. The ones that supported the working man and stuck up for worker rights!

might that be a clue that Dem's should cater to their true backers weTHEpeople :shrug:

FUNDRAISING HIGHLIGHTS: For the first time in 30 years, the DNC out-raised the RNC. The DNC raised approximately $404 million for the 2004 election cycle. From Feb.2001-Feb.2005, the DNC raised approximately $535 million, shattering all previous DNC records. Just in 2004, the DNC raised $360 million to the RNC's $284 million and nearly doubled the 2000 totals with only hard money.

source...
http://www.gwu.edu/~action/2004/parties/dnc05facts.html

the POPULIST MSG is what will put us back in the drivers seat. we need to put the DLC and 'third-way' minority on notice that they are certainly welcome to help us but that their influence needs to be proportional to their contributions which are very small in the BIG PICTURE.

peace

If someone that knows him, tell him Cliff is watching him and approves of this.