Don't forget trade policy

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion//index.php?ntid=11043&ntpid=3

Editorial: Don't forget trade policy

An editorial
September 29, 2004

John Kerry has done of good job of inviting Wisconsinites to help him in preparing for his first debate with George W. Bush. Indeed, when he met with 200 Spring Green area residents at River Valley High School Monday, Kerry told them that "the best way to prepare for this debate is to listen to you folks."


He then proceeded to spend an hour taking questions from grass-roots Wisconsinites.

Unlike the compliant crowds that are selected to ask George W. Bush questions in his so-called "conversations" with voters, the crowd at River Valley High School asked tough questions and Kerry seemed genuinely to be taking in the comments and the insights.

He even talked a little bit about farm policy, a topic that has not gotten much attention on the campaign trail since the Iowa Democratic caucuses finished in January.

If he keeps in mind the discussions he held in Spring Green, and if he maintains the easy, smart style that he displayed there, Kerry will do just fine when he heads to Florida to participate in Thursday's presidential debate on foreign policy.But if he wants to trump Bush, he should take some more wisdom from Wisconsin.

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http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion//index.php?ntid=11043&ntpid=3

No real discussion of trade policy however, fair, free or otherwise. Dems would be well advised to talk more about fair trade as it plays well in swing states like Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania.

If Kerry has listened seriously to Wisconsinites, he will steer the debate toward a discussion of the Bush administration's misguided proposals to expand on the current free trade model with new agreements involving Central American countries and, ultimately, with a sweeping Free Trade Area of the Americas agreement, which has been described as "NAFTA on steroids."