Norwegian Labour party links up with the American Democratic Party

In English here. More information on Norwegian politics, of course, to be found in this weblog!

Labour forges ties with US' Democrats

Norway's Labour Party is joining other European social democrats in linking up with the Democrats in the US. The goal is to be prepared with common strategies if a majority of them on both sides of the Atlantic come back to power.

A group of European social democrats, led by former British Foreign Minister Robin Cook, met last week with several top Democratic politicians and party officials. They included US senators Hilary Clinton and Joseph Biden.

They also had meetings with Ron Klain of presidential candidate Wesley Clark's campaign, and Stan Greenberg, former US President Bill Clinton's campaign strategist in 1992.

On the agenda was European concern over current US foreign policy and the effects of globalization.

Espen Barth Eide, who led the Norwegian delegation, said the group met "understanding" that "economic globalization must be accompanied by political globalization."

There remain wide differences between the European social democrats and their counterparts in the US, who tend to be far more conservative.

Barth Eide called it "natural" however, "to begin with those (in the US) who are closest to us (in ideology), even though the Democrats of course aren't social democrats."

I would have never thought they would do something like this. They are trying to maintain the international relations the preceded Bush. When the next Democratic President comes into power, the international framework will already be in place to depend on. genius. Cook, simply brilliant.

I love that last sentence...in some ways our two main parties are just different sides of the same coin. I think it would be better to have more choices, but...I'll take what I can get.