The Washington six: tampering with trade

Blame for the rough sledding the Colombia free-trade agreement encountered this week can be spread thickly from an impatient president to hardheaded House Democrats trying to make a point.

The trade agreement must not be permitted to be the victim of election-year brinkmanship. The democracy of Colombia, warts and all, is the best friend the United State has in South America. The Democratic House leadership's apparent determination to all but turn a cold shoulder to the country's earnest efforts at reform is disappointing. This controversy shows a serious disconnect. Democratic presidential candidates pledge to restore America's international status squandered by the Bush administration's heavy-handed arrogance. Yet they all but promise to withdraw global economic leadership by taking a dim view of that first-line of diplomacy — trade relationships.

No question, President George W. Bush erred by shoveling the Colombia agreement over to Congress on Monday without following protocols of negotiation. The move started a 45-day clock for a vote. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi would have none of it, pressing a resolution approved Thursday to change the deadline rule. The House will act when it sees fit — which in this toxic pool of election-year politics could be never.

The Colombia trade agreement has been targeted by American unions, who argue not enough has been done to stop violence against union leaders in the country. On the House floor, Democrats repeated the statistics of attacks on union leaders, mostly not acknowledging the documented progress Colombia has made under President Alvaro Uribe, elected in 2002 with a reform agenda. In a November report, the International Labor Organization praised Colombia's progress.

Still, the Democrats seem poised to kill this revised trade agreement, which actually gives the United States more leverage to intervene if these higher standards are not followed. They also kept suggesting falsely the pact will hurt the American economy. Already, under the Andean Trade Preferences Act, Colombian companies enjoy tariff-free access to American markets.

Judging from Thursday's House action, Democrats are intent on having the campaign issue rather than a geopolitical solution. Especially troubling are the six Democratic members of Washington's congressional delegation who went along with a vote to change the deadline rules.

The test for these Washington Democrats — Norm Dicks, Jim McDermott, Adam Smith, Rick Larsen, Brian Baird and Jay Inslee — is whether they can show leadership in toning down the rhetoric and preserving trade opportunities.