Latest hot rumor about fast track legislation, previously scheduled to be released Sept 10: The White House is reportedly alarmed by the volume of Democratic opposition to fast track piling up, not least for the presidential prospects of VP Al Gore. They are talking to union leaders about some kind of version which Democrats could support (and which the GOP would thus reject). The likelihood is that such a bill would not pass and we would have no bill. There is a slim possibility that some kind of mongrelized form could get majorities in Congress if all those folks forget about party politics (yeah, right). A re-engineering of the legislation will require a delay in its introduction, which by itself would be a major admission of weakness by Clinton. ANY 'fast track' procedure is inherently anti-democratic. One could imagine a bill that would be strong on labor and environmental standards, but this takes quite a bit of imagination. Support for any such bill would also undercut any claims by the left to favor popular participation in trade legislation. On balance my own bias is to oppose any fast track, its redness or greenness notwithstanding. A failure of the effort would stimulate a national debate about what fair trade ought to mean, a natural setting for promotion of progressive goals. Let the ruckus rise. MBS =================================================== Max B. Sawicky Economic Policy Institute [EMAIL PROTECTED] 1660 L Street, NW 202-775-8810 (voice) Ste. 1200 202-775-0819 (fax) Washington, DC 20036 http://tap.epn.org/sawicky Opinions above do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone associated with the Economic Policy Institute other than this writer. ===================================================
