Terrific editorial in the Washington Post today beautifully summarizes the case for CAFTA. Opening paragraph:
NOBODY IS saying that the proposed free-trade deal with Central America and the Dominican Republic will work miracles. Yes, regional free-trade deals boost prosperity much less than global ones. Yes, free trade by itself is not a wonder cure for Central America’s poverty. And, yes, the deal could cause some dislocation to workers in the United States, though 80 percent of Central America’s exports to the United States are duty-free already. But these legitimate reservations do not change the bottom line: The deal promises important economic and foreign policy advantages. The fact that nearly all Democratic members of the House oppose this bargain — even the traditionally pro-trade New Democrats have come out in opposition — is a depressing sign of the party’s abandonment of Clintonite centrism.
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