Korea Deal Delayed- Keep the Pressure On!
Last week, we alerted you that President Obama might revive Bush's Korea trade deal during this week's G-20 Summit in Seoul. The Obama administration kept from moving forward with the same NAFTA-style Korea trade agreement, and both sides agreed to continue talks rather than rush to a conclusion this week. This is understandable, since the recent election showed perhaps the one issue that unites Americans across diverse demographics is opposition to more-of-the-same trade policy.
Hopefully, the administration has gotten the message that more than "cars and cows" need fixing. By not locking into the current NAFTA-style text today, the Obama administration has an opportunity to make the fundamental reforms President Obama promised during his election campaign, like removing investment rules that promote offshoring of jobs. We need to continue making our message loud and powerful.
Sign the letter to David Axelrod, Obama's chief advisor, to demand fair trade and avoid political peril. We already have over 2000 signatures.
Given the depth of the opposition to the NAFTA model in Congress and among the voting public, the political liability of an Obama flip-flop on his election trade reform commitments cannot be overstated. To avoid political suicide, the Obama administration must stick to the president's campaign commitments and usher in a new American fair trade policy that the public can believe in.
Read how the NAFTA-like Korea trade deal undermines Obama's campaign commitments.
Be sure to tell your friends, family, and fellow activists to sign our petition. For the latest on the Korea trade agreement and our work in the trade arena, be sure to follow us on Facebook: Challenging Corporate Globalization.
Thanks for all that you do,
Beatriz Lopez and James Ploeser
Senior Field Organizers, Public Citizen's Global Trade Watch