Barone on the Democrats: The Unthinkable Has Become a Time-Honored Tradition

That's Michael Barone's great line regarding the judicial filibuster debate, but the bulk of this excellent piece is devoted to a subject near and dear to my heart, free trade. The labor unions and sugar lobbyists are nearing a victory in defeating the Central America Free Trade Agreement, and that would be a real shame. As Barone points out, free trade is nearly always a win-win. Economics is not a zero-sum game, and the old cliche about a rising tide lifting all boats is more relevant now than ever, due to global interconnectedness. In noting that the Democratic Party was historically the party of free trade, Barone asks:

The Democrats' rage against Bush and the Republicans is understandable. But do they really want to turn their back on their history and our neighbors?

A very good question indeed.