ON TRADE, OBAMA CURRENTLY DOESN’T HAVE THE VOTES: “The most troubling bloc is several dozen who aren’t normally troublesome but come from Midwestern districts where job losses in manufacturing have been heavy. Supporting trade is not easy for them. Still, Ryan and GOP leaders believe they can hit their mark of 190 to 200 Republican votes. That leaves Democrats to fill the gap. Leadership, both Nancy Pelosi and Steny Hoyer, have been completely silent on the issue and their advisers say that, given the antipathy toward this legislation among rank-and-file, public silence is the best the West Wing can get. There are roughly 20 public yes votes among Democrats, and Obama will need at least five to 10 more in order to go ahead with the vote Friday.”

I think any new sweeping, unclear trade policy should await the election of a President we can trust. Also, why aren’t all these opposed Dems being accused of being “obstructionist” and probably racist, too?