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Pelosi Outflanks Bush on Free Trade Colombia

By wt

Bush, frustrated with the slow pace of the congressional legislation process (how long has he been President?), went ahead and sent the Colombia trade bill to the House without Speaker Pelosi's approval. This was a big surprise to her.

Both sides have been at loggerheads over the deal for months, prompting Bush to take the rare step of sending the deal to Capitol Hill on Tuesday without the speaker?s blessing, becoming the first president ever to do so since the establishment of the fast track rules.

That move started a clock that requires Democrats to address the legislation under a specific timetable.

Ok, so Bush has won, right?

No.

The speaker announced that House Democrats will take the unprecedented step Thursday of voting to strip a critical time requirement from chamber rules governing the ?fast track? consideration of trade agreements, suspending the Colombia fight indefinitely and imperiling future trade agreements between the U.S. and other countries.

Pelosi takes no prisoners. If Bush had been patient, he might have gotten his free-trade bill. But now Pelosi suspends the issue indefinitely.

There's only one trump card Bush has left. Enemy combatant status.

Full post as published by Expressio Unius on April 10, 2008 (boomark / email).