Organized labor is opposed to the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Progressive farm groups are opposed to CAFTA. Environmental groups are opposed to CAFTA. Civil rights groups are opposed to CAFTA. Human rights groups are opposed to CAFTA. Last night, the House passed the CAFTA bill by a whopping 217-215 vote. Okay, I guess that isn’t so “whopping” after all.

But if CAFTA is not in the best interest of so many people… if so many groups are publicly against CAFTA… why are their Representatives supporting it? How did it pass?

It starts with President Bush ditching the Boy Scouts to whom he was scheduled to speak, so he could make a rare appearance on Capitol Hill to lobby for the law. He raised the stakes on the issue arguing that America’s national security was at stake unless the bill was passed. Slime ball.

Next, we consider the votes of 15 Democrats, who ignored their party’s platform; ignored the voices of organized labor, progressive farm groups, environmental groups, civil rights groups, and human rights groups; who ignored the best interest of their constituents in order to offer their vote in support of the President’s plan… a plan that would harm U.S. workers and farmers while plunging Central American countries deeper into poverty and causing more Latin Americans to migrate to the U.S. While 25 GOP members had the courage to vote “no” - in spite of their party and the administration - for this bad legislation, these 15 spineless Democrats voted yes.

Rep. Charles Taylor (R-North Carolina), a strong opponent of the bill, was reported this morning as not voting, but he says that’s not true. His office is telling constituents that he had voted “no”, but that the House clerk somehow “botched” the record. Yeah whatever, Chuck.

And finally, the icing on the cake is the Republican House leaders who held the roll call open for more than an hour instead of the customary 15 minutes. The vote ran until midnight with Republican party leaders bribing or threatening those not in favor of the bill. Representative “Butch” Otter (R-Idaho) said GOP leaders promised pork-barrel spending and future legislation to undecided members, with a huge highway spending bill scheduled to be completed this week as a prime location for “pet projects”.

I’m apalled. This administration is a joke. This government is a travesty. When is this criminality going to end?