Federal Government Policy and Business

What Happened to the Trade Deal?

The Wall Street Journal (online registration required): Niccolo Machiavelli wrote way back when that it is much safer for a leader to be feared than loved if he cannot be both. With the House defeat Friday of the fast-track trade package, largely thanks to Democratic votes, it appears that President Barack Obama may no longer be either with members of his own Party.

Mr. Obama, no fan of the glad-handing and arm-twisting that are such important parts of legislating, nevertheless pulled out all the stops on this one. Thursday night he made an appearance at the annual congressional baseball game (won by Democrats for the seventh consecutive year) and Friday morning he visited the Capitol to make an eleventh-hour pitch to House Democrats on behalf of the 12-nation Pacific trade pact.

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