This week President Bush publicly began speaking in support of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) in order to gain support in Congress for the faltering trade agreement. In his weekly radio address, Bush called on Congress to pass the agreement stating that "the agreement would help the new democracies in our hemisphere deliver better jobs and higher labor standards to their workers, and it would create a more level playing field for American goods and services" while urging Congress to pass the legislation as soon as possible. However, an aide to Democratic Senator Harry Reid doubts the agreement has the votes to pass Congress. Bush's comments come as various offers to alter provisions of the agreement have failed to secure votes for CAFTA. In another effort to promote CAFTA, the President also proclaimed next week "World Trade Week."
Earlier this week, CAFTA finally began to receive some attention in the corporate press nationally and even one article in the local Grand Rapids Press. However, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) still has seen little coverage of the trade agreement in the mainstream press.
