Does Baucus Have a Spine?

I was very interested when I heard the news of the <a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSN0230980620070403">US South Korea</a> trade aggrement. More than once I have heard that if South Korea wanted a trade aggreement, they had to drop thier official/unofficial trade barrier to US Beef. The original stories I saw said nothing aboput this so I assumed that cattle producers were threw under the train by US negotiators to get the deal don e.<br />n<br />nMax Baucus <a href="http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2007/04/02/baucus-criticizes-us-korea-trade-pact/">appears to be standing up</a> for cattle producers though. <br />n<br />n<blockquote>Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, Democrat of Montana, wasted no time blasting the South Korea free-trade agreement, which U.S. and South Korean negotiators sealed early Monday. Of particular offense to Sen. Baucus, and probably other farm-state lawmakers, is the failure of the U.S. team to include a provision guaranteeing U.S. beef imports. South Korea banned U.S. beef imports in 2003 amid concern over mad cow diseases, and has continued to restrict U.S. beef imports<br />n<br />n“This is an entirely unacceptable outcome,” Sen. Baucus said in a statement. “I will oppose the Korea Free Trade Agreement, and in fact I will not allow it to move through the Senate, unless and until Korea completely lifts its ban on U.S. beef. I have made it clear — to the administration and to the Korean government — from the start of these talks that there can be no trade agreement without full access to the Korean market for all of Montana’s beef exports, boneless and bone-in, and regardless of age.”<br />n<br />nUnder the agreement reached in Seoul, Korea’s 40% tariff on beef will phase out over 15 years. </blockquote><br />n<br />nDo you think Max is a little worried about his re-election chances here in Montana or is he just feeling his oats as a man with a lot of power?<br />n<br />nI guess I will look at the bright side of this and hope Maxxie holds his position here for us cattle producers. I would love to see the South Korean market opened up.<br />n<br />n<strong>National markets are held together by shared values and confidence in certain minimum standards. But in the new global market, people do not yet have that confidence. Kofi Annan </strong>