Hundreds of groups say "no more Fast Track!"

And by "hundreds," we mean "seven hundred and thirteen." That's right: today our colleagues at the Citizens Trade Campaign released a letter signed by 713 national, state and local organizations, including labor, environmental, religious, civil rights and other groups, calling for Democratic leaders Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) not to allow any Fast Track renewal legislation to come to the floor.

The press release is up on the main GTW website, or you can check out the letter (PDF) for the full list of signers, which is over 15 pages long! The juicy excerpt:

We urge you to take all possible actions to ensure that the Bush Administration is not provided with the authority to determine the direction and terms of our nation's engagement with the global economy. There is no way to "fix" Fast Track, which only allows Congress any vote after agreements' contents are decided by the Executive Branch and entered into by signing. Congress needs a new mechanism to authorize the Executive Branch to conduct negotiations that gives Congress a steering wheel and, when necessary, a brake, on the negotiation process. Fast Track's expiration provides an opportunity for the new Democratic Congress to end the Administration’s disastrous trade agenda, and set a new course for trade policy based on our shared commitment to justice, fairness, and democracy.