Team Obama Making the Rounds on Trade

According to the Politico, Team Obama is making the rounds on trade:

Officials in charge of the policy area for his transition team have done extensive outreach to all stakeholders, including labor, business, trade skeptics and the centrist New Democrats.

Democratic constituencies that have been loudly critical of the Bush administration’s trade policy, and its treatment of them along the way, are praising Obama’s listening tour.

“We’re very pleased to see their willingness to reach out to the diverse group within the Democratic caucus as well as other interest groups that are interested in the trade issue, compared to what we were used to under the Bush administration, [which was] just plugging forward without talking to anyone, Republicans or Democrats,” said Rep. Michael H. Michaud (D-Maine), who is one of the leaders of the House Trade Working Group who opposes the Bush trade agenda.

Victoria McGrane reports that Dan Tarullo and Lael Brainard (of Georgetown U and Brookings Institution, respectively, and also the Clinton administration) are among the top rumored picks for USTR, along with Reps. Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and former Rep. Jim Davis (D-Fla.).

Comments

[Tater]

I hope to goodness President Obama and his team can really work to get things done for all us average working stiffs across America who are just trying to pay the bills,take care of the family,and lead a productive respectable life. It's clear most of the republicans and President Bush are totally clueless on economics and trade. Dick Gephardt would make a very solid U.S. Trade Rep and he would most certainly make the changes needed to establish a new "fair" trade policy. He was also a staunch opponet of NAFTA and it's current ramifications. We also need a real labor rep to be the head of the labor dept. Im tired of people from the corporate world filling these jobs.