The Common Sense Act Of 2008

U.S. Senators Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Byron Dorgan (D-ND) have introduced legislation that could be called The Common Sense Act of 2008. Here's the Detroit Free Press:

"Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said opposition to trade deals negotiated by the Bush administration was growing in Congress. Brown and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., unveiled a bill Thursday that would require future trade deals to include measuring their effect on U.S. jobs and wages."

This follows a press conference earlier this year [1] when a group of fair trade senators pushed the concept of "benchmarks" in trade policy. And, as I said, this is basic common sense. Simply pushing forward with blind free trade fundamentalism is absolutely absurd. What Brown and Dorgan are pushing is about as basic as it gets: We should make sure we are getting the results we want from our trade policy - before pushing forward with more of the same.