Kingfishery and Kingcakery - This release on the "secret" Mexican sugar deal from US Rep. David Vitter's website. Nothing new here.

Kingfishery and Kingcakery - The Louisiana Farm Bureau Federation's President had something to say about the "sugar" deal with Mexico. This column, printed for use by the media over the week of December 16, basically claims that not much is known at all about such a sugar deal, at least among the state's sugar producers. Vitter's comments seem to suggest that there is a lot of information about this "sugar deal" out there; but what's revealing about the LFBF President's letter is that sugar farmers have been kept out of the loop. The fact that this is so seems to indicate that the deal has not been revealed to Louisiana sugar farmers because it would not be welcome by them. As I can dredge up more information on this "secret" sugar deal, I will post it here.

Kingfishery and Kingcakery - U.S. Rep. David Vitter (R, La.) has written a Christmas day letter to the editor of The Times-Picayune on the US-Mexican Sugar deal. The letter reads:

I was happy to see The Times-Picayune's Dec. 20 article on the substantive issues surrounding the U.S.-Mexican sugar trade negotiations. Since this is such a complex issue, I feel it is important to elaborate on several key points.

First, while U.S. negotiators had hoped to finalize an agreement by year's end, this is unlikely given that at least four major issues remain unresolved. They are: the ratio of raw to refined sugar that Mexico can import into the United States, how these imports must be spread out throughout the year rather than concentrated in one short period of time, whether Mexico can import cheap sugar from other countries while it exports sugar into the United States, and whether the U.S. sugar industry can employ all of the legal mechanisms normally available to settle future sugar disputes.

Second, the Mexican responses in the ongoing sugar negotiations have gotten slower over the last two months. This brings up the question of whether in fact Mexican political forces are mounting, which could stall or unravel any deal. In addition, the United States has stated that any deal would be contingent on Mexico eliminating its 20 percent tax on corn sweeteners.

Third, I am continuing to work hard with a number of others to make sure the ideas and concerns of the Louisiana sugar industry are fully appreciated. These efforts on the part of many people are yielding at least some limited, positive results. For instance, on Dec. 18, U.S. trade negotiators met with U.S. sugar industry representatives for a detailed briefing.

U.S. Rep. David Vitter

Washington

Such clarification and such detail. How does Vitter know so much and why do Louisiana's sugar farmers know so little? This "secret" deal is only now partially coming to light. And we still know very little about the details other than what Vitter and "US trade negotiators" are willing to release. Again, the question remains: Did Bush effectively lie about this secret sugar deal when he denied its existence after Mary Landrieu brought it up during the Louisiana Senate run-off election? Spin it left, spin it right, spin it round and round until we are dizzied by it ... Bush lied. Period.

Lagniappe - To my liberal friends and family, Merry Christmas! To my conservative friends and family, Merry Christmas! I would not be able to enjoy the holidays as much as I do without all of you.

Lagniappe - How generous of the New Orleans Saints to give the people of Cincinnati and their Bengals such a nice Christmas present. The Saints do not deserve a playoff spot. Their performance today was deplorable.

Lagniappe - So, Trent Lott apparently claims that he fell into a trap set by his enemies. How dare they?!? You know ... those sneaky enemies "within" who first sent him the invitation to Strom Thurmond's birthday party ... and then forced him to accept it ... and then programmed his brain to spew forth the vile that came out of his mouth ... and then orchestrated his ouster as Majority Leader!

Take a look at Lott's own words here; and notice especially that they came following a question about whether he received enough support from the White House! Lott can cleverly try to imply that these "enemies" are the anti-Mississippi (Yankee??), anti-Conservative (liberal??), and anti-Christian (atheist?? Jewish??) crowd, but Lott can really only be talking about his fellow Republicans in Washington, DC, because they're the only ones that could have even remotely "set him up" for such a fall - absurd idea though it is. I love it. Keep talking, Trent. All the way through the 2004 elections!

Cuaderno Latinoamericano - Evidence of Islamic terrorist activity in Latin America is all the more reason for the Bush Administration to take the region seriously and to promote an effective and respected Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. Again, Otto Reich is too complicit in the "institutional" terror of Latin America's military authoritarian regimes of the 1970s and 1980s to be an effective anti-terrorist advocate in the region. I said it before and I'll repeat again: Good Riddance, Reich. To Bush: Where's your leadership in forging solidarity and dialogue with our neighboring countries to the South?

Cuaderno Latinoamericano - Interesting article in today's New York Times about ex-President of Peru Alberto Fujimori's speculative return to Peruvian politics. The story is all too familiar in the context of Latin American personalistic politics, and the seemingly limitless ability of the Latin American people to forgive and forget their corrupt, but colorful and charismatic, leaders. The most interesting item in this report, from my point of view, is the prospect of an Alan Garcia/Alberto Fujimori competition for the country's presidency in the not-too-distant future. Both Garcia and Fujimori saw a meteoric rise to power, followed by just as meteoric a fall into exile and disgrace, with the distinct possibility of rehabilitation and resurrection. Nothing particularly controversial or special about this article, just a topic of interest and one to watch.

Cuaderno Latinoamericano - Andres Oppenheimer has a good piece on the current controversy over the appointment of the Administration's principle representative in the State Department for Latin American affairs. It appears that Otto Reich, the Administration's previous appointee, is finished. I say: Good riddance. But the problem remains, as Oppenheimer notes, of a dangerous inattention to Latin America in US foreign policy as reflected in this ongoing leadership crisis.

Kingfishery & Kingcakery - Well, well, well ... and Lordy, Lordy ... seems like Mary Landrieu was right after all when she claimed that Bush had a "secret" trade deal with Mexico on sugar. Bruce Alpert, of The Times Picayune's Washington bureau, reports:

The Bush administration hopes in the next two weeks to complete a deal to increase Mexican sugar imports into the United States, according to a Louisiana congressman.

Rep. David Vitter, R-Metairie, said the administration has begun to show to sugar producers and other interested parties some of the proposed draft language for a new sugar agreement, which the Mexican government has sought since it signed the North America Free Trade Agreement with the Clinton administration in 1994.

The pending agreement became an issue in the recent U.S. Senate election, when incumbent Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., said the deal was being held up until after the Dec. 7 election to aid her Republican challenger, Suzanne Haik Terrell, a charge the Bush administration denied.

It gets worse. Apparently the only affected constituency that hasn't been made privy to the details of the deal, or included in the discussions, are the sugar farmers of Louisiana. This seems a bit secretive to me. And Joan McKinney, of Baton Rouge's The Advocate Online, writes:

The Bush administration will give the U.S. sugar industry its first look today at draft agreements on sugar trade between the United States and Mexico, but the key and most controversial issues will not be included in the review, according to a Louisiana congressman.

Why won't these "controversial issues" be included in the review? If keeping information hidden in this way doesn't constitute a "secret" deal, I don't know what does. A few paragraphs later, McKinney writes:

In addition to protesting the rumored level of the sugar import quota, U.S. cane growers also have charged U.S. trade negotiators have disclosed only the administration's general trade goals and have denied access to the actual texts of U.S. and Mexican proposals and counter-proposals.

Denied access to the affected US industry?!?! How much more "secretive" can you get?

I don't care how Bush spins this, he lied! I wish we had him saying so under oath, then we could impeach him for perjury. But, heck, if it ain't under oath, I guess it's o.k. to lie through your teeth and still feel like an honest, decent human being all full of integrity.

Lagniappe - I find it amusing and ironic that some conservatives cannot help but come down as hard on democrats for Trent Lott's gaffe as they do on Lott himself. Believe me, Trent Lott's problem is exclusively his own. It belongs to no other person or party. I can't wait to see how Lott's demise - and the corresponding connection between his statement and the GOP's connection to racial backwardness - becomes part of the vast, left-wing, Bill Clinton conspiracy. It's especially amusing that conservatives have the gall to get their gander up when Bill Clinton, a man constantly humiliated, belittled, and abused by Republicans, gets a little bit of payback by suggesting that Trent Lott reflects what the GOP does secretly on the "back streets" in the south. Are those "racist" Republican conservatives finally feeling some sympathy for us "morally relativistic" and "sexually-perverted" Democratic liberals? Oh, and one final comment: to all you Republicans who are finding some moral comfort in demanding that Trent Lott resign his Senate Majority leadership post, why not demand the full kit-and-kaboodle of Trent Lott's expulsion from the Senate. If there were such a thing as "impeachment" of a Senator (and for all I know, there very well may be), why not demand it? If you really want to pat yourself on the back, and say how much better you are than the Democrats who rallied to Clinton's defense, then find a way to impeach Lott.

Blog Banter - The debate raging among conservative intelligentsia these days is whether or not the Lott fiasco has exposed a fault line (race) within the conservative movement that differentiates paleocons (such as Pat Buchanan, Bob Novak, etc.), traditional conservatives (such as Andrew Sullivan, Jonah Goldberg, Bill Buckley and the National Review crowd), and neocons (ex-liberals Charles Krauthammer, Bill Kristol, etc.).

Naturally, Krauthammer writes in defense of the neocon crowd and places opposition to Lott within the conservative movement most squarely in these ex-liberals who supported the color-blindness of the Civil Rights movement, but who became critical when this turned into racial preferences. Jonah Goldberg, as might be expected, comes to the defense of traditional conservatives arguing that the concept of racial color-blindness is not a neocon import, but has always been a part of thoughtful conservative ideology. Andrew Sullivan, for his part, argues in his Daily Dish for Friday, December 20 that the split is not shades of ideology, but rather generational - in that "younger" conservatives (those who came of age in the Affirmative Action age, rather than the "segregation/civil rights" age), don't frame the race issue in the same way as "older" conservatives. Virginia Postrel, identified by Jonah Goldberg as a traditional conservative, but self-identified as "an old southern liberal," sees the divide in geographical terms, i.e. North vs. South. Postrel's view, I think, is paralleled by Jonah Goldberg's National Review colleague Rod Dreher, who has a wonderful piece on the "Southern" angle.

Being from the deep south myself, I find much value and truth in Postrel's and Dreher's points of view, and I think Andrew Sullivan's generational argument also has some merit. But I think they are all incomplete. Having also lived in Reading, PA, for a number of years, and having witnessed knee-jerk anti-hispanic discrimination as well as David Duke-ish KKK activities in and around the Reading area, I can confirm that the geographic "peculiarities" on race in the South that Dreher and Postrel seem so taken by are by no means exclusive to the South. And having seen some "younger" folk in and around the suburbs of New Orleans (even though more "exposed" to inter-racial contact) reflect the same racial attitudes as their "elders," I am prone to think that Sullivan's generational argument is not without its flaws.

My own experience and reflection on the subject leads me to believe that the real dividing line on the issue of race among conservatives is between the thoughtful conservative intelligentsia, who tend to approach the subject of race within the conservative movement with a great degree of circumspection and critical self-reflection (an "ivory-tower" perspective, if you will), and your average, working-class street conservative whose views and thoughts on race are more conditioned by local and environmental contexts than by any real thoughtfulness or critical reflection on the subject. It is just as much an educational and class division as anything else. I have found that young white males who grow up in St. Bernard Parish and attend racially-integrated public schools, and who have never lived in a "segregationist" community as it was understood 40 years ago, are just as likely to hold the same racial attitudes as are their "segregationist" forbears. In fact, it sometimes seems worse because the patronizing attitudes are still present, but without the corresponding "gentility" of previous generations that Rod Dreher captures so well in his stories about the racism of the segregationist era in the South. In order for there to be some critical reflection on the question of race, there first must be some reflection. And I find that for most people class and education determine an ability for reflection - regardless of ideological sympathy, generational identity, or geographical location.

Lagniappe - The New York Times has editorialized about the GOP "changing of the guard" from Lott to Frist as Senate Majority Leader. The last sentence of the editorial states: "One of the obvious lessons of the Lott firestorm is that the Republicans must give much more than a passing glance to the record of the person they choose to lead them." For the next two years, the spotlight will be almost unfairly pinpointed on every small movement made by the GOP leadership - just because of the overwhelming and unopposed power the Republican party commands over the federal government.

I will mention again my belief that single party governance is no cake-walk. The simple fact is that the GOP effectively controls both chambers of Congress, the Presidency, and the Supreme Court. In the public's mind this makes any excuse for GOP blustering and inaction unacceptable; it gives the illusion to GOP lawmakers that things ought to proceed seamlessly and smoothly, thus leading to a "relaxing" of the GOP guard; and it gives license to the Democrats to take the gloves off and pull out the stops since there is really nothing more to lose. All of this only makes governing that much more difficult for the GOP. Not to say the GOP can't rise to the challenge, but it won't be easy. This whole Lott affair encapsulates this dynamic: Lott let down his guard and the response was exceedingly and unexpectedly (even if justifiably) brutal; but the GOP seems to have struggled and limped through it, though with clear damage done. Democrats were for the most part silent on this matter, preferring to let the GOP leadership battle it out. As long as there is no "opposition" in positions of power to at least give the appearance of a "balance" of power, I predict more such scenarios of internecine conflict for the GOP over the next two years.

Cuaderno Latinoamericano - Ginger Thompson, of the New York Times, reports on the approaching ten year mark of NAFTA and what this will mean in terms of the removal of the last vestiges of Mexican tariffs on US Agricultural imports. James Dao, also of the NYT, writes on the fate of Otto Reich as Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs. The Washington Post reports on US Social Security funds working their way down to Mexico. Hugh Dellios, of the Chicago Tribune, takes up the subject of loan schemes in Costa Rica that take advantage of US expats and retirees. The LA Times has a wonderful commentary on the current Venezuelan crisis and the difficulties it poses for US policy towards that important oil-producing country.

Lagniappe - As an experiment, and more to see how it looks on the page than for any other vain hope of actually receiving a donation, I have placed a link to PayPal on this site (in the left-hand column). At the very least, it gives a new dimension to my "Lagniappe" blog category!

Lagniappe - I would like to go on record to make the following prediction: Should Trent Lott fight for his position as Majority Leader of the Senate, and should he succeed in his efforts, both Lincoln Chafee AND John McCain will bolt the GOP and vote with Democrats to give the Democrats, once again, control over the Senate. My reasoning is simple.

Lincoln Chafee has always been considered the next potential Jim Jeffords and has been criticized for his moderate positions from within his own party. This cannot sit well with Chafee under normal circumstances. However, now that Chafee has staked his position squarely against Trent Lott, he is basically giving his party an ultimatum which, if not heeded, will make life all the more uncomfortable for Chafee in a GOP controlled Senate under Lott's leadership. Now that Chafee's on the public record against a Lott leadership, that's an easy call to make.

The McCain angle is a bit more complicated, since McCain has been relatively quiet on the Lott controversy to date. But, the clincher for the McCain switch has nothing to do with the Lott problem directly. My thinking is that, with Al Gore out of the 2004 Presidential race on the Democratic ticket, McCain's only nationally-recognized and fully publicly vetted competition for a potential Democratic nomination in the 2004 Presidential race is no longer in the picture. Switching parties to capture the Democratic 2004 Presidential nomination must be very tempting for McCain, who is considered anathema among Republicans to GOP orthodoxy, and very appealing to moderate Democratic and Republican voters - the so-called "swing" voters. If Lott prevails, it will give very good cover to McCain to leave the GOP and join with the Democrats - especially if he can "share" the burden and the criticism of such a move with Chafee and deflect such potential criticism on the basis of a "principled" rationale for bolting as opposed to an "opportunistic" rationale (not to mention extracting some plum concessions from the Senate Democratic Leadership in doing so). Put it this way: I'd vote for McCain on the Democratic ticket given what I see as the lack of available viable alternatives to challenge Bush in 2004.

But all this depends on Lott's fight to keep hold of the Senate Leadership post. I'm not at all sure Lott will prevail; and, in fact, my money is that he doesn't. But if he does, take note of what happens and, should things turn out as I have predicted, remember that, as far as I am aware, I called it first.

Lagniappe - When the President's brother and the President's black Secretary of State both come out publicly against Trent Lott, you know that the man is finished as Majority Leader of the Senate - no ifs, ands, or buts about it now. The only question remains now is how far Trent Lott will go to damage his Party further.

Liberal Lighthouse - You go, girl! Maureen Dowd on Trent Lott:

"You know you're in trouble when Clarence Thomas is playing Martin Luther King to your David Duke."

Ouch!!

Cuaderno Latinoamericano - Otto Reich: May he wait in limbo forever. Just like his nemesis Fidel Castro, Reich is an anachronism. The position needs someone with a vision that extends beyond the Florida straits.

Lagniappe - I have not commented on the Trent Lott situation because I think conservatives, to their credit, have been providing enough thoughtful criticism for all of us. Andrew Sullivan and the folks at The National Review are clear and unwavering in their denunciation of Trent Lott and what his comments represented. How stunning a reversal of fortunes for the Republican Party in only a mere month since the party's spectacular performance in the latest elections. From adding a few seats in the House, and from retaking the Senate, (an unprecedented achievement given the historical record of midterm elections for the party holding the Presidency), the GOP has witnessed the following: (1) the sacking of the Treasury Secretary, Paul O'Neill, and the Chief Economic Advisor to the President, Larry Lindsey, in order to address the poor performance of this administration on the economy; (2) the Louisiana run-off victories of Democrats Mary Landrieu and Rodney Alexander in the face of full-frontal assault by the national GOP; (3) the blunder of Trent Lott, which has divided the GOP Senate and thrown the GOP Senate leadership into full-blown crisis; (4) Henry Kissinger's resignation in the face of widespread criticism as Bush's designee to head up the bi-partisan panel charged with investigating the failure of National Security agencies in dealing with the 9/11 tragedy, etc. ...

As I wrote in an earlier posting, single-party monopoly of government does not a governance cake-walk make. In fact, if anything, single-party dominance of the three branches of government makes governing harder by raising expectations in the light of essentially non-existent opposition/gridlock. It appears now that the GOP is imploding under the weight of its victory and the burdens of governance that came along with it.

Democrats are watching and waiting ... and if the Democratic Party can begin to stake out a coherent position of opposition to the GOP on issues of substance to the American public, it will stand an excellent chance in the next national election cycle in two years. What was perhaps the finest performance of the GOP in this Century, could also be followed by its most tragic performance as well. And the legacy of George W. Bush could go tragically (and ironically) down with it. If such comes to pass, the pundits will be comparing George I and George II along more parallel lines than was expected only a short month ago.