[1rudeboy]

I think that, lost in all the static (and the bs hypotheticals), no one expects Obama to negotiate a FTA the benefits the U.S. I'm not even sure Obama expects it. By the time all of his special-interest constituencies (environuts, labor goons, and sundry campaign contributers, etc.) finish sticking their fingers in it, it won't resemble anything that Friedman (or Reagan) would imagine.

[expat_panama]

...no one expects Obama to negotiate a FTA...

Understood.  Like, this is the guy that said Gitmo would be closed in 2009.