Wall Street Journal - December 10, 1999
POLITICAL FALLOUT spreads from the failed trade talks in Seattle.
The Teamsters union likely will withhold any presidential endorsement until after Congress's vote next year on normal trading status for China, which the union opposes. A January ruling on access to the U.S. for Mexican trucks is another priority. One goal is to put maximum pressure on Gore. The delay also would give Bush one more chance to meet with the Teamsters' executive board, scheduled to convene in January.
The White House looks to outmaneuver critics by pushing for an early China vote. Chief of Staff Podesta plans a strategy session Monday with officials of the manufacturers' association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Business Roundtable. Chamber chief Thomas Donohue vows to step up pro-trade efforts in 66 key congressional districts.
A Teamsters spokesman says the Seattle protests were a "defining moment for labor in redefining ourselves as a force to be reckoned with."