HELPING HIM TRIANGULATE:

AFL-CIO, Steelworkers Oppose U.S.-South Korea Trade Deal (ELIZABETH WILLIAMSON, 12/08/10, WSJ)

The AFL-CIO--the nation's biggest labor federation and a pillar of the Democratic Party's political base--and the United Steelworkers both issued statements opposing the deal, following a week of studying the agreement. They were joined by a series of coalitions that traditionally oppose trade pacts.

President Barack Obama has pledged to double U.S. exports by 2015, and said he wants to conclude trade accords with Korea, Colombia, and Panama next year. The Obama administration tried to win labor's support for the revised Korea pact, and negotiated the deal in consultation with the United Auto Workers union. The UAW endorsed the deal, along with the United Food and Commercial Workers, whose members could benefit from expanded meat exports.