Whew…ten years sure goes by quickly. A decade ago, labor led, along with environmentalists and other civic-minded groups, a challenge to the framework of so-called "free trade" in the streets of Seattle. A few days ago, I wondered why a Democratic president would be on a path to push through a so-called "free trade" deal negotiated by a previous Republican Administration.

   On that theme, there is an effort to appeal to the president to shift course, on the anniversary of the Seattle challenge, with a letter to the president:

Ten years ago in Seattle, Americans protesting the devastating impact of the WTO’s corporate globalization agenda on our jobs, wages and the environment stopped a WTO expansion plan. Now, big corporations are back at it again. Their “Doha Round” WTO expansion will hurt us economically, increase the flood of unsafe imports and undermine efforts to reregulate the banks and stabilize our economy.

The economic crisis has painfully demonstrated that the current rules of the global economy have failed us. Time is overdue to turnaround the WTO. We supported your campaign commitments to create a new trade policy that works for all of us, not just the special interests. That is why we are calling on you to replace Bush’s more-of-the-same WTO expansion agenda.  We’re ready to fight for a WTO turnaround plan we hope you will lead.

   Here it is.