Democrats reject Obama on trade

Sensing his free trade agenda was hours from a stunning defeat, President Barack Obama went to Capitol Hill on Friday morning to make a personal plea for his own party's support.

Democrats ignored him.

And now, the prospects for the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the biggest free trade deal in history, to be finalized and adopted are grim -- unless Democrats can be convinced to change their minds or Republicans can find another way to revive the bills and rescue Obama's biggest second-term legislative priority.

The House overwhelmingly rejected the first in a series of trade bills Friday, with Democrats voting against a program that aids displaced workers -- in large part because, under the chamber's procedures, its defeat meant the vote on the so-called "fast track" bill that followed was only symbolic, so the measure couldn't be sent to Obama's desk.

In a statement released Friday afternoon, Obama praised the approval of the fast-track bill and continued to press for passage of the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

"These kinds of agreements make sure that the global economy's rules aren't written by countries like China; they're written by the United States of America," Obama said. "And to stand in their way is to do nothing but preserve the long-term status quo for American workers, and make it even harder for them to succeed."

But Friday's votes provided the clearest evidence yet that, with 19 months left in his presidency, Obama's pulpit is less bully than it's ever been before.

It also showcased the strength of populist elements of both parties, who beat back an intense lobbying push from traditional Washington forces like the Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers.

Friday's vote doesn't mean the package of trade bills are dead. House Republican leaders have called for re-votes by Tuesday, and noted that they could even delay those votes further if necessary, buying Obama a little more time to lobby his own party and GOP leaders time to twist arms.

In fact, the most controversial element of the package -- trade promotion authority, which allows Obama to submit deals like the 12-country Trans-Pacific Partnership to Congress for a vote without amendments, which trade negotiators say is crucial to finalizing the deal -- actually narrowly passed.

That vote, though, was meaningless because of House procedural rules that said a separate bill that included Trade Adjustment Assistance -- a program that helps workers who lose their jobs due to trade shifts, and that's typically favored by Democrats -- also had to pass, but it was defeated, 302-126.

But the prospect of a re-vote gave the White House reason for optimism on Friday.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest termed the trade failure a "procedural snafu," adding that it still reflected a success that lawmakers were able to pass promotion authority.

Earnest called Obama's visit with House Democrats on Friday "productive" and said the President would continue working with lawmakers to advance his trade agenda.

(CNN)