Those who think that the right of American politics is all about Jesus should think again. Conservatives have a religion they are much more faithful to despite far more evidence that it's a fraud. That religion is free trade.

Free trade as a concept is fine. Eliminate trade barriers between countries to allow both parties access at the other's market.  But in practice, it doesn't work so well when one party's par capita GNP is massively higher than the other. That's where you get Ross Perot's "giant sucking sound".

Permanent friend trade status with China has flooded the US with cheap Chinese products that have put thousands of Americans out of work. We're working our way up the chain to outsource our R&D and engineering jobs to China and India as well. 

"Free" trade with Mexico has seen countless American manufacturing jobs shifted south of the border where pollution controls are nil and wages tiny. 

And what has this "free" trade done for Americans? Those left with jobs get slightly cheaper goods. But American companies don't get new markets.  China buys very little from America.  Mexico even less. 

And now Bush wants to expand this wonderful policy to Central America, a land with the gross national product of a modest-sized American city.  What are these people going to buy? What are we going to export to Nicaragua other than high paying manufacturing jobs?

Bush defenders try to point out that cheaper goods helps us all. That's only true if people have jobs that can pay for adequate housing. The Bush administration's trade policies will slowly create a generation of Americans that work at two levels - the high paid managers of foreign workers and everyone else who will work in the retail retail service industry at very low wages. 

With any luck, CAFTA won't pass any time soon. But given the right's blind faith in universal free trade, I won't hold my breath. Americans desperately need a President who is President of all people, not just people who hang out at the countryclub.