The Congress Critters Want Our Wood!

I'mALumbermanAndI'mOK*
IMakeBadDealsAndIKeepMyPayVille**

Wow! The 'Lumberman of the Year' and MP for Canforcouver Kingsway must be ecstatic about this latest development:

WASHINGTON, June 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Rep. Jim Kolbe (R-AZ), along with Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD), Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN), Rep. Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), Rep. Mark Souder (R-IN) and Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-NY) sent a letter to President Bush, U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez, asking for free market treatment of Canadian softwood lumber imports. Below is the text from the letter.

(as prepared)

Dear Mr. President:
As the U.S. and Canada conclude final details on a resolution to the softwood lumber
 dispute, we are writing to express our continued interest that the free market
 be allowed to operate with respect to lumber imports.  We should strive to provide
the best price to consumers for lumber.....

So.

What's the problem?

Mr Emerson always said he runs his constituency office in a non-partisan manner.

And if four Republican congressmen and a couple of Democrats aren't non-partisan in the extreme, what the heck is?

What's that, you say?

There are residency rules for constituents?

Don't be ridiculous!

After all, we are all North Americans now.

Aren't we?

_____
*For a graphic illustration par excellence see Alison's place.
**Well, technically, it's a Softwood-assisted pension as opposed to straight pay from Canfor, a corporation that will almost certainly do well if there is, indeed, an agreement/capitulation, regardless the terms.

.