A visit with Desmond and Bill

I had the welcome chance to visit today with both trade expert Bill Bryant of Bryant Christie Inc. and noted economist Desmond O'Rourke, president of Belrose Inc., Pullman, Wash.

I asked them about trade promotion authority and the significance of the current lapse of the authority for President Bush. O'Rourke was the more pessimistic of the two.

“How can the greatest trading nation in the world not have its chief executive be able to negotiate treaties?” “It’s absolutely absurd for a country the size of the United States to tie its hands like that.”

Bryant noted that President Clinton did not have "fast track" or TPA through most of his presidency. It's not unusual for multi-lateral trade deals to span several presidents and he predicted the next U.S. president may wrap up the current WTO talks.

I also asked O'Rourke about a question that Nancy Foster of U.S. Apple recently indicated to me will be up for discussion at the U.S. Apple meeting in Chicago during August. Why have fresh apples done so well lately? I tell you what he said in a post later on today.