U.S. president George Bush has been playing both sides of the BSE issue, proclaiming the need for an open border while refusing to aggressively make the argument to cattle industry protectionists, says a prominent U.S. farm policy analyst.
“I think the Bush administration could do something,” said agriculture expert and political adviser David Kohl of Virginia. “I’m disappointed. They talk about free trade and open borders. Let’s stop the talk and see some action.”
He was an adviser to Congress during preparation of the 2002 U.S. farm bill and is a policy consultant for many American farm groups.
Kohl conceded that Bush cannot subvert the judicial process but he said Bush could have used the persuasive power of his office and his status within the cattle industry to more forcefully make the case that a closed border violates trade law and harms the American packing industry and the reputation of the U.S. as a rules-based trader.
