El Presidente Wraps Carolina in Whole (Cheap) Cloth

According to the Charlotte Observer, El Presidente is showing up in the textile belt of North Carolina Friday to try to shore up support for his Central America Free Trade (CAFTA) Agreement. When he visits a textile mill at Dallas, N.C., and then speaks later at Gaston College, he'll be in Sue Myrick's district. Myrick, according to the Observer, is one of only two representatives in all the Carolinas who supports the Prez on this: "A poll of 39 House members from the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama released Tuesday by Woman's Wear Daily showed Charlotte Republican Myrick one of only two members who support the agreement."

Could be that these mainly Republican representatives are bucking the president because their constituents have actually begun to notice that his economic policies are hurting them personally.

"Traveling to Myrick's district was apparently not the White House's first choice in planning the trip. Weeks ago, Bush's advisers had hoped to send the president to Rep. Howard Coble's district to try to turn the Greensboro Republican into a key 'yes' vote on CAFTA. 'They called and asked us how would we feel about the president coming to the 6th District and how would that affect his vote on CAFTA,' Coble spokesman Ed McDonald said. 'We said it would not move us one inch closer [to supporting the treaty].' "

Must make Gaston County feel extra special to know they're second choice on El Presidente's "to visit" list.