海角大神

President Obama has often been accused of being missing in action on Capitol Hill 鈥� not a schmoozer, not eager to put in the personal time with lawmakers to advance his priorities. But as described by Sen. Ron Wyden (D) of Oregon, Mr. Obama鈥檚 point person on trade in the Senate, 鈥渢he president was all-in on this issue.鈥�

No question, the president鈥檚 trade agenda took tremendous bipartisan effort聽to shape and pass. Senator Wyden took care to praise Republican leaders who he said were always 鈥渟traight鈥� with him. They rescued the trade package from a surprise derailment by House Democrats earlier this month. The president, too, applauded Republicans and Democrats for "coming together" on trade.

But it was Democrats who held the key to this presidential priority. Most Republicans in the GOP-controlled Congress may have agreed with Obama on trade, but not enough of them did. To win this signature item, Obama was going to have to win and hold聽some Democrats, and that was going to take persistent outreach and a convincing argument.

In the end, 鈥済utsy鈥� pro-trade Democrats in both houses stuck together despite pressure to abandon a deal, Wyden said. And a 鈥渧ery determined president鈥� used the bully pulpit to explain how his approach differs from trade policy of the 1990s, which many Democrats blame for lost jobs and lower wages.

His articulation of his policy 鈥渨as a very significant help鈥� as was his outreach to Congress, Wyden told reporters Wednesday.

The result was the passage of two trade bills by the Senate Wednesday. The first, called fast track, means that Congress cannot amend any trade bill the president negotiates 鈥� it can only vote up or down. The second provides assistance for workers displaced by global trade. Both bills have now passed both houses, and together, they are one of Obama鈥檚 major second-term priorities. He intends to use the authority to negotiate a historic trade deal with 11 other Pacific Rim nations.

To get to this point, the president put in hours on the phone with Wyden, at times talking two or three times a day, working out the next day鈥檚 strategy in 11 p.m. phone calls. And he stayed in touch with the GOP leadership.

But he also reached out to other lawmakers. Sen. Chris Coons (D) of Delaware says the president鈥檚 outreach persuaded him to vote 鈥測es.鈥�

In the five years since he鈥檚 been a senator, Senator Coons says he鈥檚 never had as much engagement with the White House on any issue as on trade. For months, the senator debated and discussed trade with the secretary of Labor, the secretary of Commerce, the US trade representative, the vice president, and yes, even the president.

Coons says he gave 鈥渃omparable鈥� time to labor and environmental leaders who strenuously oppose the president鈥檚 push for a Pacific trade deal.

But his mind was changed by the administration鈥檚 argument that the United States has an opportunity to positively influence the rules of global trade and strategic relations in the Pacific. He attributed Wednesday鈥檚 narrow Senate passage of 鈥渇ast track鈥� 鈥� with not one vote to spare 鈥� to the 鈥減ersonal, relentless, and effective鈥� lobbying of senators by Obama and his cabinet.

鈥淚 think that frankly is what made the difference,鈥� said Coons in an interview after the 60-to-38 vote that sent the bill to the president鈥檚 desk for signature.

Obama's outreach to members didn鈥檛 always work. His unexpected show at a congressional softball game on the eve of a key House vote set tweets aflutter, but not the hearts of opposing Democrats. The next morning, his rare visit to Capitol Hill didn鈥檛 dissuade them from killing his plan through an unusual move.

But Republican leaders found a way around that "procedural snafu," as Obama's spokesman called it, and聽the president persisted.

鈥淗e threw himself into it鈥�. He would not take 鈥榥o鈥� for an answer,鈥� says presidential scholar Martha Joynt Kumar, adding that Obama used every lever that a president has for influence, and he used them simultaneously.

Not that he wasn鈥檛 also very involved in the priority of his first term, the Affordable Care Act. But with the ACA, she says, he waited for people on the Hill to make decisions. This time, he moved directly.

鈥淚n 6-1/2 years, you bring to bear the lessons you have learned, and he did that.鈥�

Whether Obama can carry that forward to the rest of his agenda 鈥� infrastructure, corporate tax reform, immigration, the budget, and an Iran deal (if there is one) 鈥� is another matter.聽

He was able to pursue fast track because it aligned with the interest of Republicans.聽But the president and GOP leaders clash on many of these other issues, particularly over spending.

Meanwhile, the Democratic rift over trade has spilled into the presidential race, with Hillary Clinton waffling on her views of the Pacific trade deal. She supported it when she was the president's secretary of State.

On Thursday, Obama was clearly trying to heal the rift.

鈥淎s president, I've spent the last 6-1/2 years fighting to grow our economy and strengthen our middle class, and that remains my top priority today,鈥� he said in his statement. The new trade legislation will give workers 鈥渢he chance to compete and win.鈥�