At the last Democratic debate Hillary Clinton couldn't even bring herself to say one of the most significant legacies of her husband's Administration, NAFTA, was a good thing. Between that and her calls for a "time out" on trade it's depressingly clear how far the current Democratic Party has strayed from the support of free trade espoused by the DLC and Bill Clinton in the 1990's.

Symbolic of the now yawning divide between the parties, Mitt Romney came to Seattle today and lead off his press availability talking about the importance of trade in a globalized economy, while specifically speaking to Washington being the most trade dependent state in the nation. While Democratic Presidential candidates are running from free trade, Republicans want more of it.

Romney voiced support for a "level playing field" on trade, with strong support for intellectual property rights (no small issue with Microsoft and other high tech companies). He lamented the "protectionist type policies" of his Democratic competitors, a point underscored by his traveling press aide speaking to reporters afterward.

How far has the trade debate moved? The slightly left-of-center Seattle Times editorial board supports all four trade agreements pending before Congress - with Peru, Panama, Columbia, and South Korea. Such support of free trade is commonplace among major editorial boards across the country, such as the Washington Post, who are no bastions of conservative thought.

Yet the Democratic Congress has struggled to pass even the relatively non-controversial trade deals with Peru and Panama this year. The more important agreements with Columbia, a valuable Latin American ally, and with South Korea, the 13th largest economy in the world, appear dead in the water. While Clinton calls for a "time out," Romney voiced his support for all four trade deals this morning when queried.

Romney furthermore said that if current WTO negotiations are unproductive, the US should work toward a "Reagan Zone of Economic Freedom," whereby the United States would work with countries with whom it has existing bilateral trade agreements to create a broader, mutually inclusive free trade zone between interested nations. That's a far cry from a trade "time out."

Other press availability notes:

The discourse, mostly from the national reporters in tow, trying to elicit responses regarding other candidates focused on Mike Huckabee and Rudy Giuliani. No mention of John McCain or Fred Thompson by Romney or the reporters. Romney did continue his disagreement with Rudy Giuliani over New York being a sanctuary city, calling the policy "a mistake." He also pushed back on a question about Huckabee's local Evangelical support saying there are a number of issues at play in the nomination contest, citing Huckabee's record of frequent tax increases as Governor and his support of in-state tuition breaks for the children of illegal immigrants.

Also of note, Romney's press aide, Eric Fehrnstrom, confirmed to me Romney's support of a significant increase in H1-B visas for hard-to-find, highly skilled workers, another huge issue for Microsoft and the high tech industry. Fehrnstrom said:

It's doesn't make sense to give foreign students who come here to study computer science or engineering a visa on the condition that they leave once they graduate. Governor Romney wants to make it easier for people with skills and education to come here and stay here.

Personal observation:

I'm no fashion expert, but Mitt Romney's tailor is worth every penny.

Odd fact:

Both vehicles in Romney's entourage headed out of Seatac had Alaska plates, a peculiar find in and of itself in the Seattle area, plus Romney's rig was a "Flex Fuel" Suburban.

UPDATE: Romney's campaign has a PowerPoint up on the trade issues discussed today, including the Washington specific information.

David Postman's coverage of the event is up too.