I've pointed out recently how House Democrats have threatened to block Canadian oil imports. The proverbial thumb-in-the-eye of Colombia has also been well-chronicled. Now comes news that House Democrats may soon get the chance to kill the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement. That's because Korea has conceded on the one issue that is preventing the accord from coming up for a vote:

The U.S. and South Korea have reached formal agreement on a plan to lift the Asian nation's long ban on U.S. beef exports, removing a major impediment that has held up action in Congress on a trade pact that would tighten economic ties between the two nations...

Two-way trade between the U.S. and South Korea in 2007 totaled more than $80 billion. U.S. officials estimate the proposed trade deal would spur billions of dollars a year in added economic activity, boosting sales abroad of American-made goods but also opening creating new opportunities for U.S. financial-services companies. The deal with South Korea would be the largest U.S. bilateral trade pact since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

The usual cast of characters opposes the Korea FTA. The AFL-CIO says it hurts both the United States and Korea. Public Citizen has organized a coalition against the accord. A grand coalition of labor and environmental groups will soon descend upon Capitol Hill to threaten any Democrats who seem inclined to vote for the FTA.

Yet the agreement is another win-win for U.S. consumers and workers. Korea's agricultural tariffs are about four times those of the United States. Overall, Korea applies tariffs roughly three times those of this nation. Once the agreement is implemented, 95 percent of bilateral trade in consumer products will be duty-free, and more than half of all agricultural trade will be duty-free immediately. It's not surprising that the accord is supported by dozens of export-oriented U.S. industries.

The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement won't be sent to Capitol Hill immediately. While the administration may see political value in forcing House Democrats to go on record on the issue, they would rather see it enacted. Therefore the first step will be to hold consultations with Congressional leaders.

Congressional Democrats have a difficult negotiating position, however. The last thing they want to do is vote against the unions just a few months before election day. At the same time, it would be politically damaging to kill a second agreement with a key U.S. ally in such short order.

Of course, if Speaker Pelosi hadn't killed the Colombia FTA so rashly, they might not face such a tough choice.