Bush highlights Nagin’s Colombia support

President Bush is using New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin’s support for the Colombia free trade agreement to tweak Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Democrats.

{mosads}In a speech in New Orleans Tuesday, Bush highlighted a letter the Democratic mayor sent to Pelosi last November asking her to support the Colombia trade deal, as well as similar deals with South Korea and Panama. Nagin’s letter said the agreements would help his city “increase international economic development.”

House Republican offices circulated the letter and Bush’s speech to reporters.

Bush tried to force the House to vote on Colombia two weeks ago, but Pelosi changed House rules to thwart him.

Bush’s use of Nagin as a political ally on trade may raise some eyebrows, since the mayor has criticized the administration for not doing enough for the city in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

But Colombia is one of the top foreign markets for Louisiana, and the port of New Orleans is a hotbed of shipping.