This Bush negotiated agreement is an expansion of the NAFTA trade model which includes the most damaging elements of NAFTA, the investor priveleges chapter, nearly word-for-word.

In the House on November 8th, the agreement passed despite opposition from a majority of Dems including 3/4 of Democratic freshman who vividly remember their tough election campaigns and how the trade issue played.

Not a single environmental, family farm, major labor, Latino civil or faith group supports the Peru FTA and Peru's two labor federations also oppose it. Corporations like Walmart have been heavily lobbying in favor of the agreement.

The Senate vote is scheduled for 2:15 EST today, though many Senators still seem to be making up their minds.

What's in the Peru agreement?

* Foreign investor privileges identical to those found in NAFTA and CAFTA that create incentives for U.S. firms to move offshore and expose basic environmental, health, zoning and other laws to attack in foreign tribunals;

* Bans on "Buy America" and anti-offshoring policies;

* Threats to renewable energy, recycled content and prevailing wage procurement laws;

* Limits on food import safety standards and inspection rates;

* Agriculture rules identical to those found in NAFTA and CAFTA that are projected to increase coca production and create rural unrest in trade partners. Under NAFTA, these rules led to displacement of 1.3 million Mexican peasant farmers and a 60 percent increase in immigration from Mexico to the U.S.;

* Patent extensions that would provide large pharmaceutical companies new protections that limit poor countries' access to affordable medicines; and

* Peru FTA terms that could subject that country to compensation claims for reversing its Social Security privatization.

Also of interest is the field of presidential candidates' views on the Peru FTA - with Sens Clinton and Obama supporting while Edwards, Biden, Kucinich and Dodd all oppose. Here are their previous vote records on trade (includes the Repubs as well).

Now's the time to call your Senator about this bad deal!

And that's it - you can watch the vote at www.c-span.org of course.