HOUSE Speaker Nancy Pelosi changed the rules and postponed indefinitely a vote on a free-trade agreement with Colombia, a nation threatened by leftist terrorism and an uncontrollable drug trade.

The move is an insult to an ally whose next-door neighbor is Venezuela, where Hugo Chavez is busy seizing private property - steel companies and sugar plantations - in the name of nationalizing them.

It's also dumber than a box of rocks. The agreement would reduce tariffs on American goods sold in Columbia, expanding a market that American workers would benefit from serving.

At a time when Democrats say that they will "restore" American prestige in the world, such moves undercut the world's trust in the United States being true to its word.

Politics used to end at the water's edge. They still should - especially when American workers' long-term interests are at stake.

Surely, Democratic Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Nick Joe Rahall do not go along with this maltreatment of an ally and will press Pelosi for an up-or-down vote.

THE Rails-To-Trails program continues as the Greenbrier County Commission sent a letter to a federal agency seeking rights to a 16.7-mile stretch of an abandoned CSX rail line near Rainelle.

HOUSE Speaker Nancy Pelosi changed the rules and postponed indefinitely a vote on a free-trade agreement with Colombia, a nation threatened by leftist terrorism and an uncontrollable drug trade.

The move is an insult to an ally whose next-door neighbor is Venezuela, where Hugo Chavez is busy seizing private property - steel companies and sugar plantations - in the name of nationalizing them.

It's also dumber than a box of rocks. The agreement would reduce tariffs on American goods sold in Columbia, expanding a market that American workers would benefit from serving.

At a time when Democrats say that they will "restore" American prestige in the world, such moves undercut the world's trust in the United States being true to its word.

Politics used to end at the water's edge. They still should - especially when American workers' long-term interests are at stake.

Surely, Democratic Congressmen Alan Mollohan and Nick Joe Rahall do not go along with this maltreatment of an ally and will press Pelosi for an up-or-down vote.

THE Rails-To-Trails program continues as the Greenbrier County Commission sent a letter to a federal agency seeking rights to a 16.7-mile stretch of an abandoned CSX rail line near Rainelle.

The line extends into Fayette County. Said Commissioner Betty Crookshanks: "This could be the gateway that stretches from Rainelle to the Gauley River."

Greenbrier County already is home to the 79-mile Greenbrier River Trail, which links Caldwell to Marlinton.

While it is sad to see the railroads abandon some lines in the state, the development of those routes into hiking and biking trails reveals West Virginia at its best. Here's to more such efforts.

WHILE debate swirls over whether President Bush should boycott the opening ceremonies of the Olympics to protest China's treatment of Tibet, there is no doubt that China is very much tied to the economy of the United States. And vice versa.

West Virginia is no exception, with China being a major consumer of West Virginia exports.

Thus it was good news when the state Department of Education announced that Chinese language classes will be offered in five more counties. It already is available in Barbour, Cabell, Kanawha and Lincoln counties.

West Virginians face worldwide competition for jobs and industry. The state has much to offer, but it needs residents who can make the sales pitch in the language of the customer.