Obama: Trade deals will help American jobs

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is promoting his trade policies, telling allies he is willing to pursue international commerce agreements even if they are unpopular with Democrats.

Obama is seeking to assure Democratic activists and donors that his trade policies will protect U.S. jobs and environmental rules. He was speaking Thursday at a gathering of Organizing for Action, the group that grew from his presidential campaign organization.

Obama says critics who say a trade deal with Pacific Rim countries is bad for working families "don't know what they're talking about."

He says the U.S. is "not going to stop the global economy at our shores."

Many liberals and labor unions are opposed to giving Obama fast-track authority to negotiate trade deals. They say past deals have cost U.S. jobs.