In Pennsylvania’s Democratic presidential primary Tuesday, won by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), exit polls showed voters overwhelmingly see the country as in recession and view the economy as their top concern. Both Clinton and rival Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) in their campaigning were critical of the impact of free trade agreements, especially the North American Free Trade Agreement. Those exit polled gave Clinton the edge as most capable of repairing the economy (CNN). Obama still retains the edge in delegate counting and the contest will continue with May 6 primaries in Indiana and North Carolina.

The presumptive Republican candidate, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), campaigned Tuesday in nearby Youngstown, Ohio, trying to assure a struggling industrial area. He said he could not promise lost manufacturing jobs would come back but expressed confidence that retraining and education programs could revive the region by bringing information-technology jobs (WSJ).

Meanwhile, a summit meeting involving the three parties to NAFTA — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — concluded on Tuesday with a strong endorsement of the trade deal  by the countries’ leaders.