Obama and his GOP allies launch big effort to win trade fight in the House

President Obama opened an intense final round of lobbying to win support for his sweeping Pacific Rim trade deal ahead of a crucial vote in the House next week, expressing confidence he will overcome deepening skepticism among fellow Democrats.

The president granted a round of interviews to television stations in Texas, California and Washington state late Wednesday in a bid to provide political cover to wavering lawmakers in states that are heavily reliant on foreign trade.

“I never hypothesize that we’re not going to get this done,” Obama told a Seattle affiliate. “I’m pretty confident we’re going to be able to get this done.”