use of every political tool available to President Carters team. It was a battle won vote by vote, through personal appeals, political accommodations, and occasionally silly details. Carter recall one senator, a former college professor, was proud of a book he had written on semantics. Before meeting with him to try to persuade him to vote for the treaties, Carter read the entire book which was really boring and proved that he had by discussing some of its point with him. He eventually got the senators vote. (Second Decade)In 1988 the canal became involved in a struggle for power in Panama. Manuel Noreiga had assumed military power over Panama. In response President Ronald Reagan decided to ban the annual payments to Panama and freeze Panamas assets in U.S. banks. This cut Noriega revenue by $180 million a year. (Dolan 140)Facing a rapidly deteriorating situation, President Bush ordered U.S. troops into Panama on December 20 1989, to protect U.S. citizens, to meet treaty responsibilities, to defend the canal, and to assist in restoring democracy and bring Noreiga to Justice. The Panamanian democratic opposition formed a new government led by President Guillermd Endum. (Second Decade)Finally Panama was under democratic control and had something to look forward to. The turning over of the Panama Canal to Panama. No longer would their economic depend on how another country wanted to run things. They now will decide how they want to run the canal. And they will run it as the please because as of December 31, 1999, the day the U.S. turned over the canal, they owned the canal. Finally after decades of frustration they were truly free.Politics will undoubtedly have an influence in the maintaining, the economics, and the operation of the Panama Canal in the years to come. They will help the canal expand in the lives of more Panamanians and maybe someday even building of another canal over the Isthmus of Panama....
