I Can't Keep Track Of The Flip-Flops
By Pejman Yousefzadeh Posted in Barack Obama | Economic Ignorance | Economy | Free Trade | Protectionism — Comments (6) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
John McCain criticized Barack Obama's winks and nods towards protectionists today in a speech. The substance is notable, of course, and readers know that trade policy is very interesting indeed, as far as I am concerned, so the substance alone is enough to grab my attention.
But for this post, I want to focus my attention on the Obama campaign's response:
In a teleconference on Friday, the Obama campaign said "absolutely ... Barack Obama will reopen negotiations on NAFTA" to add tougher environmental and labor rules.
Otherwise, said Senator Sherrod Brown, an Obama administration "could" withdraw the United States from NAFTA.
"I have been assured by him and his economic advisor," said Brown. "There is no question, his position is constant and will stay that way on the North American free trade (pact) and on trade generally," he said.
So, this sounds as if Obama will act unilaterally to renegotiate terms and if necessary, pull the United States out of NAFTA. Which of course causes one to look back at this from yesterday. Remember these words?
In an interview with Fortune to be featured in the magazine's upcoming issue, the presumptive Democratic nominee backed off his harshest attacks on the free trade agreement and indicated he didn't want to unilaterally reopen negotiations on NAFTA.
"Sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified," he conceded, after I reminded him that he had called NAFTA "devastating" and "a big mistake," despite nonpartisan studies concluding that the trade zone has had a mild, positive effect on the U.S. economy.
Does that mean his rhetoric was overheated and amplified? "Politicians are always guilty of that, and I don't exempt myself," he answered.
So which is it? Is Obama going to reopen negotiations unilaterally and potentially pull the United States out of NAFTA unilaterally as well? Or does the "my rhetoric was overheated and amplified so you really shouldn't pay attention to it" excuse stand?
Either way, this is a sorry display. Obama veers wildly from giving comfort to protectionists to trying to convince free traders that he really is on their side. I know that there is pandering in politics but usually, the pandering is carried off in a more . . . how to phrase this? . . . professional manner.
Then again, maybe this isn't pandering. Maybe Obama and his campaign genuinely don't have a clue as to what their policy is or is going to be when it comes to free trade. And if so, that's even scarier than finding that they are pandering.
« Dueling June Obama fundraising claims? — Comments (2) | Obama Retreats on FISA — Comments (16) »
I Can't Keep Track Of The Flip-Flops 6 Comments (0 topical, 6 editorial, 0 hidden) Post a comment »
Kerry at least put his vote where his mouth was.
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
don't have a clue what any of their policies or positions are going to be, until the polls tell him what his position is. He flips and flops more than any fish I've ever seen after it's been boated.
And yet the AP writes McCain hammered for missteps today for their article lead.
Folks, we have media, entertainment, and you name it against us this year. We are even going to be outspent.
Imagine if the Democrats ever picked a decent candidate ?
"Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it."
-Thomas Paine: The American Crisis, No. 4, 1777
That he'll reopen NAFTA... Obama wants to win Ohio, needs Brown's support, and Sherrod Brown is the left-wing equivalent of Pat Buchanan with the reflexive "trade BAD!" spiel. No more complicated than that...
...just try telling that to people who want to vote for him based on one position or the other rather than both.
"Once within the maw of Leviathan, degree of digestion is irrelevant." - Michael Fisk
This guy is way worse than John F Kerry.
Now also found at The Minority Report