Thursday, March 11, 2010
Obama Speaks Truth to Power on Free Trade
Remarkable:
Obama pushes trade initiative as jobs helper
“President Barack Obama sought Thursday to put some detail behind his lofty drive to double U.S. exports over the next five years, calling the effort imperative to putting people back to work. “
Of course, he says all this “[i]n a speech to the Export-Import Bank conference.”
But some of you may remember Candidate Obama whistling a different tune a few years ago in Ohio:
"Only Barack Obama consistently opposed NAFTA," it declares. "A little more than a year ago, Hillary Clinton thought NAFTA was a 'boon' to the economy," it continues (citing a 9/11/06 item in Newsday). And, "Hillary Clinton was not with Ohio when our jobs were on the line. Why should we be with her now?" Obama Mailer Slams Clinton on NAFTA
Coincidently, I'm sure, polls showed that to be a popular message to Ohio Democrats.
But what about Canada?
“Clinton tried to make a meal over a report that Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee…told Canadians that Obama's anti-NAFTA rhetoric was just for show and that they should trust in Obama's free-trade credentials.” NAFTA Nonsense: Explaining the Clinton/Obama spat over trade policy.
A message for every audience.
Makes me a bit wistful though, that the President’s didn’t embrace this nascent enthusiasm for free trade and new-found understanding of its benefits a bit earlier in his term. What with all his Administration’s efforts to stimulate the economy, he’s been sitting all the while on THREE, “shovel-ready”, trade agreements.
Obama pushes trade initiative as jobs helper
“President Barack Obama sought Thursday to put some detail behind his lofty drive to double U.S. exports over the next five years, calling the effort imperative to putting people back to work. “
Of course, he says all this “[i]n a speech to the Export-Import Bank conference.”
But some of you may remember Candidate Obama whistling a different tune a few years ago in Ohio:
"Only Barack Obama consistently opposed NAFTA," it declares. "A little more than a year ago, Hillary Clinton thought NAFTA was a 'boon' to the economy," it continues (citing a 9/11/06 item in Newsday). And, "Hillary Clinton was not with Ohio when our jobs were on the line. Why should we be with her now?" Obama Mailer Slams Clinton on NAFTA
Coincidently, I'm sure, polls showed that to be a popular message to Ohio Democrats.
But what about Canada?
“Clinton tried to make a meal over a report that Obama economic adviser Austan Goolsbee…told Canadians that Obama's anti-NAFTA rhetoric was just for show and that they should trust in Obama's free-trade credentials.” NAFTA Nonsense: Explaining the Clinton/Obama spat over trade policy.
A message for every audience.
Makes me a bit wistful though, that the President’s didn’t embrace this nascent enthusiasm for free trade and new-found understanding of its benefits a bit earlier in his term. What with all his Administration’s efforts to stimulate the economy, he’s been sitting all the while on THREE, “shovel-ready”, trade agreements.
