Gephardt Says He Opposed NAFTA From Start

AP ^ | 12-30-03 | WILL LESTER

[Indy Pendance]

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Democratic presidential candidate Dick Gephardt says he opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement and similar policies from the start because he knew they would be economically destructive. His fellow rivals, he says, have recently shifted to his position.

"I've been amazed to hear the other candidates, now they sound just like me," the Missouri congressman said Tuesday during a conference call with reporters. "Everything I predicted would happen (because of trade policies) is now happening."

Gephardt is trying to lay claim to the trade issue, especially as a boost in South Carolina, which holds a crucial presidential primary on Feb. 3, along with six other states. South Carolina has lost jobs in the textile and apparel industry and voters are sensitive about the issue.

"Trade is inevitable, it's good, it increases competition," Gephardt said. "But if it's not done correctly ... ultimately, it will not help anybody."

Gephardt said Howard Dean and other rivals supported NAFTA and relaxed trade policies with China. He said Dean "was one of the biggest supporters of NAFTA, one of the biggest supporters of the China agreement, now he's had an 11th hour conversion."

As governor of Vermont, Dean supported NAFTA and wrote President Clinton a letter in favor of the China legislation. Sens. John Kerry of Massachusetts and Sen. Joe Lieberman of Connecticut supported both measures.

"Dick Gephardt is a good man, but he's had 26 years in Washington, D.C., to get things done on trade issues and American workers have little in the way of real results to show for it," said Dean spokesman Jay Carson.

Dean told about 200 people in Georgetown, S.C., that the United States must change its trade deals with other countries, citing 600 jobs lost in a nearby steel mill because of competition overseas.

"There will be no new trade agreements under President Dean until we fix the ones we've got," he said. That includes doing business only with those countries with organized labor that enforce child labor, occupational safety and health standards "because otherwise free trade is not fair trade and it doesn't work."

Kerry spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said Kerry "has taken a balanced approach to trade by fighting to protect workers at home while expanding markets for American goods and services."

Kerry's campaign released a series of quotes from Gephardt highlighting his frequent support of free trade.

"He supports good deals and opposes bad ones," said Gephardt spokesman Erik Smith said. "He's not one of these knee-jerk supporters who's for every trade deal that comes down the pike."

Gephardt has called Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina a "Johnny-come-lately" to the cause, noting his vote for the China trade deal now blamed for problems in the textile and apparel industries.

Edwards spokesman Roger Salazar said his candidate is "proud of the strong record he's had on protecting workers."

Gephardt's sharpest differences on trade are with Lieberman, a strong supporter of trade legislation passed while Clinton was in office.

"The largest economic expansion in American history took place under Bill Clinton," said Lieberman spokesman Jano Cabrera, "and a key part of Bill Clinton's economic strategy included expanding free but fair trade."

[SandRat]

And just how long is it going to take a fellow FR to find out the real voting record of "Little Dickey-bird" on this?