Posted on 03/10/2004 4:43:33 AM PST by 1rudeboy
President George W. Bush hit back at Democratic critics of his administration's job-creation efforts on Tuesday, branding them as "economic isolationists" who would raise new trade barriers and damage the US economy.
The comments came as part of what appeared to be a co-ordinated administration effort to respond to growing political pressures over the slow pace of US job growth, which has helped push Mr Bush's likely Democratic opponent, John Kerry, ahead of the president in several recent polls.
In a speech in Virginia, Mr Bush said: "There are economic isolationists in our country who believe we should separate ourselves from the rest of the world by raising up barriers and closing off markets. They're wrong. If we are to continue growing this economy and creating new jobs, America must remain confident and strong about our ability to trade in the world."
Robert Zoellick, the US trade representative, similarly warned Congress on Tuesday that "given the fact we're now in a stage of an economic recovery, the absolutely worst thing we could do would be to turn to economic isolationism".
Mr Zoellick told the Senate finance committee that increasing US exports to countries such as China and India, encouraging foreign investment in the US, and helping workers adjust to the loss of some jobs abroad were better responses than "bureaucratic interventions that will increase prices to our people".
Mr Bush's comments came less than a week after the Senate passed legislation aimed at preventing US government contracts from being carried out by workers in developing countries.
The administration has been uncertain over how to respond to the continued slow pace of job creation. Mr Bush has sought to distance himself from recent remarks by a senior economic adviser, Gregory Mankiw, that outsourcing of jobs is just a part of trade and therefore good for the US economy. But the administration now appears set to mount a more robust defence of companies that move US jobs abroad.
"US companies with foreign affiliates now account for about 58 per cent of our exports," said Mr Zoellick. "So the companies that do business overseas are also exporting overseas."
"I think the challenge is: How do you help people in a way that doesn't hurt or kill other jobs?" he said, pointing out that the US currently runs a $60bn annual trade surplus in the service sector, which has seen a growing number of jobs moved to lower-wage countries.
Witness all the potential Kerry voters on this thread.
Ya that's right...
They are soo flippin selfish for not wanting to default on their mortgage.
Witness all the potential Kerry voters on this thread.
No one has supported Lurch - and besides, he's beholden to the same "Captains of Industry" who are shoving this down our throats.
It's the middle class that's getting outsourced and they voted for Bush in 2000. Who will make up their votes?
People don't seem to understand this either. I bet the buggy whip and typewriter manufacturers were just as po'd when it happened to them,
then they found jobs in the new industries.
The problem here is that I don't see what this newer, more (skillwise) demanding industry is at this time.
Dear Mr. Bush--I'll be voting for you, but it looks as if it's going to be with very little enthusiasm--much less than I had even a year ago.
I listen to your speeches, and I was inspired by your many calls to sacrifices.
I'm beginning to believe, however, that's all you have in store for us citizens--sacrifices.
The privileges and bounties of being Americans, or even legal resident aliens, are diminishing more every day.
While I want to see Iraq's borders protected, how I wish you regarded America's national sovereignty with as much passion. I'm so sick of seeing you grin at Vicente Fox I could heave.
It all started with that "willing workers for willing employers"--we all know that there are willing slaves for willing slave-drivers.
I just didn't know that that was what you had in mind for Americans.
Most of them are probably trolls anyway. Trade is good for an economy and the American economy has just continued to boom as its markets have been freed.
No it won't. "Outsourcing" gets a lot of screams from a vocal but very small minority. Most Americans aren't that stupid. Just watch.
Right now I am convinced that Bush does not want to win this election. He has done everything in his power to alienate most Americans. While this sort of talk may get him the "Corporate vote", it will not get him the other votes. It almost seems as if he thinks the War on Terror will win the election for him no matter what he does. If Kerry does win this election, I will place the blame soley on Bush and his advisors.
I think it's offshoring more than mere outsourcing that's the issue.
Not all of dem Rats oppose offshoring. On this issue Hillary is the President's sister.
According to the WSJ (Daniel Henninger) Hillary defended offshoring against Lou Dobbs' criticism of Tata Consultancy in Buffalo by saying, "I know they outsource jobs," the senator replied with the patience of Job, "but they've brought jobs to Buffalo. You know, outsourcing does work both ways."
"I'm not in favor of putting up fences around the country," said the Senator. [end excerpt]
"Free" trade supporters offer little more than a kind of "It's for the children" feeeeeeeeling as the benefit of "free" trade. Oddly, some are among the most vocal opponents of Kyoto, a thinly disguised ruse to distribute wealth to "developing nations."
But what is this version of "free" trade? Sending our technology, manufacturing, and IT-enabled services off shore and importing those goods and services redistributes wealth to "developing nations." Bad enough but what is really maddening is the way those nations became ready to receive our goodies. To wit, our government's help in building their infrastructures.
So why don't "free" traders join Hillary and support Kyoto also? Both take from those who have and give to those who need. Both remove resources from our Republic and give the resource to others. Oh, yeah. One helps the pocketbooks of a some Americans and the other doesn't..
This version of "free" trade is jobs chasing cheap labor and short-term gain, fair enough. That's life. But I suppose it's too much to ask 'em to stop lying about it?
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