[goldstategop]

Yes... Kerry wants to kill Walmart and choke off cheap goods for ordinary Americans. That's what he and his party would do if they got their way on outsourcing - higher prices and fewer choices in consumer goods for Americans.

[Semper Paratus]

He's on thin ice here. No matter how logical his arguement is those that have jobs outsourced have families and friends who vote not to mention peers who worry if their next as well as those who have had their salaries reduced.

It adds up.

[Raleigh's Golden Mountaineer]

I would like to know Bush's justification for outsourcing government jobs - like the Wisconsin food stamp program. Here is Wisconsin, using the tax dollars of her citizens to pay people in some other country to answer the telephone questions of the citizens of Wisconsin on how to get Wisconsin tax dollars since they don't have jobs.

It seems to me that more people in Wisconsin would have jobs (and therefore need less food stamps) if the state of Wisconsin hired some of her citizens to answer the telephones.

[BikePacker]

Doesn't "TRADE" imply selling goods to other countries, and in return buying goods from them?

When did "Free Trade" become defined as: 'Sending as many jobs as possible to countries with lower living standards in order to maximize profits by slashing payroll'

[westerfield]

But the administration now appears set to mount a more robust defence of companies that move US jobs abroad.

Rut roh, I doubt that this is going to go over well with the general public.

[SolutionsOnly]

The term "economic isolationists" is unfortunate. It frames the debate as binary, either/or choice between two extreme positions.

The fact is that we are being taken advantage of. "free trade" does not exist. Anyone who suggests otherwise has no supporting evidence and will not until AFTER our HUGE, growing, and continuous trade imbalances are rectified. There are a certain few who are making a lot of money off these imbalances. They are the ones screaming the loudest in defense of their own self-interests and against the interests of the nation as a whole.

Rock on, Lou Dobbs! Expose what's going on and let consumer and citizens decide!

[Fraulein]

Bush Joins Outsourcing Debate

[Mamzelle]

Slapping some fat tariffs on all this junk might help pay for Iraq.

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.

[neutrino]

(Sigh). This attitude is, in my opinion, going to cost us this election. I hope I'm wrong.

[Baseballguy]

Those that cry that outsourcing is bad want a Socialist country. They believe the Government is responsible for thier jobs.

They think if there is a socialist country everyone will be happy. The government should never be in the job creation or retention position. The Fair Tax is the only true way to compete.

[WhiteyAppleseed]

Being self-employed, it isn't difficult for me to understand why companies would move elsewhere--for the same reason many of our great- or great-great-grandparents came to this country--to get out from under the overbearing thumb of government.

Subsidies to the sugar people forced companies into Canada from this country.

Wealth is being destroyed in this country by the regulatory juggernaut of bureaucratic government. Take drug manufacturers as an example: How many dollars do they spend on research to meet a market demand only to have to jump the hurdles of the FDA? When and if they come up with a product, how many years does it take for FDA approval? When the FDA announces, as if they are to be thanked, "this new drug will save 15,000 lives this year," why doesn't anyone ask: "Does that mean you killed 45,000 people over the last three years before you would give it your stamp of approval?

I'm a sole proprietor. Based on the strangle-hold the State has on me--in fact, I'm being forced to take a business law course so I can continue working as my father before me--along with the other regulations I must comply with--I say one would have to be out of his mind to gointo business in this country.

Or are we all going to suggest that our regulatory government is non-existent?

[tm22721]

Bush would be well advised to remember the following:

You can always vote for a living if you can't work for a living.

BUMP

[Happy2BMe]

"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."

We'd settle for just stopping the migrant invasion from Mexico, Mr. President.

[GraniteStateConservative]

But the administration now appears set to mount a more robust defence of companies that move US jobs abroad.

This must be some real strategery because that sentence sounds like a lousy plan.

[Luis Gonzalez]

"But the administration now appears set to mount a more robust defence of companies that move US jobs abroad."

The alternative of course, being mounting an attack on those companies.

Now, there's a conservative concept, the government attacking private enterprises.

[mountaineer]

From a few days ago: Americans, quit whining, compete: Hillary Clinton (Story on Outsourcing from Indian newspaper).

[lentulusgracchus]

"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."

Translation: No way are we going to interfere with outsourcing. Outsourcing companies are to be esteemed, not criticized for dumping U.S. workers.

This posture could cost Bush maybe 7,000,000 votes: the 3,000,000 who are going to lose their jobs will see it coming and take it out on Bush, whose Administration has been encouraging U.S. businesses to offshore, and so will another 3,000,000 people or so who will apprehend wrongly that they're likely to be thrown out of work, too. Then there's the multiplier effect of family and friends.

It doesn't matter how "good" the prices are at Wal-Mart if everything's made in China and you can't afford to shop at Wal-Mart or anywhere else.

[Edit35]

The bulk of "outsourcing" occurred in the last decade when companies by the scores developed overseas accounts and business deals.

However, we didn't call it outsourcing then. And of course, the lamestream press and the Dems were NOT going to push the issue.

[Mulder]

Bush doesn't believe in free trade between American employees and employers.

Nor does he believe in free trade between American shoppers and the stores they visit.

Nor does he believe in free trade between those Americans who buy and sell property.

Does that make him an "economic isolationist"?

[dogbyte12]

There really doesn't seem to be an effort at a middle ground position here. I am not a great fan of "free trade", however, I believe that a candidate could at least get somewhere by taking a middle position. If they said to China and India, that we would (A) stop insuring and giving tax breaks to companies that move overseas, and (B) requiring them to open up their markets to our products freely, yet once those conditions are met, allow the free exchange of goods, services, and jobs, I think that would fly.

If Japan would quit dicking around with our agriculture imports, it would be a nice start. Here is a place where we actually can ship food in cheaper than what it costs for locally produced product, but we are deliberately stymied.

The radical free traders don't care. They say that it just punishes the countries who won't get the cost savings of our lower priced goods. I believe it is us fighting with one hand tied behind our back. Either it's a two way street or we play hardball.

We also do have genuine national security concerns here. China is not our friend. We do not need to hand them the tools to help in our destruction. I am less concerned about us sending toy making and sock darning tech as when our aviation, and computer folks hand them technology that in the future could be used against us.

Too many people think this is a black and white issue. However, it is complex, and we need politicians who understand these nunaces and act accordingly.