Bush Choice for Manufacturing Post in Question

Washington Post ^ | 3-11-04 | Mike Allen and Jonathan Weisman

[dogbyte12]

Six months after promising to create an office to help the nation's struggling manufacturers, President Bush settled on someone to head it, but the nomination was being reconsidered last night after Democrats revealed that his candidate had opened a factory in China.

Several officials said the nomination may be scrapped because of the political risk but said that had not been decided. Bush's opponent, Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), has made job losses his chief point of attack, and some administration officials feared the nomination could hand him fresh ammunition.

In late afternoon, the administration announced that the new assistant secretary of commerce for manufacturing and services would be named at a ceremony this morning. Industry officials were told that the job would go to Anthony F. Raimondo, chairman and chief executive of a Nebraska company that makes metal buildings and grain silos.

But Kerry's campaign, tipped off about the impending nomination several hours earlier, hastened to distribute news reports that Raimondo's firm, Behlen Manufacturing Co. of Columbus, Neb., had laid off 75 U.S. workers in 2002, four months after announcing plans for a $3 million factory in northwest Beijing.

[dogbyte12]

Free Trade Ping.

Is there anybody in the White House working on vetting candidates any more?

[SolutionsOnly]

gotta admit it: it doesn't look good when you nominate a guy who lays off US workers and then invests in China. Whether it was a good business decison or not is secondary - the politics of it is a disaster.

[dogbyte12]

It took the Kerry team just a couple hours to figure this out though. I just wonder who in the heck was in charge of vetting at the White House? I agree with you. It might have been necessary for this guy to outsource to China, but it is besides the point. This is politics in an election year. You do not put somebody there who outsources. You put a guy in who is loved by his employees because he does the whole let's beat them with productivity thing, and keeps his operations solely in the US.

Karl Rove is having a really bad few months.

[tomakaze]

re:promising to create an office to help the nation's struggling manufacturers
 
ye gads.

[meema]

Well said!
Karl, Heeelllllooo!!!!!
Where's the politiical common sense?????

[NewRomeTacitus]

To play up the redefinition of manufacturing, the Administration has narrowed down their choices to Harlan Sanders and Ronald McDonald. Being dead or fictional should have no effect on their expected contributions.

[yoswif]

Who would know more about employers forced to flee the U.S. because of the tax, regulatory, and litigation policies of the U.S. government than an employer who has already been forced to close down his U.S. operations and move to employer friendly China? Like Kerry says, we can't like jobs and despise employers.

[international american]

"But Kerry's campaign, tipped off about the impending nomination several hours earlier, hastened to distribute news reports that Raimondo's firm, Behlen Manufacturing Co. of Columbus, Neb., had laid off 75 U.S. workers in 2002, four months after announcing plans for a $3 million factory in northwest Beijing."

Who is running this non reelection anyway?? A fairly bright high school student would know better!!!!

[meadsjn]

Karl Rove is having a really bad few months.

He's the best player on Hillary's team.

[dogbyte12]

I suspect that President Bush doesn't care if he gets re-elected or not. He might have that disease from his dad. What lost the election for Bush Senior I believe, was the looking at his watch during the debate. He just wanted to get the hell out of there. Sure he still campaigned, but I think the american people instinctively knew he could take it or leave it.

That vibe is starting to come out now from this White House. They are not doing what it takes to beat Kerry. Sure there are 8 months to go. But the "hunger" doesn't seem to be there. Clinton wanted desperately to be President. He did whatever he could to stay in that office. Although we can loathe his policies, his character, his ambition though is something that can be questioned. I really hope that President Bush wants a second term badly. Things like this are not a very good sign.

[international american]

You can bet Kerry will use this in a tv add, or bring it up in the debates. You CAN"T make these kinds of mistakes!!
And Dubya better leave his watch at home:)