Group Calls on Kerry to Stop Collaborating With the EU

WASHINGTON — Earlier this month, Democratic Presidential candidate, Sen. John Kerry proclaimed foreign leaders were pushing for him to win the election over President George W. Bush.

According to a charge being levied by Americans for Tax Reform, Kerry, in fact, appears to be working with the Europeans to impose tariffs on U.S. made products in key swing states.

“It’s official,” said taxpayer advocate Grover Norquist., president of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR). “Europe is actively participating in the U.S. election and is collaborating with the Kerry campaign. ATR calls on Kerry to stop this collaboration now and remove the tariffs being placed on U.S. companies and workers.”

The Foreign Sales Corporations (FSCs) and the extraterritorial income exclusion (ETI) export subsidies were found to be in violation of World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements due to a suit brought by the EU.

As of March 1st the EU started to impose tariffs on U.S. made products in key presidential swing states with additional tariffs being levied at the beginning of each month absent changes to the tax law.

President Bush and Congress have put forward a plan to remedy the situation and bring the U.S. tax code into compliance with the WTO ruling. Yesterday, the Senate Democrats, in near unison, filibustered the remedy to ensure the tariffs stay in place.

The Democrats collaboration with the EU, says the group, is making U.S. companies less competitive, inflicting jobs losses here in America, and undermining overall economic growth.

“Coordinating political maneuvers to inflict job losses in swing states is economic treason,” continued Norquist. “If Euro-socialists don’t want Bush to be President of the United States, bully for them. But for a challenger to look to Europe to inflict pain in the United States is taking Machiavellian power plays to a level never before seen in American politics.”

Americans for Tax Reform is a non-partisan coalition of taxpayers and taxpayer groups who oppose all federal and state tax increases.

Here's the ATR press release.

http://www.atr.org/pressreleases/2004/pr-kerry_eu3-25-04.html

ATR: "Yesterday, the Senate Democrats, in near unison, filibustered the remedy to ensure the tariffs stay in place."

This is evidence of Kerry collaborating with the EU? "Collaboration" means it is not a coincidence. Where is the evidence that John Kerry personally voted against the reform because he wanted to spike the legislation in order to provoke the EU into enacting tariffs that would hurt the economy and hence GWB? Maybe he did have that in mind, but before we make the charge, we need evidence.

This is a ridiculous allegation that only makes ATR look bad.

This kind of outlandish rhetoric may sound good, but in the end it undermines our credibility.

You aren't imagining things. Definitely. Subtle though.

PhiKapMom, I sent this to the networks tonight and to the Bush-Cheney team and am hoping they keep pressing forward with their excellent defense:

(I've left off the opening paragraph to each network for various reasons:)

For example, although much was made of Richard Clarke's testimony to the 911 Commission that the Bush administration did not do enough to combat terrorism, I think the following facts are equally or more interesting but as yet unreported by your organization:

1. Rep. Christopher Shays, chairman of the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats and International Relations, said that in June 2000 Clark told the subcommittee there was "no need for an assessment" of the terrorist threat.

Three national commissions concluded the US needed a comprehensive threat assessment and a national strategy. Shays held 20 hearings pre 9/11 and on June 28, 2000 he asked Mr. Clarke, then serving as Clinton's Special Assistant and National Coordinator, Security, Infrastructure Protection and Counterterrorism, when an all source threat assessment and strategy would be completed.

Clark answered "No assessment has been done, and there is no need for an assessment. I know the threat."

2. In 2000, the Department of Defense Worldwide Conference on Terrorism asked Mr. Clarke's assistant when a national strategy on terrorism would be completed. The assistant responded that a strategy was being developed (in 2000 - the last year of the Clinton presidency). However, no national strategy to combat terrorism was every produced during the Clinton administration.

3. 911 Commissioner Lehman noted to Clarke on Tuesday that his 15 hours of private testimony differed substantially from his public testimony. So substantially that Lehman told Clarke he couldn't believe it. As a result of that, the White House is seeking to declassify whether Clarke lied under oath.

4. On page 127 of Clarke's new book "Against All Enemies", Clarke notes that it's possible that al Qaida operatives in the Phillipes "taught Terry Nichols how to blow up the Oklahoma Federal Building." Intelligence places Nichols there on the same days as Ramzi Yousef, and "we do know that Nichols's bombs did not work before his Philippines stay and were deadly when he returned."

And yet, the Clinton administration focused exclusively on homegrown terrorists, and never talked publicly about this matter. Laurie Mylroie, formerly of the Clinton administration, and others, have since talked about the Iraqi connection to the OKC bombing frequently. Yet your news organization has been largely if not completely silent.

5. Despite Clarke's assertion that he is non-partisan, a few moments research into public records indicates that Clarke has only donated to Democrat's campaigns, never to Republicans.

I would expect a little more research on your part, and an even handed approach to the issues. I expect I will hear that the White House is attacking Clarke's credibility, although I think he has done that substantially to himself.

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