Posted on 08/25/2003 2:05:47 PM PDT by snopercod
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- This year's highly publicized job losses in North Carolina manufacturing, including the Pillowtex bankruptcy, could mean trouble next year for President Bush in a region that was a stronghold in 2000.
Bush won more than 56 percent of the vote in both North Carolina and South Carolina in 2000. But his strong support of free trade has turned some against him in the South, where U.S. trade policies are blamed for the loss of jobs in textiles and other manufacturing sectors.
Andy Warlick, chief executive officer of Parkdale Mills in Gaston County, said he doubts he will repeat his 2000 vote for Bush next year.
"He made a lot of promises and he hasn't delivered on any of them," Warlick said. "I've had some firsthand experience of him sending down trade and commerce officials, but they're just photo ops. It's empty rhetoric."
Fred Reese, the president of Western N.C. Industries, an employers' association, said executives are beginning to raise their voices against Bush and are planning education and voter drives.
"We're seeing a new dynamic where the executives and employees are both beginning to see a real threat to their interests. You're going to see people who traditionally voted Republican switch over," Reese predicted.
The hard feelings were on display days after Pillowtex's July 30 bankruptcy filing, when Republican U.S. Rep. Robin Hayes walked into a Kannapolis auditorium to meet with former workers.
"Thanks for sending the jobs overseas, Robin!" shouted Brenda Miller, a longtime worker at the textile giant's Salisbury plant.
In December 2001 Hayes -- who is an heir to the Cannon family textile fortune -- cast the tie-breaking vote to give Bush the authority to negotiate "fast-track" trade agreements, trade treaties that Congress must vote up or down with no amendments.
At the time, Hayes said he won promises from the Bush administration that it would more strictly enforce existing trade agreements and pressure foreign countries to open their markets to U.S. textiles.
"Are we pleased with the way they responded? Absolutely," Hayes said. "Are we satisfied with where we are? Absolutely not."
Jobs in many industries have fled overseas since 1993, when Congress passed the Clinton-backed North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA. About half the textile and apparel jobs that existed in 1994 are gone.
Since Bush took office in January 2001, it is estimated North Carolina and South Carolina have lost more than 180,000 manufacturing jobs.
And even more textile jobs could be out the door once quotas on Chinese imports expire at the end of next year.
Republican U.S. Rep. Cass Ballenger voted for NAFTA and fast-track, and has seen his 10th District lose nearly 40,000 jobs, primarily in the textile and furniture industries.
"Certainly, there's a political cost to any controversial vote no matter which side you take," he said. "People are casting stones, but we're trying to pick them up and build something."
Democratic U.S. Sen. John Edwards voted against fast-track in 2002 after voting for an earlier version. In 2000 he voted for permanent normal trade relations with China.
Recently, though, while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination, Edwards has attacked Bush's trade policies and called for fairer trade measures.
Robert Neal, vice president of the local chapter of the Pillowtex workers' union, said Hayes has worked to try to ease the impact of job losses in his district.
"Though he (Hayes) voted for fast-track, he is really concerned about the workers and their conditions in the state of North Carolina," Neal said.
Not everyone feels that way.
Reese is organizing 1,500 manufacturing companies across North Carolina in an effort to leverage what he calls a new voting bloc.
In South Carolina, voter drives are planned for the first time at Milliken & Co., which has about 30 plants in the state. Mount Vernon Mills of Greenville, S.C., is forming a political action committee.
The company's president Roger Chastain, a one-time Bush voter, doesn't expect to support the president or Jim DeMint, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Democrat Ernest Hollings.
"We're basically liquidating our whole middle class, polarizing people on the two extremes, have and have-nots," Chastain said of the manufacturing job losses. "We'll be a Third World country."
LOL! Oh well, IMO, you shouldn't project your hero's Pat Buchanans political career to his sworn eneimes, the neo-conservatives.
You got me there. I was mistaken. You never said the words racist or anti-semite. I was mistaken. I was looking through the following posts and saw these. I got confused into thinking you were accusing people of anti-semitism, or racism. Please accept my apology.
We must always keep FR pure and Merchant-rein
Don't get me wrong, being from Texas and a proud Southerner, I'm all for acting like a drunken Redneck... just so long as you are white
I had to settle for another guy who swears he's American, but he looks like a damn Chinaman to me. (He keeps telling me that's because his dad was from China but I'm keeping my eye on him nevertheless.)
definitely don't feel superior to anyone. I'm just out here trying to work and have a good time like everyone else. (Well... everyone except Merchants, Indians, Chinese, Mexicans, Rastafarians, and Italians... they are all just out to steal jobs from their rightful American owners.)
You forgot, "Some of my best friends are Merchants."
Hey, this thread being officially Merchantrein I wouldn't want to get kicked off.
I just want to highlight this quote one more time for all the Buchanan Brigaders on this thread who think we evil "RINOs" are being unfair in our claims of what is really deep down beneath a lot of the rantings on trade that he and his crowd vomit. "Merchants"? So that's what we're calling them now? Classic.
Help me here, Chancellor. I'm thinking "Merchants" is a code word for some other group. Now what could that be...?
Do you go by Karl or Adolf?
My humblest apologies. You aren't calling anybody a racist or anti semite. Those words haven't come out of your mouth.
I could say that you resemble something that proctologists are very familiar with, and still claim that I didn't utter the word it conjures. Semantics is going to get you no where. You used the race card. Be proud of yourself for derailing me and others by insinuating they are anti-semites. You have trolled well.
Yep, it's confirmed. When you resort to nazi comparisions and name calling, you are using the "Liberal Playbook". Nice try though. ~ riri
Oh darn! The post got pulled before I could read it...
I hope for America's sake this is wrong but actually Bush may go back to the ranch using Gable's words 'Frankly I don't give a dam'. Perhaps he will just sit in his 'Kennebunkport', smoke cigars and accept 'attaboys' from the big winners of his administration - tax cuts for campaign backers, oil business for Cheney, and job exporting profits for one-world business.
Republicans can do better than nominate Bush again.
But...
The Demos have NOT made this an issue...YET.
They have tried with the Cali energy mess (most blame Davis), tried with Enron (didn't stick), tried with WMD (no credibility).
I believe that the 20 active participants on this thread represent about 15 shades of opinion and indicates a division in outherwise conservative opinion...and almost NO blowback against the DemocRATS.
If the RATS don't run with it...well, maybe the Stooopid Party will have some competition for that title.
One can't help but wonder what he does for a living that gives him sooooo much free time to post...
15 shades? Puh-LEEZE.
Rule Number one: Don't confuse Liabilities and Assets. Liabilities are things that require money for upkeep. (Unless your house makes you more money than you spend on it it is a liability) Assets are things that give you more income. Residual Income is the best.
Rule Number two: Don't put all your eggs in one basket. In other words if you are trusting a paycheck as your ticket to wealth and prosperity then you are gonna lose that game 99 times out of 100!
Nah, it was your use of "neo-cons are self destructing" comment in your reply #714.
That gives you away as being a Buchanan brigdier, as much as Katie Couric stating that "Arnold is a son of a nazi", gives her away as being a rabid democrat.
Damn! Busted!
Ah, yes. Undoubtedly, you're the kind of employee that empties the company supply room at "back to school" time as a matter of right, demand raises when the company owner is paying the utilities on a credit card in rough times, and are constantly whining about you're "right" to health insurance, a dental plan, pensions and a contributory 401K as a good 'Murrican.
Do yourself a favor - go start your own company, and see how cavalier you are about good 'Murricans dipping into your pocket as a matter of right.
To a certain degree he can make a lot of it stop.
Main Entry: clue·less
Pronunciation: 'klü-l&s
Function: adjective
Date: 1862
1 : providing no clue
2 : completely or hopelessly bewildered, unaware, ignorant, or foolish (Editor's note see also JNB)
Do you understand cyclical economic downturns? Do you realize the screams and fears are the same every single time only to be forgotten in the better times a few years later? I don't like Bush's "handling" of the economy only in that he has had to pander to your crowd too much. But I understand the populace he is dealing with so I can forgive him for pandering to win votes if that's what it takes.
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