Posted on 09/01/2003 7:07:10 AM PDT by billbears
Trade splits Bush, GOP lawmakers
They blame free-trade stance for textile industry woes
Concerned for their own political survival, Carolinas Republicans are lining up to criticize President Bush for not protecting textile and manufacturing jobs in the wake of the massive Pillowtex Corp. layoffs.
This week, U.S. Rep. Sue Myrick of Charlotte became the first Republican to criticize Bush for being "out of touch" on trade policies that have led to the loss of thousands of textile jobs -- 4,800 Pillowtex jobs alone -- without replacing them.
Several of Myrick's Republican House colleagues say they agree with her remarks, some adding that they've expressed the same sentiments for months.
Rep. Cass Ballenger of Hickory said the president is too "wrapped up in Iraq and the atom bomb in North Korea" at the expense of workers at home.
"The local issues don't seem to be on the screen," he said. "I am afraid there is too much philosophical free-trading ideas in the administration."
Rep. Walter Jones, a Pitt County Republican, said the administration "needs to be more concerned and aware of people in this state who have lost jobs."
"Actions speak louder than words and we need more action and attention to workers," he said. "If you don't have a job, you can't pay taxes. And you can't benefit from tax relief if you don't have a job."
This is the first time Carolinas Republicans have spoken out against Bush, having been mobilized by the demise of Pillowtex, the Kannapolis-based towel and sheet maker, and a wave of other job losses. Some manufacturers aren't surprised.
"They understand that if we continue to lose manufacturing jobs in the United States, their re-election is at risk," said Billy Moore of Greensboro, chairman of the American Textile Manufacturers Institute. "They understand that if people are unemployed, they're not going to vote in favor of the Bush administration."
Long heavily dependent on manufacturing, the Carolinas have been hemorrhaging textile and other jobs at an alarming rate. Since Bush took office in 2001, the states have lost more than 180,000 manufacturing jobs.
Nearly 40,000 of those were in Ballenger's 10th District. He criticized federal officials in 2001 when his district had lost thousands of textile jobs.
"We're talking about Pillowtex now, and that has put everything on a nationwide screen," Ballenger said. "But two years ago, we lost more jobs in 2001 and nobody paid much attention. I've been raising Cain about it, and people here are mad that Pillowtex is getting all the attention. But thank God it's happening so that somebody in the (Bush) administration recognizes what a serious issue it is."
Words, votes differ
Bush, like Democrat Bill Clinton, has been an unabashed free trader. The president carried both states in 2000, but Myrick and others warn that Bush might not find the same reception among voters if the administration doesn't start paying attention to textile's problems. Yet some of the same politicians now criticizing Bush voted for measures such as "fast-track" trade authority and agreements the president pushed through with Vietnam and other countries. Critics say fast-track, which gives the president broad power to negotiate trade deals, could lead to more job losses.
In 2001, Republican Rep. Robin Hayes of Concord cast the tie-breaking vote for fast-track. At the time, he said he'd been promised by the administration that it would strictly enforce trade agreements and open markets to U.S. products. He later voted against fast-track's final version.
Myrick, Ballenger and 5th District Rep. Richard Burr of Winston-Salem, a candidate for U.S. Senate, also voted for fast-track.
Hayes was out of town and unavailable for comment. Rep. Howard Coble, a Greensboro Republican, said blame can't be isolated to Bush, though he acknowledged "he's contributing."
"This problem is the culmination of Democratic and Republican administrations regarding free trade," said Coble, who voted against fast-track. "I have said all along that if these free traders included the element of fairness in their free-trade agendas, we can compete with anybody in the world.
"But these free-trade agreements have conspicuously omitted fairness and while our trading partners slam the door in our faces, we swing wide open our doors."
Chinese criticized
Most place blame on the Chinese, who have spent billions of yuan buying up U.S. dollars in the international currency market. That drives down the value of the yuan while raising the value of the U.S. dollar.
For years, U.S. officials have tried to end China's trans-shipments of products. The illegal practice allows manufacturers -- say, in China -- to bypass export limits by shipping products through countries that haven't used their quotas. A new label is sewn in, saying the product was made in the third country, and the product is shipped to the United States.
In June, the House included in the creation of a Homeland Security Department money to hire customs workers who specifically would look for smuggled textile imports. Experts estimate up to $10 billion of the nation's $75 billion in textile imports come in illegally, costing jobs and profits.
Burr said the administration is moving too slowly to protect U.S. manufacturers from China's practices. Industry leaders are asking Bush to trigger so-called "China safeguards" that would limit imports of Chinese-made bras, nightgowns and robes, gloves and knit fabric. Without the safeguards, all quotas will expire in 2005, triggering even more job losses in the Carolinas.
"Clearly the petition by the textile industry on China safeguards is the best yardstick on the commitment the administration has on this industry," Burr said. "The jury is still out on that.
"The administration has continued to pursue new policies without fully evaluating the effects that China has had ... You have to look at the individual that commands the ship. (Bush) is the commander."
Rep. Jim DeMint of Greenville, S.C., an acknowledged free-trader who supported fast-track, has said he has urged the administration to "hold China accountable" for breaking trade rules.
"We need to go after the source of the trade problems with aggressive enforcement," he said in a letter to Commerce Department officials.
Campaign issue
Job losses, Jones said, will be a major issue in the 2004 elections if the problems aren't addressed soon.
"The president has got roughly 14 months to do something, and if we don't see some movement to help those who lost their jobs, that is definitely going to be a hot political issue," said Jones, who voted against fast-track.
Jobs were an issue two years ago as well, but could be more of one in 2004.
"If we move into 2004 and the national political environment is about jobs and the economy, and this is something that gets played out at the presidential level, then this has more of an impact than it did two years ago," said Amy Walter, an analyst with the Cook Political Report.
Republican U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Dole of North Carolina was unavailable. Her spokesman, Brian Nick, said she's confident the Bush administration will address concerns about jobs and Chinese trade policies.
Walter said criticizing their president could help candidates.
"It is not unusual for politicians to buck their president," she said. "You can still be a loyal Republican while still showing your independent streak."
Tie this in with Giddy's 'plan' for the tobacco industry that even the tobacco industry doesn't want and the next few years here in NC are just going to be fun,fun,fun.
Well that's just shocking. Everyone else was available for comment. But Giddy wasn't. Hey, maybe she was visiting our state and couldn't be contacted. Yeah, that's it!!!
Good to see she's backing the Bush administration on this too!! < /sarcasm>
Thats OK...they all can get jobs at the local Wal-Mart. /heavy sarcasm
Do any of the free traitors that post here work at a Wal-Mart? I'm guessing no.
Funny you should mention them. Wal-Mart sent out a magazine/advertisement nationwide a week or so before the primaries here in NC. There were more than a few that came into this state. Want to guess whose picture was on the front of them? Hint she's the newest Senator from NC. Mind you the article didn't have anything to do with the race but if I were to have gotten one of those so close to the election, first gut premise would be that WalMart supports Giddy Dolt.
Funny that. All these free trade lovers, who just love textile jobs going to 11 year olds in Indonesia for 9 cents an hour can rant and rave here all they want about how this makes us better, but the people who have to face the american layed off workers are so terrified of losing their jobs, that they are standing up to this administration.
How bad does it have to be, when Republican congressman are willing to break the 11th commandment and bash the president on trade?
They know that President Bush might invite them to nice fundraisers, but those people in North Carolina who have lost their jobs are going to be voting next year. Guess self-preservation really is the most powerful human instinct.
Liddy Dole, hiding from her constituents on labor day, speaks volumes. Other than being a carpet bagging, adulterous (she started dating Bob during his first marriage), nanny state (Federal highway funds, 21 drinking age anybody) nitwit, I have nothing but praise for her.
There is another carpet bagging Senator they love as well. She ran in 2000 too. Used to sit on Wal-Mart's board. Anybody remember her name? I forget... it's on the tip of my tongue.
Hey now don't forget the airbag and third brake light she 'introduced' to the automobile industry which caused the price of vehicles to go up
Thanks for the ping. I cannot speak for the trade policy of America. However, I know many such "fake" factories in Hong Kong with just a dozen workers sewing "Made in Hong Kong" labels on garments manufactured by their factories in mainland China with over a thousand workers. These "spceial channel goods" are backed by the upper echelon of the Chinese Communist Party who are paid off by Hong Kong's communist fat-cat merchants who owns those factories. When the HK Customs and the US trade officials come to check on them, they employ part-time "extras" (like in a movie set) to pretend as permanent workers.
I don't believe this for a second...These New World Order promoters know exactly what they are doing and the ramifications involved...
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