Daschle distorts NAFTA outcomes to sell TPP

[cali]

<snip>

And Daschle’s assertion that the historic rise in U.S. income inequality “has [little] to do with trade agreements” ignores the broad academic consensus that the current model of trade has contributed significantly to the widening income gap. The only debate among economists has been the degree of the effect.

A recent Economic Policy Institute study estimates that unbalanced trade was responsible for more than 90 percent of the rise in U.S. wage inequality between 1995 and 2011. That period was marked by NAFTA and similar pacts that have incentivized the offshoring of decently-paid U.S. jobs and forced Americans to compete with low-wage workers abroad. As hundreds of thousands of trade-displaced manufacturing workers have joined the glut of Americans competing for lower-paid, non-offshoreable service-sector jobs, real wages have fallen and income inequality has risen.

<snip>

Daschle uses the same counterfactual promise repeatedly employed to sell NAFTA-style pacts: these deals support middle-class jobs by boosting U.S. exports. But in fact, the overall growth of U.S. exports to countries that are not “free trade” agreement (FTA) partners has exceeded U.S. export growth to countries that are FTA partners by 30 percent over the last decade.

<snip>

Recently the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) began making the absurd claim that NAFTA has resulted in U.S. trade surpluses with our NAFTA partners, a notion Daschle repeats. This requires a major data distortion: the inclusion of “re-exports.” These are goods made abroad and transited through the United States en route to other countries, such as Chinese-made goods unloaded in a U.S. port on their way to Mexico.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/foreign-policy/199595-daschle-distorts-nafta-outcomes-to-sell-tpp#ixzz2v09Oq7aF
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Piece of corporate crap.

[Buns_of_Fire]

1. I think DU's software zapped the bracketed "little" in that first quote.

It actually reads 'And Daschle’s assertion that the historic rise in U.S. income inequality “has (little) to do with trade agreements...'. No biggie, but it made that first seem a little out of place.

Either way, he's still a jerk for saying that in view of all the evidence to the contrary.

[appal_jack]

8. Yes, that clarifies things considerably Buns. cali, this is worth correcting in the OP. k&r, nt.

[bullwinkle428]

2. Daschle, you're making a FORTUNE as a lobbyist these days, and

you really didn't do us as Democrats a whole lot of favor when you were actually in Congress, so perhaps it's time to pipe down about "the benefits of free trade".

[CanonRay]

3. Daschle is a corporate stooge

All ways was, all ways will be.

[sakabatou]

4. Not surprised.

[Bluenorthwest]

5. Tom's a professional sales person now, right?

Makes great bank. ABC. Always be closing.

[jwirr]

6. Does this fool really think we are that ignorant? Tom, we have been watching the outsourcing of our

jobs since the early 80s and we watched it get worse after the trade agreements. If you want to convince us then tell us when our jobs are coming back. Otherwise shut up.

[jsr]

7. Daschle is a “resource” to government and industry

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/health/policy/23daschle.html

Daschle Has Ear of White House and Industry
By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK
Published: August 22, 2009

Now the White House and Senate Democratic leaders appear to be moving toward a blueprint for overhauling the health system, centered on nonprofit insurance cooperatives, that Mr. Daschle began promoting two months ago as a politically feasible alternative to a more muscular government-run insurance plan.

It is an idea that happens to dovetail with the interests of many Alston & Bird clients, like the insurance giant UnitedHealth and the Tennessee Hospital Association. And it is drawing angry cries of accommodation from more liberal House Democrats bent on including a public insurance plan.

Friends and associates of Mr. Daschle say the interests of Alston & Bird’s clients have no influence on his views. They say he sees no conflict in advising private clients on the one hand and advising the White House on the other, because he offers the same assessment to everyone: Though he has often said that he favors a government-run insurance option, the Senate will not pass it.

Mr. Daschle is not registered as a lobbyist and recently told U.S. News and World Report that he preferred to describe himself as a “resource” to those in government and industry.

[MisterP]

9. bbbut the Party of No once photoshopped him so he was pledging with the left hand

that PROVES he's a leftist and the TPP's lefty!!!!

[Enthusiast]

10. Fuck Daschle.