Clinton seeks to re-evaluate NAFTA: Distances herself from one of husband's signature achievements

[DeepModem Mom]

Source: USA Today

By Susan Page, USA TODAY

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Rodham Clinton distanced herself Monday from one of her husband's signature White House achievements, saying NAFTA should be reassessed and "adjusted" and any new free trade agreements postponed.

"I think we do need to take a deep breath and figure out how we can make it work for the greatest numbers of people," she told USA TODAY. Clinton said NAFTA's benefits have gone to the wealthy and cost jobs for working people. She said a "timeout" in new accords would last until she felt the issue of trade in the 21st century had been adequately studied.

In 1993, Bill Clinton signed the North American Free Trade Agreement, which lifted most tariffs on goods traded among the United States, Mexico and Canada. The New York senator said she has no qualms about splitting with her husband on a key economic point — one in which he battled fellow Democrats and their union allies. "Part of leadership is continuing to evaluate what we currently do to figure out if we can do it better," she said.

In the interview and in a speech that launched her two-day "Middle Class Express" bus tour of Iowa, Clinton addressed an issue that has imperiled her standing with some labor leaders: Bill Clinton's embrace of globalization and free trade....Her comments are reassuring to some of her husband's liberal critics, says Larry Mishel, president of the Economic Policy Institute, which raised concerns about the Clinton-era trade deals. "There are many people who fear electing Sen. Clinton would be just a redo, but I think that may be mistaken," he said....

Read more: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-10-08-clinton-economy_N.htm

[Larkspur]

1. Sounds like she knows that her lead in the polls is tenuous

but still don't trust her. She can say one thing in the primary and then conveniently forget it after getting into the WH and when the corporate lobbyists come marching into her office for favors to repay the money they donated to her campaign.

[yellowcanine]

4. OK but realize you are damning her if she does and if she doesn't.

If she had come out strongly defending NAFTA you would have been very critical, no? Not really fair, don't you think? Maybe she gets a little credit for hearing what many Democrats have been saying all along on this?

[Larkspur]

10. The Clintons have a poor history on NAFTA and free trade

so this little turn from Hillary is welcome but her motives are suspicious as well as keeping her word on changing course on NAFTA.

Hillary has to earn respect and trust from me. She's definitely earned contempt and scorn from me. She has a long way to go before I'll ever respect her.

[Lerkfish]

32. actually, perhaps the more apt observation is that she appears to be

triangulating again.

[rodeodance]

16. She said this months ago. I think maybe during 1st debate.

[Lasher]

2. Now that's a positive sign.

Maybe it's all talk and maybe it's not, but at least she's talking about it.

[yellowcanine]

5. Maybe the primary process is working. People forget sometimes that one goal of the primary process

is for the candidate who finally garners the nomination to get a chance to feel the pulse of the party and to respond to it. That's not necessarily pandering - that could be called "listening." I agree, it is a positive sign, regardless of the motivation.

[Lasher]

13. The will of the majority

You reminded me of an article I read this morning about SCHIP. According to a Rasmussen Reports survey 65% of American voters know that Junior vetoed the legislation. Of those who knew about the veto, 57% disapproved and 31% supported the President’s action. Only 31% supported the veto .

Also, the issue is clearly of substantial importance to the electorate with 70% concluding that it is very important to insure all children under 18.

Further, there was also majority support for raising tobacco taxes to pay for the program. In all, 54% support raising tobacco taxes while only 35% disagreed.

Given the President's already low ratings, he clearly does not have the political capital to maintain the position that he has already staked out. To be sure, he may well have enough votes in the House to sustain a veto. But the Rasmussen poll data is very clear: if President Bush does not show at least some flexibility, the Republicans could pay a substantial cost for his intransigence next year.

http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/why_bush_has_to_compromise_on_children_s_health

This is a digression from the OP topic but I wanted to share it as another reason to hope the will of the majority just might start to prevail a little more than it has in the past.

[burrowowl]

30. Hopefully it is

and that is why Kucinich needs to stay in: to give the others food for thought.

[antigop]

8. Lasher -- weasel words, that's all

Does she mention HOW NAFTA should be "adjusted"? WHEN NAFTA should be "adjusted"?
Parse her words very carefully.

[Lasher]

11. Weasel words they may or may not be, as I said.

I'm just glad to see a prominent national politician saying NAFTA is not working well and that it needs to be changed. More critical discourse of this nature can promote more awareness of what these 'free' trade mean to US workers. I think that's good, whether it's a weasel doing the talking or not.

[antigop]

14. Talk is cheap. We need action and she didn't give anything specific.

Whereas Kucinich has said he will withdraw from NAFTA and the WTO immediately.

[yellowcanine]

18. Hmm - "Kucinich SAID" - also talk, no? Talk is all a candidate has.

Why is it when Hillary says what we say we want her to say she gets skewered for that as much as when she says something we don't want her to say? I think we need to cut Hillary a little slack here. Like everything else in his adminsistration, (including the so-called "Hillary" health care plan), NAFTA was a Bill Clintion initiative. Yet many here will lionize Bill Clinton and trash Hillary for positions that if anything are closer to our positions than what Bill's were. I don't understand it.

On edit I would also add that talk is particularly cheap when it comes from a candidate who has no real chance of winning - the positions of Kucinich will never be tested in the real world because he is not going to get elected.

[antigop]

19. Because sHillary did NOT say HOW or WHEN --- that's why. n/t

[yellowcanine]

22. As I noted it is easy to get specific and make all kinds of promises if you don't really expect to

get elected and have to carry them out. I actually would rather have a candidate who doesn't go overboard on the specifics and leaves some maneuvering room rather than getting locked into certain positions. Believe me, we have had enough of a president being locked into unchanging positions. Sometimes one needs to tack a little to get things done. And note, when a sailor tacks he still gets to the same place. Specifically on the question of NAFTA, we need free trade. The alternative is worse for us than for the South Americans, as they buy a lot of our crap. But we need to make adjustments to make it fair for our workers - not pull out of it as Kucinich suggests.

[antigop]

23. Good grief!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x3593250

[yellowcanine]

24. You have a rebuttal point of your own to make? It is a little cheesy to simply link someone else's

argument, don't you think?

[antigop]

25. Not when it was stated so eloquently by Armstead. n/t

[Fovea]

26. "talk is particularly cheap when it comes from a candidate who has no real chance of winning "

-- President Thomas Dewey.

[Bitwit1234]

3. Gee that isn't like every one of the candidates

THEY can say one thing, while campaigning to get elected, and when they win the election CHANGE THEIR OPINION.

[rAVES]

6. achievement?

er.. they call it that? .....really?

[FreeStateDemocrat]

7. Spin, talks cheap, what action has she ever taken to ameliorate NAFTA in any manner.

Here's a real scoop: she never will, just another corporate whore.

[AlGore-08.com]

9. She said pretty much the same thing at her breakout session at the Yearly Kos back in August

I'm just sayin'...

[brentspeak]

12. How are her comments "reassuring"???

Unless she firmly states "I will work to repeal NAFTA", there's nothing to be "reassured" about.

[TrogL]

15. So the US got exactly what they wanted, and now she wants lock it up

You can't blame Canada for this one - we got shafted.

[Jim Sagle]

17. She'll furrow her brow and act concerned until the election.

If she wins, she'll say "NAFTA RRRRRAWWWWWWWXXXXXXXXX!!!!!!!!!"

:puke:

[damntexdem]

20. Good for her!

What, is she starting to turn away from the Dark Side?

[PittPoliSci]

21. re-evaulating isn't enough.

[gatlingforme]

27. CLinton is only doing what they all are doing, that is playing

the field and saying what people want to hear....
I don't care I love the woman and I am voting for her. She is a smart woman

[Generator]

28. Throw me another bone

That Iran/Iraq war thing is stuck in my throat.

What happened to the baby bonds? Oh you shameless girl.

[UTUSN]

29. & the problem here on DU ------ *IS* -----?!!1 Everybody here hates NAFTA!11 n/t

[Imperialism Inc.]

31. More good news from the Clinton campaign. The other being

the 401K plan announcement.

I'm not nearly as optimistic about this one (as it could easily be weasel words) but at least she is saying the right thing. Bill Clinton had economist Joseph Stiglitz as an advisor so maybe she'll listen to him where her husband didn't. Stiglitz is pro globalization/"free trade" but he see that there are many problems with it as well. He understands that the IMF and world bank are deeply flawed. I expect that it is someone like Stiglitz that Clinton might turn to for advice. So we won't see an end to NAFTA type agreements but at least there will be an attempt to fix the many flaws. You have to recognize there are problems in order to fix them so this is potentially a good first step.