Edwards’ attack on Peru deal shifts debate-presidential field tilted to the left over the weekend

[rodeodance]

Source: financial times


Edwards’ attack on Peru deal shifts debate

By Eoin Callan in Toronto

Published: October 28 2007 21:32 | Last updated: October 29 2007 00:22

The Democratic presidential field tilted to the left over the weekend as John Edwards came out against the US free trade agreement with Peru.

Mr Edwards is the first leading contender for the nomination to oppose the pact with the Latin American nation, now making its way through Congress.

The move increases the pressure on Hillary Clinton to vote against the agreement when it reaches the Senate floor next month.
...........

Mrs Clinton’s main rival, Barack Obama, recently came out in favour of the Peru deal, while Joe Biden announced his opposition.......



Read more: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/4853669a-859b-11dc-8170-0000779fd2ac.html?nclick_check=1

[Judi Lynn]

1. Good for him! What a relief to see a Democrat looking after the interests of the people first!

Really good news. Thank you. :applause:

[rodeodance]

2. Edwards is still tops with me no matter what the polls say

[Freddie Stubbs]

3. How soon people forget Edward's record on free trade:

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=106&session=2&vote=00251

[1932]

6. How soon they forget that CATO ranked him more anti-free trade than Kucinich, Gephardt and everyone

else running in '04.

Rated 17% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record -- http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/John_Edwards_Free_Trade.htm

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. They are rating him on what he is saying now, not his Senate voting record

[1932]

14. You just destroyed your credibility.

[rinsd]

12. From 2001 to 2002 he got a 17% from CATO. From 1999 to 2000 it was 40%

[1932]

15. You have a link for that?

According to this, in the 107th congress, he was rated an interventionist, which is the opposite of a free trader...a category only 22 Senators fell in. And he's only one of 5 who scored 0% on subsidy votes.

http://www.freetrade.org/pubs/pas/tpa-022.pdf

[rinsd]

17. Project vote smart

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=21107&type=category&category=63&go.x=12&go.y=9

Hopefully the direct link works, if not use this one and scroll down to trade issues

http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=21107

[1932]

19. He and Feingold had the same rating for '99-00 and I only counted about 6 Dem Senators on that list

with a lower rating. Also, 40 still puts him roughly in the bottom 1/6th.

[waiting for hope]

4. Go, Johnny, GO!

This is great, just read a good article in Huff Post:

My biggest hope is that Edwards' statement draws similar positions from the other presidential candidates, and the leadership of the Democratic Party. The Wall Street Journal noted, not to long ago, that Edwards is dictating the debate in the Democratic party. For the sake of millions of workers here and abroad, I hope his statement on the Peru agreement is another example where the rest of the Democratic field will follow. We have to put aside our personal support for candidates and urge all candidates to understand the dangers of so-called "free trade" and call on them to pledge that, if elected president, they will adopt the principles Edwards articulates on trade.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jonathan-tasini/will-democrats-follow-joh_b_70189.html

K&R for Edwards!!

[surfermaw]

5. Run Johnnie, Run

[robcon]

8. Free trade is the best hope for mankind

Free trade is the best method for peace, interdependency among nations and economic growth.

Edwards is dead to me.

[jaybeat]

9. Please, be serious

So-called "free" trade is no more than the removal of any and all barriers to international corporations using the lowest-cost *everything*, most especially labor.

It does nothing more than facilitate a race to the bottom for *everything* except corporate profits.

IF trade agreements enforced the *highest* labor and environmental standards (instead of the lowest), recognized the climate-change disaster that is created by calling something from half a world away "cheaper" (aka, transportation expenses don't come close to capturing their true COST to society, the planet and the future), and promoted locally-grown and produced products as having value in and of themselves (because of less corporatism, encouraging entrepreneurs, less dependence on extra-geographic powers for basic needs, more self-determination and security), THEN, yes, trade would promote the things you speak of--we ARE all in this together.

But as it is promoted now, so-called free trade is simply a recipe for destruction of the middle class world-wide, and ultimately making governments that serve anything other than corporations irrelevant and non-existent.

Er, don't get me started...

[Spazito]

18. Well said! n/t

[Vidar]

10. Bravo, Mr. Edwards, Bravo!

[Judi Lynn]

11. Great Letter to the Editor on the Peru FTA:

~snip~
The United States is in the midst of its largest trade deficit ever. The Peru Free Trade Agreement would allow corporations to continue exporting jobs from the United States to sweatshops abroad to take advantage of cheap labor.

Peru's Amazon Basin is home to an incredibly wide range of plants and animals found nowhere else on Earth. The trade agreement would lead to exploitation of the rainforests, putting countless species in danger of extinction.

The United States would further endanger itself. The agreement would explicitly require the United States to allow foreign companies to operate U.S. ports or risk paying millions of dollars in fines.

The legislators are beholden to the rich corporations, and they will pass the agreement if the common people do not raise their voices against it. They have already impoverished Americans by wasting $650 billion on the invasion and occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan. Now they want to further impoverish Americans and Peruvians to boot with the Peru Free Trade Agreement.

http://www.madison.com/tct/opinion/letters/254003

:woohoo:

[Judi Lynn]

13. Peru needs even more exploitation, alright. Malaria is back, via loggers in the Amazon:

Malaria moves in behind the loggers


Deforestation and climate change are returning the mosquito-borne disease to parts of Peru after 40 years

Andrés Schipani in Mazán and John Vidal
Tuesday October 30, 2007
The Guardian

The afternoon is hot and sticky on the banks of the Napo river, an arm of the Amazon, but Claudio, a logger, is shivering in his creaky wooden bed.
"I feel bad, very bad, pain all over my body, fever, high fever, shudders," he says. "I have malaria; this is the 17th time so far. I don't know what to do any more."

The mosquito-borne illness has returned to the many villages only accessible by boat in the Peruvian Amazon, inflicting on the inhabitants days of fever, permanent anaemia and - in the worst cases - death.

In Peru, malaria was almost eradicated 40 years ago, but this year 64,000 cases have been registered in the country, half in the Amazon region. It is thought there are many more unregistered cases deep within the massive and humid rainforest, where health authorities find it almost impossible to gain access.

More:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2201460,00.html

[me b zola]

16. This gives me hope

That there will be a substantial shift in foreign policy. A big thumbs up for Edwards.