White House dismisses talks of common currency

[Flabbergasted]

http://video1.washingtontimes.com/fishwrap/2007/10/white_house_dismisses_talks_of.html


White House dismisses talks of common currency


The White House this morning categorically denied that President Bush is considering or has ever considered agreeing to a common currency for the U.S., Mexico and Canada to rival the Euro.

"I can assure you that President Bush is not, and has not, given consideration to any other currency for the United States. Period," said White House spokesman Tony Fratto in an e-mail.

The Washington Times first questioned White House press secretary Dana Perino about this yesterday, after watching a YouTube clip of former Mexico President Vicente Fox's comments on the Larry King Show Monday night.

Mrs. Perino said she had not heard anything about a common currency, but did not eliminate the possibility that Mr. Bush and Mr. Fox might have discussed such an idea in the past.

"I don’t think that that’s something we're actively considering," she said.


Mr. Fox's comments came at the end of his interview with Mr. King, in response to an e-mailed question from a viewer about whether Mr. Fox supports a common currency for Latin America. The question was not about a currency for North America.

Mr. Fox said a common currency for Latin America would be "very long term." He instead focused on the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas, which in Spanish is called Area de Libre Comercio de las Américas, or ALCA.

"What we propose together, President Bush and myself, it's ALCA, which is a trade union for all of the Americas," Mr. Fox said. "And everything was running fluently until Hugo Chavez came. He decided to isolate himself. He decided to combat the idea and destroy the idea."

Mr. King then interrupted, interjecting a question about a common currency.

"It's going to be like the Euro dollar, you mean?" Mr. King said.

"Well that would be long, long term," Mr. Fox said. "I think the processes to go, first step into is trading agreement. And then further on, a new vision, like we are trying to do with NAFTA."

Here is the interview's full transcript and video.

[kurth]

1. Yes, El Presidente will get it approved by Congress pronto

[Lint Head]

2. Currency is going away. Electronic money is on the way.

[MidwestTransplant]

3. Perino is just plain stupid and in way over her head.

Scotty at least seemed like he had a head on his shoulders. She is a moron.

[peacetalksforall]

4. Sure explains what they are doing to the monetary health of this

nation - equalizing things? Got to get the dollars out of the bank accounts of we common people so there is no interference? No say. Over simplified? Let's hear a good reason why pnacer neo-con barons) are doing what they are doing to the U.S. Dollar?

Mexico is in the driver's seat?

Will it be the Anglo Dollar and the Mex/Latin/Carib Dollar - or -
the North American and Central/Carib/South Dollar? (Or Peso.)