Gephardt assails Kerry, Dean on trade

[Freddie Stubbs]

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Rep. Richard Gephardt took aim at two of his Democratic presidential rivals on trade Saturday, suggesting that they might be trying to fudge their records on a key labor union priority.

Speaking to a crowd of about 250 party activists at a Machinists Union hall, Gephardt noted that both former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean and Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., supported the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"I'm the one who led the fight against NAFTA," Gephardt said, asserting that Iowa has lost 10,000 jobs because of that trade pact with Mexico and Canada.

"When I'm president, I will never sign a trade treaty of any kind that will send our jobs and our money and our welfare off to the highest bidder," Gephardt said. "Others in this race may say they'd do the same, but you'd better check the record."

more: http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/news/490241DCF50205FE86256D620002141A

[T Roosevelt]

1. Wait a minute

isn't this the guy that DIDN'T show up for the House vote on overtime legislation? Hmmmm....

[Nazgul35]

2. yep...

things that make you go hmmmmmmmmmm.....

[Feanorcurufinwe]

3. This is one area where

This is one area where my favorite two candidates, Kerry and Dean, seem to be on the wrong side of the issue.

Globalization seems to be unstoppable, but I think when these free trade agreements go through, there need to be much more rigorous conditions and safeguards... I guess I'm not sounding like much of a free trader am I?

As far as Gephardt, whatever else I think of him, I think his long tenure as House minority leader have given him too high negatives to win the WH if he were to get the nomination.

[DrFunkenstein]

4. Kerry Supports Free Trade, But With Real Standards

Kerry supported NAFTA, but realized there were major flaws in the enormous proposal. He wrote a significant amendment to NAFTA that drew praise from groups like Public Citizen and Sierra Club.

"The amendment was a modest reform that guaranteed much-needed changes in the NAFTA Chapter 11 investment model in future trade agreements.

Under the model, foreign investors may file a claim in secret NAFTA tribunals to seek compensation when government public interest regulations in any way diminish the value of their investment.

In doing so, the amendment would have instructed U.S. trade negotiators to ensure that future investor provisions do not grant foreign investors rights beyond what the U.S. Constitution provides."

http://action.citizen.org/pc/issues/votes/?votenum=121&chamber=S&congress=1072

"WASHINGTON - May 21 - Friends of the Earth expressed disappointment in the loss of an amendment to trade legislation that would have protected environmental standards from foreign investor lawsuits. The amendment, offered by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), sought to address concerns with investment rules like NAFTA's Chapter 11 that allow foreign corporations to bring suits against environmental laws and regulations."

http://www.commondreams.org/news2002/0521-13.htm

Despite his support of Free Trade, Kerry continues to get sparkling scores from labor unions, environmental groups and corporate watchdogs. Kerry realizes that good can come from globalization, once you weed out all the vested interests.

[phillybri]

6. Thanks for this post, Dr.

Great info...

[burr]

5. Gephardt's priorities...

fair trade and free war? :nuke:

[MercutioATC]

7. Dean wants to tie trade agreements to working condition and wage

standards as well as the workers' right to unionize. The benefits are threefold:

1) U.S. workers will be protected because foreign companies (and U.S. companies operating offshore) will no longer be able to pay slave wages or operate unsafe factories, making it more difficult to flood the U.S. market with less expensive products.

2) Foreign workers will see their wages and working conditions improve.

3) Gov. Dean has a belief that improving wages and allowing unionization will create a middle class in foreign countries. He further believes that nations with a strong middle class are fundamentally different than nations without one in that nations with a strong middle class tend not to harbor terorist groups like Al-Qaeda.

I like Dean's plan because it's comprehensive. Not only is it a trade philosophy, it's an international workers' rights philosophy and a national defense philosophy.

Again, that's the single thing I like most about Dean...his ability to develop pragmatic, comprehensive policies.

[DrFunkenstein]

8. Can You Clear Some Things Up For Me?

Please don't take my support of Kerry as just being a pain in the ass here. But I don't understand how Dean will hold foreign companies accountable for wages and conditions. Gephardt has suggested an international minimum wage, but it is extremely difficult to implement, however noble and right-minded. What is Dean's plan?

Also, what is Dean's plan for fostering stable middle-classes around the globe, particularly in countries with strains of violent fundamentalism.

I understand that these are good philosophies, but I would like to see a plan. And a link, please. I looked through his foreign policy and labor statements at his site and couldn't find any mention.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

10. "Most Favored Nation" status, in other words

window dressing.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

9. Dean & Kerry are both pro-NAFTA, Gephardt and Kucinich are not

That's the facts. Both Dean and Kerry have economic and trade policies that are hardly any different from Bush Republicans. If you want something other than Bush-Lite, you have Gephardt and Kucinich.