Edwards warns of 'corporate Democrats'

[Nutmegger]

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Democrat John Edwards blamed Bill Clinton's administration Saturday for trade agreements unpopular with labor unions and warned against electing "corporate Democrats."

The Democratic presidential hopeful, speaking to union carpenters, tied rival Hillary Rodham Clinton to the business interests that unions claim were served by her husband's trade liberalization, to the detriment of workers.

Edwards described the North American Free Trade Agreement as a blow to the middle class that President Clinton put in place while the first lady was failing in her mission to reform health care.

"In the 1990s, we didn't get universal health care, which we needed," he said. "We got NAFTA, which we didn't need.

Full article: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politics/election2008/2007-10-20-edwards-unions_N.htm?csp=34

[acmavm]

1. He's starting to make me less regretful about Al not running every time

he speaks.

[AndyA]

2. NAFTA and CAFTA are not good for Americans or American jobs.

No one in their right mind could possibly believe these would somehow be beneficial to us. I liked Bill Clinton, but NAFTA was a major mistake on his part. Bad for America no matter how you slice it.

[Radical Activist]

3. Great comment but is that where he was as a Senator

back when he was in the DLC?
Will the real John Edwards please stand up?

[obnoxiousdrunk]

4. To be fair

he has apologized for his entire Senate career.

[gateley]

5. We're all constantly growing and expanding and I think most of the candidates

have always done what they felt was the right thing to do at the time. They have the opportunity to use their experience and wisdom now to make" it "right if they can, and ensure that "it" doesn't happen again if they can't. There's not an infallible one in the bunch.

[cuke]

9. Don't you see the irony

of talking about how people grow and expand in a thread where Edwards criticizes Hillary for a 15 year old bill that Hillary didn't vote on?

[gateley]

25. Of course I see the irony. I don't like it. I wish we they would only focus

on what the others are doing NOW and their views for the future. It's a waste of time. If I'm going to base my vote on something some did 15 years ago, I'm taking my off of how they would and could handle current problems.

[slick8790]

6. People change.

I tend to think anyone so set in their views that nothing can change them is a sociopath. So the simple answer is as the world evolved, so did JE's views. Whether or not you believe that transformation is naturally up to you. I do, but I don't resent you if you have a hard time with it. I just view him as the best out of our field, and as such, deserving of support. Who else is making comments like this?

[cuke]

8. The irony

Saying "People change" in a thread where Edwards hold Hillary "accountable" for a 15 year old bill she didn't vote on

[slick8790]

11. She's running in part on the legacy of the clinton years.

She can either take the bad with the good, or just not talk about it. You can't have it both ways.

[cuke]

13. And Edwards runs on his past

But he can change; Hillary can't

[slick8790]

15. I'm afraid I don't understand.

I don't see Edwards running on his past at all. I see Hillary running on the nostaglia for Bill's years as president. Am I missing something?

[cuke]

18. You haven't heard that Edward is the son of a mill worker?

Or about the lawsuits he won against large corporations?

You want to judge Hillary by everything she has ever done, even if she didn't do it, but with Edwards you want to pick and choose.

[slick8790]

21. I judge both by what they have done.

What's wrong with being the son of a mill worker or winning lawsuits against corporations? Nothing, in my view at least. Compare that to Hillary. What's wrong with NAFTA? A lot. It's apples and oranges.

[cuke]

23. Anything wrong with cosponsoring IWR?

And where is Edwards different on NAFTA? There's no difference

[MethuenProgressive]

7. He's blaming a person who was first lady for NAFTA 14 years ago?

He's really hoping the jury... er, audience, is really stupid, isn't he?

[slick8790]

10. She's running in part on Bill's legacy.

and the nostalgia for the Clinton years. If she wants to do that, she has to take the bad with the good.

[cuke]

14. And Edwards runs on his past

except for the times when he's apologizing for it

[saracat]

22. Yawn.Why bother attacking Edwards.Isn't your candidate inevitable? Why

should you be interested in what Edwards says? Why bother?

[cuke]

24. Nice try, sleepy

[saracat]

26. Again,why bother?

[saracat]

12. That "First Lady" want to accept praise for what was good about her husbands Admin and distance

herself from things that were not popular.She cannot run on Bill's coattails unless she accepts responsibility for the entire package. She was either part of the Admin and a "senior adviser" or she wasn't. She claims "credit" for being part of the Clinton Administration. Personally, I say she wasn't but that leaves her with no executive experience.

[cuke]

16. Maybe she's senile

[saracat]

19. Never..Not the Queen of manipulation.That best defines some of her support.

But hey.Who says this is not a good thing? Rpugs "respect" that kind of campaigning.Each to his or her own!

[Hawkowl]

17. She has not repudiated NAFTA

It is a valid point that Edwards is making. She has hitched her wagon to her husbands legacy, and she has not repudiated NAFTA. She is still pro-business and a free trader. She can disarm Edwards with a single sentence rebuttal that criticizes NAFTA. There is no irony in his comments.

[cuke]

20. Her position is exactly the same as Edwards

They both are calling for NAFTA to be amended. They were asked about this at one of the debates. Please don't make up a position for Hillary that is so easily debunked.

[Cameron27]

27. Thanks cuke

Edwards isn't getting any traction in the polls with these attacks, as a matter of fact it's just the opposite. Maybe he and Trippi should try a new strategy.

[Adelante]

28. Does Edwards damn himself for the China trade bill?

I wonder which has been worse, actually, that or NAFTA. I can't decide.

[Froward69]

29. I Agree.

[Kurovski]

30. Edwards is definitely one of my candidates. K&R. (nt)

[AzDar]

31. JRE is our only hope.... as a Party, and as a country.

:patriot:

[slipslidingaway]

32. Clinton signs China trade bill...Edwards votes Yes

Did this bill benefit the US workers? What does Edwards say?


http://archives.cnn.com/2000/ALLPOLITICS/stories/10/10/clinton.pntr/

"President Clinton closed years of political and economic debate Tuesday, and sealed a major achievement of his administration by signing a bill extending permanent, normal trade status to China...

The measure is considered the most important U.S. trade legislation since passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1993. But it faced a long campaign of opposition from labor, human rights and conservative groups who wanted to retain the annual review of trade relations with China.

The Senate passed the China trade bill in September after supporters won a bruising battle in the House of Representatives in May. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle joined Clinton on the South Lawn of the White House to watch him sign the measure, dubbed the U.S.-China Relations Act of 2000...

U.S. business interests wanted the agreement in order to gain access to China's market of 1-billion-plus people. But critics argued that such an agreement would reward a repressive communist state, undermine the country's labor and environmental protections and cost jobs for U.S. workers...

Some opponents worried that the U.S. would be unable to influence Beijing over human rights concerns without a yearly vote on trade. To counter those concerns, the legislation calls for setting up a congressional-executive commission to monitor human rights in China and create a so-called surge mechanism to help American industries and workers hurt by an increase in Chinese imports."

[rinsd]

33. Another case of John Edwards candidate pretending John Edwards Senator does not exist (nt)