Real Men are for Hillary - Democratic Underground

bigtree

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Sat Apr-12-08 07:58 PM
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Real Men are for Hillary

Edited on Sat Apr-12-08 08:02 PM by bigtree

At a speech in Indianapolis today, Hillary Clinton outlined a plan to maintain a strong national security and keep good jobs in the U.S. Her plan will invest in a new generation of defense manufacturing jobs and research and development to maintain America’s competitiveness, innovative edge, and to provide our military and our soldiers with the equipment and technology they need. Hillary’s plan is in response to the growing trend of defense manufacturing jobs leaving the U.S., and with them critical technology and know-how to keep our country safe. Hillary believes that America must maintain and strengthen its capacity to produce key defense technologies to have a strong economy and strong national security.

"Because of the Bush administration’s failed policies, we’re not just outsourcing jobs, we’re outsourcing our security. This has got to stop. We cannot remain a strong, free and prosperous nation if we continue to outsource industries essential to our national defense," said Clinton. "This is not about ideology. This is not about economic theory. This is not about Democrat or Republican. It’s about common sense. ‘Made in America’ can’t be just a slogan. It must be a strategy."

Hillary delivered her remarks at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, a local manufacturer of military vehicle components. At the event, she was joined by Senator Evan Bayh, who has been a leader on defense manufacturing issues and keeping these jobs in America.

Hillary’s plan includes five major parts - launching a comprehensive review of the defense industrial base in the first 100 days, a new critical capabilities impact analysis for federal contracts, a requirement to review foreign investment in critical national security industries and technologies, protecting "Buy America" provisions for metals that are vital to national security, and a new inter-agency task force to combat industrial espionage.

After the event in Indianapolis, Hillary toured an AM General plant in Mishawaka. AM General produces buses, large trucks, and Jeeps for industrial, military, and government use. In the late 1970s, it developed the "Humvee" for military use as a heavy-duty replacement for the jeep. After the tour, Hillary is expected to have a conversation with some of the employees of the plant.

She ended her day at a town hall in Valparaiso, meeting with the community and discuss the challenges of people who lost their jobs at the Magnaquench factory. Five years ago, Indiana lost more than 225 jobs when Chinese investors moved the operations of Magnaquench to China.

At the time, Magnaquench was the only producer in the United States of what are known as rare-earth "neo" magnets, critical components in the guidance systems of military smart bombs, which were not covered by the federal ‘Buy America’ specialty metals clause. As a result of the decision to shut down Magnaquench’s U.S. production, today the U.S. military buys "neo" magnets from China.

Speaking at the Allison Transmission plant in Indianapolis that builds transmissions for military vehicles, Clinton said she would limit the Defense Department's ability to buy foreign-made products, in part by making the agency consider the impact on U.S. jobs when it awards contracts. (http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jO7TfK4Vf49_UXHgjvstB4YL5llwD900ICF80)

The New York senator, seeking support in Indiana's May 6 Democratic presidential primary, said she would launch a "comprehensive review of our defense industrial base" to determine "where U.S. capabilities are lacking." It would involve doubling the Defense Department's basic and applied research operations.

Sen. Clinton said she also would:

_Beef up policies that ensure "that technologies and industries critical to U.S. national security are not sold off and outsourced to foreign governments."

_Strengthen policies requiring that certain "vital metals" used in military manufacturing are produced domestically.

_Spend $75 million to create an "Interagency Task Force on Industrial Espionage" to combat existing and potential security threats.

She also criticized the Bush administration on its foreign trade policies, once again calling on the president to take action against China.

"I'm calling on our own president to show some spine and refuse to go to the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, to demonstrate to the Chinese that we don't approve of their behavior and their actions," she said.

Sen. Hillary Clinton told workers at AM General’s Humvee plant in Mishawaka, Ind. later, Saturday that she’ll get tough on China.

About 100 men and women who build the military vehicles attended the private gathering. Before her discussion, Clinton toured the Humvee assembly line, asking questions about how the ubiquitous military trucks are built.

The New York Democrat said she’s concerned about defense industry jobs being sent to other countries and, if elected president, she would give a complete review to U.S. Department of Defense purchasing practices.

“They’ve been imposing some rules that just don’t make sense to me,” she said.

One of those has to do with axles made for M1-A1 Abrams tanks, which are made in central Indiana.

“We’ve got to start asking some hard questions here,” she said.

Clinton also said she would tackle the problem of industrial espionage, especially as it applies to China. Industrial espionage is the theft of intellectual property, or copyrighted material.

“Some of it, frankly, we’re selling, which make some very concerned,” she said. “Some of it we’re giving away and some of it is being stolen from us.”

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton managed to co-opt Mr. Obama’s message of hope and optimism, beginning a speech in Valparaiso, Ind., by talking about how positive and “fundamentally optimistic” Americans are. (http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/12/clinton-portrays-herself-as-a-pro-gun-churchgoer/)

“We don’t get bogged down and looking back – we’re always looking forward,” she said, as heavy applause nearly drowned out her words. “Whatever obstacle we see, we get over it. Whatever challenge we have, we meet it. We’re the problem-solvers, we’re the innovators, we’re the people who make the better future.”

Hillary Clinton took the stage at Valparaiso's Washington Township High School before thunderous cheers from nearly 2,500 supporters Saturday afternoon, promising to fight to keep jobs in the United States if elected president.

Clinton spoke for an hour with former Magnequench employees, whose defense-industry jobs were outsourced to China five years ago.

Clinton spoke about Magnequench, saying it's sale to China resulted in a loss of "critical military advantage."

"I don’t think America's security should depend on Chinese spare parts," Clinton said. "We’re not just outsourcing jobs, we're outsourcing our security and this must stop. We’ve got to bring manufacturing back to Indiana.

"I don’t think we can remain a strong country if we don’t make anything," she said. "I don’t think we can remain a strong military if we don’t make what our military needs here at home."

"We're not just outsourcing jobs, we're outsourcing our security. This has got to stop," she said in Valparaiso, which lost 225 jobs when the Magnaquench company moved them to China five years ago.

The company made "neo" magnets, critical components in the guidance systems of military smart bombs. Two former Magnaquench workers appeared with Clinton at a rally where she proposed steps to try to save similar companies.

"We've got to elect a president next year that will remember Magnaquench, remember the story and remember the technology," the New York senator said.

Hillary Clinton did her best impression of Jack Nicholson for the crowds of Indiana this afternoon. Up in the crowds Clinton saw a sign that read "Real Men Vote for Hillary." Clinton pointed it out after the men had yelled, "We love you Hillary."

The senator then said to the audience, "One of the highlights of this campaign is when out of the blue Jack Nicholson endorsed me. And he called up a radio station in Los Angeles," Clinton said before switching to a deep, husky voice to say, "You know, I’ve been thinking, I’m for the woman.

"And he went on to say," Clinton said, turning again to that same voice, "real men are for Hillary."