CAFTA supporters in Costa Rica launch smear campaign against US Sen. Bernie Sanders

[arcos]

Sen. Bernie Sanders is visiting Costa Rica along with Rep. Michael Michaud from Maine. They were invited by former Presidential candidate Ottón Solís, to discuss the negative effects of CAFTA and current "free trade" agreements. As you may know, a referendum will be held here on October 7th to decide whether Costa Rica should become a member of CAFTA, or if we should reject the trade agreement.


(Sanders, Solís, Michaud)

Vicepresident Kevin Casas, who sent a smoking gun memo detailing scare tactics and illegal vote buying, resigned last Saturday because of the scandal. However, as has been the rule in their campaign, the "Alianza Ciudadana del SI" (YES Citizen Alliance) has used fear as its main campaign tactic, and in the most Rovian way, launched a smear campaign against both Sen. Sanders and Rep. Michaud. It's funny, it could have come out of GOP headquarters.
English translation of the press release they sent last Friday:


Extremist allies of PAC visit Costa Rica

San José, September 21st. From the Alianza Ciudadana del SI, we alert Costa Ricans that the CAFTA opposition, especially PAC, continue with their misinformation campaign by bringing extremist American politicians to the country, like Senator Bernie Sanders, only left wing member of the US Senate, and Congressmen Richad Michaud, a union member who has opposed the development of Central AMerican countries.

The background of those who go along PAC are:

Senator Bernie Sanders

THE SENATOR'S PROPOSALS
· Reject the benefits of a trade agreement with Costa Rica because he fears the US will lose jobs
· Doesn't want any kind of free trade agreements
· Voted against giving the Caribbean Basin Initiative benefits to Costa Rica
· Wants the United States to withdraw from the World Trade Organization that protects the rights of small countries


WHO IS THE SENATOR?
· He is the only Socialist in the US Congress
· He has supported unions 100%
· He opposes ALL free trade agreements
· He opposes the trade policy of the Clinton and Bush administrations
· He supported legislation to block the financial assistance to companies that move US jobs to overseas
· Proposes that the US should withdraw from the WTO

etc, etc, etc... you can imagine the rest.


The NO has all the momentum... In the last three weeks, support has gone down from 56% to 49% and the NO vote has gone up from 36% to 46%, according to a poll published yesterday. They are desperate and will do anything possible to make something stick and somehow have a chance to win.

Original press release:



-----------------------------------------------------

[orleans]

1. i love bernie sanders. does that mean i'm a socialist at heart? n/t

[arcos]

5. No, it means you hate both America and Costa Rica...

j/k ;)

[orleans]

8. lol. thanks for the laugh! (i knew i hated something...just couldn't put my finger on it) n/t

[sorrywrongemail]

2. Leaked Memo

Take a look at this http://www.progressive-economics.ca/2007/09/24/what-campaigns-for-trade-deals-are-made-of/

An interesting memo just cropped up from Costa Rica in the midst of the debate about the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), one of the latest installements in the string of plans to free trade and capital flows in the Americas. This memo came from the YES campaign and advocated interesting strategies, such as fostering fear:
http://www.wola.org/media/memo%20casa%20sanchez_english.pdf

Beyond what can be done in the communities and in private enterprise, there is such
little time left that we should have no shame in saturating the media with publicity.
And precisely because of this short time, it is imperious to direct the campaign in two
directions:

(…)

2. Stimulate fear. We can use four kinds of fear:

- Fear of loss of jobs. (…)

- Fear of attack to the democratic institutions. It is crucial to make YES the equivalent of democracy and institutionality (this is what Eduardo Ulibarri said: we have to fill YES with a content of values) and make NO the equivalent of violence and disloyalty to democracy. (…)

- Fear to the foreign influence in the NO. We have to insist everywhere on the connection of the NO with Fidel, Chaves and Ortega, in very strident terms. (…)

- Fear of the consequences of a triumph of NO on the Government. (…) (pp. 3-4)

This constitutes an interesting glimpse into what may go on behind closed doors amongst supporters of such agreements, and cannot but be reminescent of the behaviour of our own elite at various junctures, such as Montebello recently. Heads have started rolling in Costa Rica; is there a scope for increasing demands and pressure for accountability on our end?

[arcos]

6. Thanks for posting it in English... people around the world should be made aware of this... nt

[Swamp Rat]

3. ¡Pura vida arcos!

:hi: :hug:

www.swamp-rat.com

[arcos]

4. ¡Pura vida Swamp!

¿Cómo estás? :hi:

[Swamp Rat]

10. ¡Tuanis, macho!

Estoy hechando de menos Alajuela, Cartago, San Ramón, San José... los arboles en Zarcero... comiendo pejiballe... viviendo en Guanacaste. Ja tengo muchos amigos y cuñados allá, todo del país, pero no puedo visitar porque estoy pelado. :( :D

¿Y vos? ¿Qué te pasa?

[arcos]

12. Deberías venir a visitar cuando podás

Pues yo acá, muy ocupado y con deudas por dedicarle mucho tiempo a esto del CAFTA, pero bueno, haciendo todo lo posible para que ganemos. ¡Y lo vamos a hacer!

:party:

[Zookeeper]

7. "Who is the Senator?"

"He supported legislation to block the financial assistance to companies that move US jobs to overseas."

Wait. They are actually arguing that Sanders is bad because he doesn't want the U.S. government to pay companies to move American jobs overseas? That's pretty desperate (and disingenuous).

:eyes:

[arcos]

13. That's because they ARE desperate...

CAFTA had a 60%+ support just six months ago, and right now they're losing, just 10 days away from the election.

[Swamp Rat]

9. Póntape!

... para Bernie! :D




Geaux Bernie!!! :kick:

[and-justice-for-all]

11. I like Sanders...piss off!! nt