The "jury" may be out, David ... (4.00 / 1)

on Kirk.  But is Kirk the one that will be signing the deals?  Or will the President be directing Kirk on what to do?  And doesn't Congress have to approve the deal?

We've got some checks in there.  Our check against all that is us.  Sure, it would be great not to have check a Democratic Administration ...

But the price of freedom is eternal vigilance, right?

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by: Ryan @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 16:37:06 PM CST

Remember how Obama attacked Hillary about NAFTA? (4.00 / 1)

NAFTA!
NAFTA!
NAFTA!
NAFTA!
NAFTA!

And now...

Obama appoints a NAFTA fanatic to run US Trade!

Is it possible that Obama is...

What?

Just a sociopathic con-man?

Nah!

No way!

But...

Remember how Obama attacked Hillary about NAFTA?

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by: Jacob Freeze @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 16:55:51 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Kirk Loves NAFTA! (0.00 / 0)

"Ron Kirk is an avid free-trader who has often extolled the benefits of NAFTA."

"At his mayoral inauguration, Kirk said he wanted Dallas to become "the capital city of NAFTA and the Americas."'

And...

Re

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by: Jacob Freeze @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 17:14:37 PM CST

[ Parent ]

Redo: Kirk Loves NAFTA! (0.00 / 0)

"Ron Kirk is an avid free-trader who has often extolled the benefits of NAFTA."

"At his mayoral inauguration, Kirk said he wanted Dallas to become "the capital city of NAFTA and the Americas."'

And...

Remember how Obama attacked Hillary Clinton about NAFTA?

Over and over and over in every debate?

NAFTA!
NAFTA!
NAFTA!
NAFTA!
NAFTA!

Over and over and over and over and...

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by: Jacob Freeze @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 17:17:21 PM CST

[ Parent ]

it would be great to have a Democratic administration (0.00 / 0)

but since all the Democrats gave their votes away without demanding a thing, we have freed Obama to run as far to the right as he wants to.  

Guess we know too what Barack meant when he professed to admire Ronald the Raygun so much.

"If you want that good feeling that comes from doing things for other people, then you have to pay for it in abuse and misunderstanding..."
Zora Neale Hurston

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by: bruce.dixon @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 18:43:08 PM CST

[ Parent ]

We need to start championing tariffs (0.00 / 0)

Especially on automobiles (and their parts). The Republicans want to go to war over the UAW. Fine, bring it on.

"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on, or by imbeciles who really mean it." - Mark Twain

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by: Stoic @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 16:59:58 PM CST

Keep in mind (4.00 / 1)

Obama's first choice was Bacerra, who turned down the offer. The fact that he ended up with Kirk isn't the only basis we have for inferring Obama's intentions.

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by: morgan @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 20:33:32 PM CST

re Kirk (4.00 / 1)

I live in suburban Dallas, observed Kirk's mayoral term, governor's race, involvement as a leader of the Obama efforts in TX and as a parent at the same (girls' private) school that my daughter went to.

He's no ideologue.  He's regarded as highly pragmatic.  He gets along with most everyone.  The Dallas business community likes him, for his negotiating skills; he's well-liked (if not loved and revered) in minority communities as well.

NAFTA is hugely popular in Texas: the state has benefited significantly from expanded trade with Mexico.  A transplant that is cause for mourning and condemnation in Ohio or Iowa is that much more transportation, warehousing, logistics here.  To be against it here would be either suicidal or indicate a determination to consign oneself to irrelevance.

He doesn't have a lot of trade experience, except as head of Dallas or Texas trade delegations.  His negotiating skills, and ability to get along with all sorts of different constituencies without alienating most anyone would be useful in the position.  I would expect he would be a reasonably quick study on issues, and somewhat staff- and policy direction-dependent in the job overall.  His appointment wouldn't be like bringing back Kantor or Barshevsky or one of their deputies.  He wouldn't be deeply knowledgeable and informed like Chu or Holdren within their portfolios; rather, he would be on the briefed model.  He wouldn't drive his own reform agenda; the direction to do that would have to come, if at all, from elsewhere.

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by: Wendell @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 22:29:58 PM CST

Polling Data Completely Refutes Your Fact-Free Claim (4.00 / 2)

You claim that "NAFTA is hugely popular in Texas." Hmm...public polling doesn't say that at all. In fact, it says exactly the opposite. Here's the latest poll of Texas voters on the issue from March 2008:

Likely voters in Texas generally have negative opinions of NAFTA. Overall, 44% think it has had a negative impact on the Texas economy, while 36% think it has had a positive impact.

Indeed, public polling in Texas has said exactly the opposite of your claim for more than 12 years. Here's a Knight Ridder story from 1996:

Texans fear the unknown fallout from the North American Free Trade Agreement...Just 7 percent of those polled said it is beneficial to the Texas economy, with another 39 percent saying it is somewhat beneficial. Another 26 percent said the agreement was not very beneficial, while 14 percent said it has had no impact.

It might be helpful for you to check empirical facts before making broad claims about something being "hugely popular" in a state.

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by: David Sirota @ Thu Dec 18, 2008 at 23:08:37 PM CST

[ Parent ]

I confess... (0.00 / 0)

that I did not google polling data before completing the post.  OTOH, it wasn't a legal brief, in which I would feel obligated to verify the accuracy of each and every point either.

I can say, without fear of contradiction, that the major media outlets in Texas keep up a fairly constant drumbeat along the lines of what I did say, and, as Exhibit 1 in support of that proposition, I offer the following:
http://www.dallasnews.com/shar...

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by: Wendell @ Fri Dec 19, 2008 at 17:30:36 PM CST

[ Parent ]