Obama Signed Pledge to Support Buy America AND to Change Trade Policies Accordingly

by: David Sirota

Thu Feb 12, 2009 at 19:30


I knew candidate Barack Obama campaigned on a thematic promise to support Buy America laws, which is why I found it troubling that he wavered on the issue in the last few weeks. However, I didn’t know he made a very explicit, no-wiggle-room pledge to do so:

When asked in writing: “Do you support renegotiating trade agreements so they will allow us to use “Buy America” and “Buy Local” procurement policies? Obama answered “Yes” in a May 2008 Candidate Questionnaire (PDF) from the Oregon Fair Trade Campaign.

You know, a lot of grassroots groups are made fun of or looked at as annoying for asking candidates to fill out questionnaires on issues. It seems kinda old fashioned and archaic – but there’s a utility to it: it gets candidates to go on record with concrete promises. Now, sure, a lot of them break those promises, but getting the promise in exchange for political support is a basic function of democracy – and it serves a really valuable purpose in terms of being able to hold elected officials accountable.

In this case, the campaign pledge to change trade agreements to accommodate strengthened Buy America laws is directly at odds with the White House’s attempt to water-down those Buy America laws and its statement that the administration wants to make sure new legislation “doesn’t signal a change in our overall stance on trade.” And the fact that we have the campaign pledge in so clear a form lets us know that we’re well within our right as a movement – and we’re not being “disloyal” – in demanding that pledge be fulfilled.
David Sirota :: Obama Signed Pledge to Support Buy America AND to Change Trade Policies Accordingly

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Obama Signed Pledge to Support Buy America AND to Change Trade Policies Accordingly | 14 comments
It's all you-know-who's fault! (0.00 / 0)
 
Nah (0.00 / 0)
Nah, this isn’t Hillary Clinton’s fault at all. However, your hilarious effort to cite Carl Bernstein’s secondhand claim that he just “knew” Hillary Clinton was against NAFTA is defied by the multiple public speeches Hillary Clinton gave in vigorous support of NAFTA.

Look – I know it’s embarrassing that Clinton publicly campaigned for NAFTA. I know that you want everyone to forget that. But it’s part of the public record, and you can see all her quotes championing NAFTA here. Do us a favor and come up with a better argument.

[ Parent ]  
I figure when a leading journalist… (4.00 / 1)
… who has criticized Hillary Clinton down to her “thick ankles” vouches that she privately opposed NAFTA, there might be something to it, though YMMV.

Likewise, when someone with a pronounced man-crush (or God-crush) on Obama — and not to mention a full-blown case of Clinton Derangement Syndrome — says things like this, he may be onto something:

…whenever questions [about Obama] are raised – no matter how gently or how substantive – the person raising it is attacked as a “concern troll,” a “whiner,” a purist martyr on a crucifix, a self-important attention freak who thinks he/she is a hero, a horrifically disloyal traitor or a “liar” (the last of which is most appalling, since those making the accusations may disagree on opinion, but rarely actually offer up where the questioners are factually inaccurate).

Naturally, everyone but David Sirota — and the ocular contortionists (if any) who constantly see eye-to-eye with him — must STFU.

But, for the sake of argument, let’s imagine that people who despicably failed to see the revealed truth that Obama was the one and only one centrist to consider supporting in the 2008 Democratic Primaries were allowed to speak.

Perhaps then, one might grant that “progressive” discourse of the stultifying sort you described might lead a few of those who weren’t totally sold on Obama’s “sheer personal awesomeness” to get a little zealous (like the e-mailers who troubled you so) when the 44th President’s false and disempowering post-partisanship agenda quickly came home to roost.

[ Parent ]  
Seriously? (0.00 / 0)
“Obama was the one and only one centrist to consider supporting in the 2008 Democratic Primaries.”

i mean aside from the obvious “let the primary go” argument- who wasn’t centrist? Kucinich?!? (yeah, but cmon).

Clinton’s only progressive cred came from health care, and even then i disagreed with mandates. Obama was far and away the most progressive mainstream democratic candidate. (that doesnt mean he’s the real deal, just in comparison).

you really think the Clinton response to the banking crises would be better? what do you seriously think a clinton equivalent to the jobs bill would be?  

the funk can move and the funk can remove- dig?

[ Parent ]  
Seriously? (4.00 / 2)
On what basis do you consider Obama “far and away the most progressive mainstream democratic candidate”? One speech he gave in 2002?

Was it his promise to filibuster FISA? His promise to use public campaign funds? His aggressive whipping of TARP? His promise to let faith-based groups “help set our national agenda”? His willingness to leverage misogyny and false charges of racism?

I agree with you that there was no great progressive option that was going to get anywhere near the nomination.  I supported Edwards because at least he had the framing right.

When he dropped out, Hillary emerged for me as the better choice, and got incrementally better during the course of the campaign. It’s a free country, and I don’t knock someone who preferred Obama for some rational reason or other (e.g., you place a premium on his legendary speaking style or on the symbolism of a first black president).

But I stand foursquare against truthiness and against the bullying culture where, even now, an A-list blogger busies himself with telling heretics who didn’t get with the Kewl Kidz program to STFU, as David has flagrantly done in recent days. And it’s representative of the overall culture that Democrats who just weren’t that into Obama experienced since the beginning of last year.

As “what if Hillary were prez now?,” here are my two cents about that.

[ Parent ]  
VastLeft, you are clearly possessed… (0.00 / 0)
… of “sheer personal awesomeness” — Sirota engaged your argument. Take a break and “self-congratulate” yourself!
[ Parent ]  
great find! (0.00 / 0)
You’ve been great on this.

Although I will say that I am sure a lawyer or logician could say that the question and Obama’s response implies that “Buy America” provisions are illegal under current trade law.  

New Jersey politics at Blue Jersey.

 
and of course, they're totally not illegal in any way (0.00 / 0)
it’d be just another lie.
[ Parent ]  
Since Obama has demonstrated a propensity (4.00 / 1)
for not really concerning himself much with pissing off Progressives, I’m sure he’ll find away around that pledge.
 
The World Is Coming Apart, And There's Nothing I Can Do (4.00 / 1)
My ex brother-in-law in Indiana, who has three kids to feed including mine, just lost his job.  

My friend who works for Toyota in Belgium, is being laid off in March.  She is on her own with a 10 month old baby boy. Her supervisor, who is Mexican-American, just fired a woman who is eight months pregnant, because she’s black, Congolese.  I hate racist Fucks who would use the economic downturn to cull the workplace of anyone they find objectionable.

Fuck the Toyota Corporation, what good is all their money and market share when they let good people and children go down like this.

I can’t do anything to help, I can hardly do anything to help myself.

It’s all coming apart, the center cannot hold, and there’s nothing I can do, there’s nothing I can do.

 
Your friend in Belgium isn't totally alone! (4.00 / 1)
At least there are 5000 employees of the National Employment Office (NEO)who see here as a new customer and whose job it is to help her get her legal benefits as fast as possible.
http://www.sas.com/success/bel…

Of course, unemployment is still nothing to be happy about, but I guess one could be worse off than being unemployed in Belgium…  

Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter

[ Parent ]  
yup — the EU has a safety net & individual states do too — and are being protectionist as well — (0.00 / 0)
meanwhile, is there anything left in the final final wording of our stimulus that even resembles wording to mandate creation of jobs here only — and purchase of materials here only?
[ Parent ]  
Uh no, not that discussion again! (0.00 / 0)
Come on, I almost singlehandedly represented the arguments against “buy american” in those discussions. Gimme a break and don’t artificially resurrect that zombie, ok?  

Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter
[ Parent ]  
Ok, :sigh:,I did I quick google news search… (0.00 / 0)
and found this Canadian story that quite acurately reflects my view:
“Canadian officials took cold comfort today as the U.S. government finalized the wording of a provocative Buy American initiative with no last-minute surprises that would awaken further trade-war fears.

Diplomatic sources in Washington early today confirmed that the nearly $800-billion stimulus package will proceed toward President Barack Obama’s desk to be signed into law with a provision to steer the money toward American-made products – but not in any way that would violate international agreements.

The clause to uphold trade agreements gives “some comfort” to Canada, said Trade Minister Stockwell Day. But the bill also serves as a reminder that the threat of protectionism must never be taken lightly, he said.”
http://www.thestar.com/World/C…

But pls understand that I really don’t want to revive that discussion. Standing up against such a popular provision isn’t exactly an enjoyable experience.

Let it be said by our children’s children that when we were tested, we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back, nor did we falter

[ Parent ]  
Obama Signed Pledge to Support Buy America AND to Change Trade Policies Accordingly | 14 comments
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