|
| Author
|
Post |
 
|
|
LakeWoman50
F L I N T O I D
|
Obama Abandons 'Buy American' Stimulus Provision
By David Knowles
Feb 13th 2009 9:10AM
Filed Under:eBarack Obama, Featured Stories, Economy, Ron Paul, Trade, Bill Clinton
President Barack Obama has changed his mind as to whether the massive stimulus bill that is expected to be approved by Congress today should include one or more strict, "Buy American" provisions in it. Back before the economy crumbled before our very eyes, Obama espoused the ideals of the Buy American philosophy, even using the phrase in promotional materials. Now, however, Obama has backed away from mandating such policies. To the dismay of big labor, as the stimulus bill currently stands, previously included made-in-America restrictions have been dropped. Politico explains:
The current Buy American language in the stimulus bill requires only that the government spends funds in ways that do not violate U.S. trade agreements.
Initially, the House bill restricted spending to American-made iron and steel, while the Senate Version went even further, mandating that "all manufactured goods" in construction projects come from U.S. producers.
But in interviews last week, Obama came out against provisions that "signal protectionism."
Obama's fear, though it is sure to anger labor unions and many on the left, is that Buy American provisions will "backfire" and discourage other nations from doing business with the U.S. at a time when we can't afford to turn away a single foreign customer.
American companies like Caterpillar, whose Illinois plant Obama visited yesterday, are opposed to Buy American restrictions. US Steel, on the other hand, thinks very highly of requiring new construction projects to use, er, US Steel.
The seemingly eternal battle between those who favor Buy American legislation, and those who don't has been around for some time. Sides of this battle are not drawn on the basis of political affiliation, as Pat Buchanan, Ron Paul, Bill Clinton, and now Barack Obama have all shown us. The question, as ever, is whether or not such provisions do more harm or good for the workers in the long run. In our current economic climate, Obama seems to have decided the former.
The AP has more.
It's no surprise that Lou Dobbs is outraged by the president's change of heart on the Buy America matter. Watch: |
|
|
Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:04 pm |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
Well so far I havent seen anything that his highness has not reniged on.  |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:22 pm |
|
|
Adam
F L I N T O I D
|
This is misleading because Obama is only our humble president. The people who run things like the United Nations have rules against like "Buy American" that which Obama must bow down to. Perhaps we should rename our country the Uniteds States of American of the United Nations so people aren't so confused.  I support U.S. sovereignty but Ron Paul the candidate that supported that lost in the Republican primary.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5655115.ece |
|
|
|
Fri Feb 13, 2009 6:45 pm |
|
|
back again
F L I N T O I D
|
| well...you gotta use your head on this. how can america espouse a 100% buy american view when china owns a hefty percentage of america. oh yeah, thanks both bush presidents for that one....yeah republicans,long before nafta............ |
|
|
|
Fri Feb 13, 2009 8:17 pm |
|
|
pan8
F L I N T O I D
|
quote:
back again schreef:
well...you gotta use your head on this. how can america espouse a 100% buy american view when china owns a hefty percentage of america. oh yeah, thanks both bush presidents for that one....yeah republicans,long before nafta............
Yesterdays news. 
What has OhNObama done for us lately? Wonder what the UAW thinks of "buy american?" My guess is as they face the loss of 2,000 jobs in flint that they will agree with the premiss of "buy american."
Pan8 |
|
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:13 am |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
Heres a bit more of yesterdays news.
The China Connection
Why Clinton-Gore Cannot Be Trusted with National Security
By Congressman Curt Weldon
The Chinese espionage scandal and wholesale auctioning of sensitive technologies to China should erase any doubt in the minds of Americans that President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore are not to be trusted with our country's national security.
The dark legacy left by the Clinton-Gore Administration will place the lives of Americans at greater risk for generations to come. Under the Clinton-Gore watch China stole classified thermonuclear weapons information, stole electromagnetic weapons technology that it can use to attack U.S. satellites and missiles, and stole classified research that can be used to detect and threaten our previously invulnerable nuclear submarines. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.
But China did more than just steal information form the United States. Through a complex system of influence peddling and campaign contributions, China was also able to obtain relaxations on exports on a wide variety of sensitive technologies. In other words, the Clinton-Gore Administration gave away sensitive technologies to China in order to please big donors to the Democrat Party.
The relaxation of export controls, removal of national security agencies from the export approval process, and the dissolution of an international forum for controlling the transfer of military technologies under the Clinton-Gore Administration created an environment ripe for mistakes and abuse. It was the equivalent of setting out the welcome mat for the Chinese to gain access -- completely legally -- to our most sensitive technologies.
And the Chinese certainly took advantage of the situation. China -- which until 1996 had no high-performance computers to help design nuclear weapons -- had over 600 high performance computers in 1998, all originating from the United States. The Chinese have also obtained access to precision machine tools that it diverted to build military aircraft, cruise missiles, and nuclear weapons.
The seriousness of this matter is compounded by the fact that China is one of the world's worst proliferators of military technologies. It is likely that this technology will soon find its way into the hands of countries like North Korea, Iran, and Iraq.
Given the serious ramifications of the findings and recommendations of the bipartisan Cox Report, one would think that the American people could expect a serious, thoughtful response from the Clinton-Gore Administration. Instead, all we have seen are Administration attempts to "spin" the report and attempts to convince the American public that the President and Vice-President bear no responsibility for what has happened.
But they do. It was the Clinton-Gore Administration that eliminated FBI background checks at some of our most sensitive weapons laboratories. It was the Clinton-Gore Administration that eliminated color-coded employee ID badges -- denoting clearance levels -- at classified Department of Energy laboratories. It was the Clinton-Gore Administration that reinstated the security clearance of an employee being investigated for giving out sensitive and classified information. And it was the Clinton-Gore Administration that allowed the exports of these sensitive technologies.
But President Clinton and Vice President Gore have spent more energy trying to cover their butts than closing the barn door. The Administration has cracked down on the brave employees within the Departments of Defense and Energy who blew the whistle on the ineptitude of Clinton's political appointees and flawed policy toward China. Meanwhile, the people who bear the blame for the damage to our national security are walking away scott-free.
It is important to note, however, that the recent scandal does not mean that we should completely cut off relations with China or end trade. The United States can continue to engage in meaningful trade relations and the export of materials to China. But we have to be smart about it. We can't be giving China access to technologies that endanger our national security. The Clinton-Gore Administration left the flood gates wide open. There is a middle ground and we need to find it. On the issue of our political relations with China, we need to return to Ronald Reagan's principled approach to foreign policy: trust but verify.
If the Clinton-Gore Chinese espionage has taught us anything, we must learn that our military secrets and technology require constant vigilance and safeguarding. And President Clinton and Vice President Gore are not to be trusted with that oversight.
_______________________________________________________________________ |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:22 am |
|
|
pan8
F L I N T O I D
|
But would you trust your 18 year old daughter with Slick Willie? 
Pan8 |
|
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:29 am |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
| I wouldnt trust my 12 year old Grandaughter with him. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:55 am |
|
|
pan8
F L I N T O I D
|
quote:
twotap schreef:
I wouldnt trust my 12 year old Grandaughter with him.
Would you trust Barney Frank with you 12 year old Grandson? |
|
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:02 am |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
| Barney aint getting within 500 yards of me or my family, whats with Mass voters. Kennedys, Frank, Kerry, gotta be something in the water. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:26 am |
|
|
torgohugo
F L I N T O I D
|
| Speaking of ex-presidents (hey this board brought up Slick Willie) I wouldn’t trust any young person with Bush, considering the 4,105 American deaths he is responsible for in Iraq since he proclaimed “Mission Accomplished” as thief and liar in chief. |
_________________
"Join us- won't we?" MST3K |
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:37 pm |
|
|
twotap
F L I N T O I D
|
And from what I hear many in the military arent trusting Obama to be their messiah in chief. Who knows they may have actually been around when the first Obama than known as Jimmy Carter was running the show or at least got the factual history on him. By the way I believe the terrorists and Islamic whackjobs (you know the ones you libs keep claiming are no problem) are the ones responsible for the above mentioned deaths, but hey you Bush haters keep up your same old tired rant while the rest of us wait and see how your boy handles the problem. One more quick point if the military didnt trust Bush as you claim why did so many of our finest reup to continue with the "War on Terror"?? but than again since Barney (my boy lollipop) was mentioned its possible that recruitment could remain high since Barack is gonna allow Barneys bros to come out of the closet to serve.  |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 1:33 pm |
|
|
back again
F L I N T O I D
|
i didn't know of any bushs, cheneys or rumsfelds who served ANYTHING.
old news????? ha ha ha how soon they forget.....
what???? 1 month ago?? old news???? you losers are funny. |
|
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:40 pm |
|
|
pan8
F L I N T O I D
|
quote:
back again schreef:
i didn't know of any bushs, cheneys or rumsfelds who served ANYTHING.
old news????? ha ha ha how soon they forget.....
what???? 1 month ago?? old news???? you losers are funny.
I think the whole nation are the losers and in particular those libs wanting "CHANGE."
Pan8 |
|
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:46 pm |
|
|
back again
F L I N T O I D
|
| well pan, enough americans want change because they voted that way. so that makes you right and the rest of america wrong right?? |
|
|
|
Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:53 pm |
|
|
|
Forum Rules:
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Register
Profile
FlintTalk.com Forum Index
> Political Talk
