Bush Bashes Clinton (and Obama) with His Mighty Might!

[ZombieHorde]

By Peter Baker (I added "with his Mighty Might" because I am a dork.)

President Bush waded further into the presidential race today, slamming Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama for "empty, hollow political rhetoric" on trade and warning that they would make "a reckless mistake" by retreating from agreements to lower barriers with other countries.

Although he did not name Clinton or Obama, he left little doubt whom he was talking about, at one point even mocking Clinton's promise to take a "timeout" from free trade agreements if she becomes president. "You know, some have called for a 'timeout' from trade," he told the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce shortly after Clinton addressed the group. "I guess that's probably popular with the focus group. You know, they toss out the word 'timeout' from trade -- it's got this kind of catchy little title to it. In the 21st century, a timeout from trade would be a timeout from growth, a timeout from jobs and a timeout from good results."

Bush, who used his speech to push Congress to pass a pending free trade agreement with Colombia, noted pointedly that Clinton's husband, Bill Clinton, was a strong supporter of opening markets when he was president and quoted from his predecessor's remarks when signing legislation to implement the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) 14 years ago. Hillary Clinton, seconded by Obama, has abandoned NAFTA, saying she would threaten to opt out of the pact if Mexico and Canada did not agree to renegotiate it. "Listen, NAFTA has worked," Bush said. "People shouldn't back away from NAFTA. It's been a positive development for a lot of people."

snip

Clinton fired back later in the day. "We don't need lectures on trade from a president who has turned back the clock on worker and environmental protections, allowed our trade deficit to skyrocket and stood idly by while countries like China unfairly manipulate their currency and dump products like steel on the U.S. market," she said in a statement. "In fact, the reason we so desperately need to take a timeout from new trade agreements is to put a stop to the Bush Administration's reckless and destructive trade policies."

-----------
Link:
http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/03/12/bush_bashes_clinton_and_obama_1.html?hpid=topnews

[jackson_dem]

1. Why didn't he attack Obama over Obama's trade time-out?

Oh yeah. Obama, the "progressive" hero, isn't calling for this long sought labor goal...

[ZombieHorde]

2. Acording to the article, Bush did not name names.

The author of the article, Peter Baker did. I don't know anything about Baker.

[jackson_dem]

7. It is well known Hill is for a trade time-out. The "progressive" hero is not

He isn't going to name names. Even candidates on the campaign trail often make implied criticisms of candidates rather than using names.

[ZombieHorde]

8. So true. nt

[anigbrowl]

12. I'm not in favor of a trade timeout either. It's an idiotic idea

along with interest rate freezes and other BS which has no chance of actually coming to pass. That kind of thinking went out of fashion in the 1970s, for good reasons.

[Catherine Vincent]

3. Ah, Fuck you, Bush! nt

[sueragingroz]

4. with enemies like that... who needs friends? /nt

[ZombieHorde]

6. Wow, You look just like me!

[sueragingroz]

11. yah it's a fun avvie :)

[ZombieHorde]

13. It looks like she is screaming at our posts in terror. nt

[Arkansas Granny]

5. I would like to see him throw something out there every day for them to rebut.

I think it would give both candidates an opportunity to showcase their stance on the issues and their differences from McCain and the Republicans. We are so caught up in the BS right now that we seem to have lost our focus on the important matters.

[Old Codger]

9. Does anybody here

Really give a flying f*** what that ass says or thinks?

[Olney Blue]

10. No. We don't.

[annie1]

14. She would be so awesome in the GE.