Memorandum
To: Interested Parties
From: Hari Sevugan, Spokesperson - Obama for America
Re: Who was that that was out-of-touch again?
Over the last couple of days we have heard some heated rhetoric from the Clinton campaign, Clinton surrogates and Senator Clinton herself about which candidate was most in touch with American voters.
Perhaps it should not be surprising of a campaign that has shown a willingness to say and do anything to win, but it certainly is an astonishing tack for Clinton to take given her record of supporting unfair trade deals, an overly-narrow interpretation of the second amendment and full throated support for lobbyists.
While Senator Obama has consistently opposed unfair trade agreements like NAFTA and the Colombian Free Trade Agreement because he understands that American workers needed their government to fight to give them a level playing field, Senator Clinton took part in Bill Clinton’s efforts to pass NAFTA and continues to employ and seek the counsel of Mark Penn who lobbied on behalf of the Colombian government.
While Senator Obama has consistently stated that the Second Amendment contains an individual right and has been consistent in his support of common sense gun laws that do not abridge that right because it is a matter of defending the Constitution, Senator Clinton supported efforts to take away firearms from people in a state of emergency.
While Senator Obama has refused to take money from federal lobbyists and PACs because he understands that we need to end the hold the special interests have on our government, Senator Clinton is awash in their money and has defended the lobbyist system saying lobbyist represent “real Americans.”
Senator Clinton has asked to be judged on her record, and her record shows that Senator Clinton is out of touch with the needs, values and priorities of working Americans, and they certainly do not want leaders who say one thing and do another. If there’s a person "out of touch" in this election, it’s Hillary Clinton, and it’s with her own record.
HILLARY CLINTON ON TRADE:
Clinton: “I Think On Balance NAFTA Has Been Good For New York And America.” Clinton, on whether NAFTA and GATT should be revisited, said “…I think on balance NAFTA has been good for New York and America, but I also think that there are a number of areas where we’re not dealt with in an upfront way in dealing with our friend to the north, Canada, which seems to be able to come up with a number of rationales for keeping New York agricultural products out of Canada. And I think that needs to be given much greater emphasis than it has.”
Clinton Served “As The Closing Act During A Briefing On NAFTA,” Where Her Remarks Were Described as “Totally Pro-NAFTA.” Clinton served “as the closing act during a briefing on NAFTA, the trade agreement she now assails.” According to her schedule, at 11:30 am - 11:45 am Clinton did a “NAFTA briefing drop-by” with approximately 120 expected to attend and Clinton concluding the program.
“Two attendees of that closed-door briefing, neither of whom are affiliated with any campaign, describe that event for ABC News… ‘It wasn’t a drop-by it was organized around her participation,’ said one attendee. ‘Her remarks were totally pro-NAFTA and what a good thing it would be for the economy. There was no equivocation for her support for NAFTA at the time. Folks were pleased that she came by. If this is a still a question about what Hillary’s position when she was First Lady, she was totally supportive if NAFTA.’”
Clinton Supported Permanent Normal Trade Relations (PNTR) For China, Claimed It Would Create Leverage. “Senate candidate Hillary Clinton said Thursday she supported permanent normal trade relations for China, but slammed Beijing’s restrictive birthrate policies. Clinton said she favored ‘engagement’ with China through trade as a way to ‘have whatever influence we can have’ on Beijing to change its dismal record on human rights, labor law and the environment. ‘I understand the challenges they are facing with population, minorities and the move from the countryside into the cities,’ Clinton said Thursday. ‘But I would hope that they would improve their human rights record, and that includes reproductive rights,’ she added.”
Clinton Claimed China’s Entry Into The World Trade Organization Would Be Good For American Workers Despite The Already Massive Trade Deficit With China. “I know many people, here in Western New York in particularly and Erie Country, are concerned about this vote, and I share the concerns that many of my supporters in organized labor have expressed to me, because I do think we have to make sure that we improve labor rights, we improve environmental standards in our bilateral and our multilateral trade agreements. But on balance, I’ve looked at this, I’ve studied it, I think it is in the interests of America and American workers that we provide the option for China to go into the WTO. Right now, we are trading with China. We have a huge trade deficit with China. The agreement that has been negotiated between our two countries would open their markets to us in a way that they are not yet open, and in fact, for many large manufactured products, like automobiles, we would have the first chance to really get in and compete in that marketplace. I also think it’s not just an issue of trade. I believe it’s a security consideration. I want to do everything we can to persuade China to improve its human rights record, to be sure that it doesn’t in any way interfere with its neighbors or with Taiwan. I don’t think you gain that by isolating China. I think we must work out as best we can a relationship in trade, and a very firm statement and commitment to improving human rights and try to make as much progress as possible.”
Bill Clinton Was Paid $800K By Colombia-Based Gold Service International for Speeches in Which He Expressed Support For The Colombian Free Trade Agreement. “In June 2005, Clinton was paid $800,000 by the Colombia-based Gold Service International to give four speeches throughout Latin America. The organization is, ostensibly, a development group tasked with bringing investment to the country and educating world leaders about the Colombia’s business opportunities. The group’s chief operating officer, Andres Franco, said in an interview that the group supports the congressional ratification of the free trade agreement and that, when Clinton was on his speaking tour, he expressed similar opinions.”
Clinton Refuses to Dismiss, and Continues to Receive the Counsel of Mark Penn whose Firm Lobbied for the Colombian Government and CFTA. Penn said on a conference call with Burson Marsteller, “I think you’ve heard that I made the decision to step down as chief strategist of the Clinton campaign. Penn Schoen and Berland is going to continue to poll for it and I’ll continue to play a role advising Senator Clinton and former President Clinton as well as the rest of the leadership of the campaign,” he said. Later, he added: “The title, the position of chief strategist tended to be one that drew a tremendous amount of attention. And, number two, yes, I will have more time. We will continue - Penn and Schoen will continue to do the polling and I will be advising.”
HILLARY CLINTON ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT:
Clinton Opposed An Amendment To Bar The Use Of Homeland Security Funds To Seize Firearms During Declared States Of Emergency. In 2006, Obama voted for and Clinton was one of only 16 Senators who voted against a Vitter amendment to bar the use of funds in the bill to seize firearms due to the declaration of a state of emergency.
Press Account: Gun Control a “Raison D’Etre” for Clinton’s Senate Campaign. According to ABC News “Running for the Senate in 2000, Clinton appePreared before newspaper publishers in May of that year to say that gun control was part of the raison d’etre for her Senate campaign. ‘We have to do more to stand up to those who refuse to believe the reality that guns do kill and that common-sense gun measures can make a difference,’ she said to the Newspaper Association of America’s annual convention in New York. ‘I believe we need a comprehensive plan to stop gun violence, and it is one of the reasons I am running for the Senate.’”
Gail Collins: Clinton Was Vocal About Gun Control When She Ran For Senate In 2000 And “Now There’s Nothing About It On Her Website.” In February of this year, Gail Collins wrote in the New York Times, “Clinton used to be very vocal about gun control when she was running for Senate in New York, but now there’s nothing about it on her Web site.”
HILLARY CLINTON ON LOBBYISTS:
Clinton Has Received over $800,000 in Campaign Funds from Lobbyists. According to Center for Responsive Politics, the Clinton campaign has taken in $865,290 in contributions from lobbyists.
Clinton: Lobbyists “Represent Real Americas.” When questioned about her willingness to take money from federal lobbyists in August of last year, Clinton said she would not stop and defended the practice saying, “A lot of those lobbyists, whether you like it or not, represent real Americans.”
http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/04/13/885283.aspx
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