Bush Radio: Pelosi's Colombia stance "bad for American workers, bad for America's national security"

[Amerigo Vespucci]

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
April 19, 2008

President's Radio Address

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/04/20080419.html



THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. Next week, I will be hosting the North American Leaders' Summit in New Orleans. This event will give me an opportunity to meet with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calder n to discuss some of the most significant issues facing our hemisphere and the world.

One of the issues that I'll be discussing with these leaders is the importance of expanding trade in our hemisphere. Recently I sent Congress an agreement that would expand America's access to markets in Colombia. Unfortunately, the Speaker of the House has chosen to block the Colombia free trade agreement instead of giving it an up or down vote that Congress committed to. Her action is unprecedented and extremely unfortunate. I hope that the Speaker will change her mind. If she does not, the agreement will be dead. And this will be bad for American workers and bad for America's national security.

And here is why: Today, almost all of Colombia's exports to the United States enter duty-free. But the 9,000 American businesses that export to Colombia, including nearly 8,000 small and mid-sized firms, face significant tariffs on their products. The situation is completely one-sided. Our markets are open to Colombian products, but barriers that make it harder to sell American goods in Colombia remain. If the free trade agreement were implemented, however, most of Colombia's tariffs on American goods would be eliminated immediately.

There is also a strategic imperative to approve the agreement. By obstructing this agreement, Congress is signaling to a watching hemisphere that America cannot be trusted to support its friends. Over the past six years, Colombia's President Uribe has been a steadfast ally of the United States. He's transformed his country from a near-failed state to a stable democracy with a growing economy. He has partnered with America in the fight against drugs and terror. And he has addressed virtually every one of Congress's concerns, including revising the free trade agreement to include some of the most rigorous labor and environmental protections in history.

He has done all this while his country is under violent assault from a terrorist organization and facing constant intimidation from anti-American regimes in the region. As Canada's Prime Minister Harper has said, "If the U.S. turns its back on its friends in Colombia, this will set back our cause far more than any Latin American dictator could hope to achieve."

Leaders in Congress have made a serious error, but it is not too late to get it right. This week, a long list of senior officials from Democratic administrations and Democrats from previous Congresses signed a letter urging Congress to approve the agreement this year. They wrote, "We feel that the treaty should be considered as soon as possible and that any obstacles should be quickly and amicably resolved." I strongly agree. I believe that if the Speaker allows a vote on the merits, a majority of the House of Representatives will approve the trade agreement. So I urge leaders in Congress to reconsider their position, recognize the stakes at hand, and approve the Colombia agreement as soon as possible.

Thank you for listening.

[LakeSamish706]

1. When is this "Asshole" going to fall off the face of the earth is what inquiring minds want to know?

[0007]

3. I've found through experience, pricks, dicks and assholes out

live most everyone.

[KharmaTrain]

2. Dead Air...

Last week I scanned around...I found only one station that carried his assholiness' weekly claptrap...the local hate radio outlet. The manchild still thinks he can ramrod whatever he wants...and if he doesn't get what he wants, he'll call names and throw a tantrum. Mr. 27% has worked himself into irrelevancy...and here's hoping Pelosi and the House Dems keep ramming things up this regime's butt...and to realize that the more you "take on city hall", the more people appreciate it...and will take it to the polls in November.

[madrchsod]

4. i think foster gave the dems reply last week

i read where the milk nazi is going to moderate his views for the upcoming election...what? alienate his base supporters?

[KharmaTrain]

6. Moderate = I'll Let A Mexican Cut My Lawn

I all but forgot about the walking turd until I saw one of his huge signs out on Rte 47 in Will County...with a big red X over his name and "Ha Ha Ha Ha" written underneath.

I'm sure we'll see his idiotic kid do a TV commercial featuring a new Mexican flavored ice cream. :rofl:

Cheers...

[VP505]

5. Anytime that *

asshole says something is bad for "American Workers" and "America's National Security" we know that its just the opposite. When did * EVER do ANYTHING GOOD for workers and security? Until he does he has absolutely NO credibility on either of those issues!