I'm not sure how big that voting bloc is anymore, but in a speech today, Sen. McCain has a lot to say on trade. If this is a sign of things to come, trade is going to be a hot issue in the Presidential campaign.
First, he goes at Sen. Obama pretty hard:
For his part, however, Senator Obama has a habit of talking down the value of our exports and trade agreements. He even proposed a unilateral re-negotiation of NAFTA – our agreement with Canada and Mexico that accounts for 33 percent of American exports, and 17 billion dollars’ worth of exports last year just for Illinois. As you may recall, the Senator’s senior economic advisor told a representative of Canada to pay no attention to this anti-trade rhetoric from Senator Obama – it was all just, quote, “political positioning” for the primary elections. But for those of us who were paying attention, what we heard was not impressive. It was bad judgment and a bit inconsistent. Senator Obama is fond of scolding others for engaging in the “old-style politics,” but when he plays on fears of foreign trade he’s resorting to the oldest kind of politics there is. It’s the kind of politics that exploits problems instead of solving them, that breeds resentment instead of opportunity.
If I am elected president, this country will honor its international agreements, including NAFTA, and we will expect the same of others. And in a time of uncertainty for American workers, we will not undo the gains of years in trade agreements now awaiting final approval.
I'm not sure his description of what Obama's adviser said is accurate. I never felt completely satisfied with the explanations that were given, but from what I recall, it may not be correct to say that "the Senator’s senior economic advisor told a representative of Canada to pay no attention to this anti-trade rhetoric from Senator Obama" and that it was just "political positioning."
Then, McCain also goes hard at U.S. protectionism, in agriculture specifically:
It is a longstanding goal of American trade policy – and a goal I share – to open foreign markets across the world to American farmers. But the biggest obstacle is not to be found in any foreign market, or in the policies of any other government. It’s right there in the Congress of the United States, in the billions of dollars in subsidies served up every five years to corporate farmers. The original idea was to provide a buffer to small farmers in tough times and to assure a stable supply of food for our country. But nowadays, the small farmers have been forgotten, and instead the Congress sends a steady supply of subsidies to agribusiness.
It would be hard to find any single bill that better sums up why so many Americans in both parties are so disappointed in the conduct of their government, and at times so disgusted by it. Here we are at a time when food prices are at historic highs, and farm income is up by 56 percent in just the past two years. Yet even now, the Congress has voted to give billions of dollars in subsidies to some of the biggest and richest agribusiness corporations in America – many of which are heavy political contributors to members in both parties.
Even as American workers and taxpayers struggle to buy food, because of rising prices, the Congress refuses to place real limits on farm subsidies. Most of the subsidies are going to large commercial farms with an average income of two-hundred thousand dollars, and an average net worth of two million dollars. And, of course, along with the subsidies comes the usual harvest of tax breaks, bailouts, and other forms of corporate welfare. To take just a few examples, the thoroughbred industry hit it big this year with 93 million in tax breaks for race horses. The timber industry made off with 260 million dollars in tax breaks. And then there’s a company that describes itself as, quote, “the largest and most geographically diverse land owner in the nation.” That doesn’t sound like a hardship case to me. But the Congress has just voted to give that same company 250 million dollars in public money.
I don't know how this message will play politically, in terms of how many votes it gains and how many it loses, but I do give McCain credit for speaking out like this.
Next, he talks about poor people in developing countries. Again, I'm not sure how much benefit he will see politically (the Oxfam vote can't be that big!), but nevertheless I'm impressed that he is saying it:
Lost in all of this deal-making and money-grabbing in Washington is not only the common good in our own country, but a concern for other people across the world – people who look to us for an example of fairness and honesty. When the United States and Europe subsidize our biggest agricultural producers, we distort global prices and we hurt the world’s poorest farmers in Africa and elsewhere. These men and women wonder how our government can live with such policies, even at the expense of our own citizens. They believe that our massive subsidies to American producers are a form of protectionism, helping already rich companies at the expense of people and nations in need. They think that these corporate subsidies are inconsistent with our own standards and ideals, and with the good heart of America. And my friends, they are right.
And here is his conclusion:
If I am elected president, I will seek an end to all agricultural tariffs, and to all farm subsidies that are not based on clear need. I will veto any bill containing special-interest favors and corporate welfare in any form. We’re going to base our farm policy on the common good, with policies that help our small farmers to succeed, and our rural communities to survive and flourish once again. We’re going to help American producers large and small to compete in foreign markets – because we know they are up to the challenge, without need of unfair advantages and billion-dollar favors. We’re going to help developing countries in every way we can – by sharing our technologies, by supporting micro-credit banking programs in Africa and elsewhere, and above all by setting an example of fair dealing with other nations.
I don't think he can be much clearer than this! There are still some nuances, of course, such as how he feels about investment expropriation rules, but he has now laid out his vision pretty strongly. I suspect (and hope) that Sen. Obama is preparing a response.
