6 Comments

• 1. phil  |  March 2nd, 2008 at 1:41 pm

  Deleted - mindless insults.

• 2. Michael  |  March 2nd, 2008 at 2:26 pm

  Of course they’re wrong, all the data points to that fact. They are just telling potential voters what the voters want to hear. Just listen to the voters in Ohio or Michigan when they say, “I believe Obama/Hillary are right about NAFTA.” Believe. Far be it from the candidates’ responsibilities to let these voters know what the facts are; they don’t want to hear about facts. They want to believe.

  As we know now, neither of these clowns will really do anything about NAFTA after the election if one of them wins. The costs are too high. Already Canada has threatened to cut off supplies of oil to the US if we abrogate NAFTA. One thing the candidates seem not to have learned is that protectionism never works.

• 3. Almiranta  |  March 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 pm

  But what they HAVE learned is that Dems can be elected by promising pie in the sky, can get to the White House merely by being charismatic enough.

  I suggest that if Obama is elected President, he will also not start to pull troops out within 90 days. Bush has been smart enough not only to share with all the candidates the information on which he has based his decisions, he has let us know he has been doing this. The more intelligent and honorable candidates stopped the pull-out claims because they knew that it was rash and impossible. Obama has not. But if he is in the position of being The Decider, with history breathing down his neck, he will find a way to not honor that promise—and hope the groupies will forgive him.

• 4. Kahn  |  March 2nd, 2008 at 10:41 pm

  Read Obama instead of listening to him. Delete the platitudes and focus on real proposals and try to figure out how much they would cost and if they are really possible.

  http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2008/02/barack_obamas_speech.html

  ” finish building a system of levees that can withstand a 100-year storm by 2011, with the goal of expanding that protection to defend against a Category 5 storm. We also have to restore nature’s barriers - the wetlands, marshes and barrier islands that can take the first blows and protect the people of the Gulf Coast.”

  Build Category 5 levees to protect all of New Orleans AND rebuild the Mississippi Delta and all the sand bars and islands in the Gulf? How much you think that might cost?

  “Instead of giving no-bid contracts to companies headed by the President’s former campaign manager, we will make sure that rebuilding benefits the local economy. I have worked across the aisle in the Senate to crack down on no-bid contracts, and to make sure that emergency contracting is only done immediately after an emergency. When I am President, if there is a job that can be done by a New Orleans resident, the contract will go to a resident of New Orleans. And we’ll provide tax incentives to businesses that choose to set up shop in the hardest hit areas.”

  I guess thats OK to say now - several years later. But what no-bid contacts to Bush friends in New Orleans? Doesn’t he have his hate speech mixed up?

  “we’ll build new hospitals - including a new Medical Center downtown, and a state-of-the art Veteran’s hospital.”

  Hey, maybe we should NOT rebuild a veterans hospital in the hurricane zone?

  “$250 million to bring quality teachers back to the Gulf region. Any teacher or principal who commits to come here for three years should receive an annual bonus; and those who teach in subject areas where we face shortages - such as math and science - should receive an additional bonus.”

  A quarter billion here, a quarter billion there…

  “a loan forgiveness program, to make it easier for students to come back to Tulane and colleges and universities across the Gulf region.”

  “give students who need a hand an annual $4,000 tax credit if you’re willing to do your part by serving your community.:

  Define please? So military would get this? Any public service employees?

  Raises to teachers, free college, rebuild a major geographic feature, build a series of levees designed to protect from a Category FIVE hurricane. Up from three which was the previous goal. I would be interested to know if anyone has any idea how many billions this would cost?

  Spare me the “we could use the money from Iraq” answer. How much money are we talking about for New Orleans alone?

  This was ONE speech. One city. Do yourself a favor and read others.

• 5. GOP4ME  |  March 2nd, 2008 at 11:44 pm

  I know the left just creams its jeans over this guy, but if you step into his policies and look around it is very very frightening.

  His fiscal policies are very punitive and heavy on the taxes and heavy on the spend as evidenced by Kahn’s post.

  At least Hilary has a grasp, however slight, of reality.

• 6. OhioOrrin  |  March 3rd, 2008 at 7:29 am

  4 NAFTA fallacies:

  A) Free Trade/Globalization existed BEFORE NAFTA, as it would AFTER NAFTA. Since the US is the world’s largest consumer market (in $), global companies will always seek to export their goods/services to here regardless of NAFTA.

  Also, no NAFTA does NOT equal no bilateral trade agreements which we had BEFORE NAFTA as we would after NAFTA.

  B) Import tarriffs are one of the few CONSTITUTIONAL means for the Fed govt to raise revenue. The Constitution is NOT subordinate to the WTO.

  C) Manufacturing profits roll over in the economy 4 + times while service sector profits just once. Therefore 4 times as many service sector jobs must be created to offset lost manufacturing jobs.

  Also, domestic manufacturing, even downsized, remains the largest employer of scientists & engineers both of which are critical educational needs nationally.

  D) NAFTA remains a small piece of a much larger puzzle. The European Union (EU) has been completed and the same “free-traders” now seek the North American Union (NAU). This free-trade facade hides a much larger adgenda which BOTH PARTIES SUBSCRIBE TO.

  Search - North American Union (NAU), Amerio, Tri-lateralists.

  Educate yourself…because “they” won’t.