The Triangulating Stupidity of Hillary Clinton
by eriposte
Free-trade expert David Sirota has this to say at Open Left and in his Recommended Diary at Daily Kos (emphasis mine):
Hillary Clinton thinks Iowans are stupid - very stupid. Here's what I'm talking about.
TODAY:
"Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton says she wants to take a close look at foreign trade deals. She says she'll call a 'time out' on trade agreements if she wins the White House.'" - Associated Press, 11/12/07
FOUR DAYS AGO:
"Clinton Says Yes to Peru Deal...Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, after prodding from a rival campaign, has issued positions on several trade deals currently before Congress, including her support for an agreement with Peru that is dividing her party." - New York Times, 11/8/07
As I said, Hillary Clinton clearly thinks Iowans are stupid. Sure, I guess technically the two statements don't contradict each other - just like I guess you could technically debate what the definition of "is" is. So sure, she could be for a strategic pause when she's president, but not just now. But I'd say that would be a pretty strange position. Why should we take such a pause in a year, but not now?
No, I'd say this is talking out of both sides of the mouth. She says she's for a "time out" - but only later. Not now, when the Senate votes really count. Iowans should trust her when she's elected, even if she doesn't follow the spirit of what she pledges right now. And I'd say she thinks Iowans are too stupid to notice. As a strategy (this being the Strategery section and all) I'd say that's a pretty misguided assumption.
Well, some of us happen to believe that George W. Bush is the current President of the United States and that Sen. Clinton is not the President right now. We could be wrong - and David can correct us if we are - but my purely Faith-BasedTM belief is that Sen. Clinton is not the President today. This is important to note because these trade deals are usually FIRST negotiated and signed by the President and SUBSEQUENTLY forwarded to Congress for approval (examples: Peru-US, Colombia-US, South Korea -US). If Sen. Clinton were to become President today, sure, she could implement her "time out" today. But, because she is not the President of the United States today and is only a U.S. Senator today, she cannot implement a "time-out" on trade deals today, in her current capacity, because it is only the prerogative of the President to implement such "time-outs". Of course, this does not in any way, in any way whatsoever, change the fact that according to the 2008 Democratic Presidential Primary Rule Book, Senator Clinton thinks Iowans are stupid, while many other Senators, and especially Sen. Edwards, believe that Iowans are smart and brilliant people who have the Straight-Talking Reality-BasedTM knowledge that a single Senator can implement "time-outs" on trade deals.
Further, I want to include a portion of Sen. Clinton's statement that David did not include in his post (emphasis mine):
I support the trade agreement with Peru. It has very strong labor and environmental protections. This agreement makes meaningful progress on advancing workers’ rights, and also levels the playing field for American workers. Most Peruvian goods already enter the U.S. duty free, but our exports to Peru have been subject to tariffs.
However, I will oppose the pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama. The South Korean agreement does not create a level playing field for American carmakers. I am very concerned about the history of violence against trade unionists in Colombia. And as long as the head of Panama’s National Assembly is a fugitive from justice in America, I cannot support that agreement. Accordingly, I will oppose the trade agreements with these countries.
We need to vigorously enforce our trade agreements. As President, I will appoint a trade enforcement officer and double the enforcement staff at the office of the United States Trade Representative. I will also systematically review every trade agreement to ensure that it is delivering benefits to American workers. I will also expand the Trade Adjustment Assistance program so that workers negatively affected by the global economy get the help they need. And as President, in my first months in office, I will take a time out from new trade deals to assess their impact before going forward.
Got that? Now, all of you are completely free to criticize Sen. Evil DLC Monstrous Job-Killer Clinton for single-handedly destroying everyone's jobs in America and reducing the United States to a fourth world country using her deadly power of Super Triangulating Double-TalkTM.