The Wall Street Journal Almost Gets It Right On Trade Issues... Almost

In their headline yesterday, the Journal trumpeted Americans Sour On Trade. That's patently ridiculous, of course but what increasing numbers of Americans are souring on are unfair, Big Business "Free Trade" policies that have been used to fatten corporate bottom lines, while systematically dismantling the American manufacturing base, shipping millions of middle class jobs to low wage hellholes, and driving down the cost of labor, long a right wing nirvana, here in America. The Journal, one of the worst proponents of these policies seems almost surprised Americans are "becoming increasing hostile to it," worried that potentially devastating "free trade" pacts with Colombia and South Korea-- being vigorously pushed by Boehner and the Republican House caucus-- could fail. Americans are pro-trade and pro-fair trade and are no longer buying into corporate lies about what they call "free trade."

In the latest Wall Street Journal/NBC News poll, more than half of those surveyed, 53%, said free-trade agreements have hurt the U.S. That is up from 46% three years ago and 32% in 1999.

Even Americans most likely to be winners from trade-- upper-income, well-educated professionals, whose jobs are less likely to go overseas and whose industries are often buoyed by demand from international markets-- are increasingly skeptical. [Less likely... but not as less likely as was once thought.]

"The important change is that very well-educated and upper-income people compared to five to 10 years ago have shifted their opinion and are now expressing significant concern about the notion of...free trade," said Bill McInturff, a Republican pollster who helps conduct the Journal survey. Among those earning $75,000 or more, 50% now say free-trade pacts have hurt the U.S., up from 24% who said the same in 1999.

Worries about side effects of trade and outsourcing seem one of the few issues on which Americans of different classes, occupations and political persuasions agree. The vote in the House last week to arm the administration with more levers to pressure China to let its currency rise, and thus restrain its export machine, was bipartisan: 249 Democrats and 99 Republicans voted for it.

...In the recent Journal poll, 83% of blue-collar workers agreed that outsourcing of manufacturing to foreign countries with lower wages was a reason the U.S. economy was struggling and more people weren't being hired; no other factor was so often cited for current economic ills. Among professionals and managers, the sentiment was even stronger: 95% of them blamed outsourcing.

...Some Republicans are reasserting their commitment to trade. The Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Ohio, former U.S. Trade Representative Rob Portman, is leading in the polls. Others are quiet. The House Republicans' recent "Pledge to America" doesn't mention free trade. And of eight tea party Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate, only two mention support for free trade on their websites. In the Journal poll, 61% of those who identify themselves as tea-party supporters say trade agreements have hurt the U.S.

As we mentioned before, when Boehner and the GOP House leadership decided to support China's currency manipulations against the dollar, 99 Republicans immediately crossed the aisle and voted with the Democrats. Boehner was left with a mere 74 Republican votes with his inherently anti-jobs policy. In his own hard-hit state of Ohio, not only did every Democrat support the bill, but so did the three senior Republicans in the state delegation-- Steve LaTourette, Pat Tiberi and Michael Turner-- plus Steve Austria. The only Ohio Congressmembers the would-be Speaker managed to hang onto were pathetic backbenchers who and all dependent on Boehner's goodwill for their campaign financing: Jim Jordan, Bob Latta and Mean Jean Schmidt.

Boehner's Democratic opponent, Justin Coussoule, is basing much of his campaign on getting Ohioans back to work and constantly points out how Boehner's corporate agenda has wrecked Ohio's economy and devastated the middle class in his own district. Many feel it is the primary reason Boehner has adamantly refused every non-partisan invitation to debate the issues with Coussoule. "What's he going to say," asked Coussoule rhetorically, "that shipping good paying American jobs to China and Vietnam is good for the corporate donors who are pouring tens of millions of dollars into GOP campaign coffers this year?"



A Democratic Senator who has fought vigorously against NAFTA and special status for China and the unfair trade policies that have been so destructive to this country is, unsurprisingly, Russ Feingold (D-WI). And he's battling a corporate shill and multimillionaire who has a long record of supporting exactly the kinds of unfair trade policies Americans are sick of, Ron Johnson. "These unfair trade deals," a Wisconsin Democratic Party spokesman told us, "have led directly to at least 64,000 Wisconsin workers losing their jobs. Nationally, 5.6 million jobs were lost or displaced by the trade deficit... While Russ has opposed all unfair trade deals like NAFTA, when Ron Johnson was specifically asked by the media if he supported NAFTA, Most Favored Nation trading status for China and the Korean trade deal currently before the U.S. Senate, Johnson said he supported those deals, saying: 'I’m definitely supportive'.”

In a follow-up question from the media, Johnson celebrated unfair trade deals as “creative destruction." 

WisPolitics Moderator: "You're supportive of these free trade agreements? Because some manufacturers here, they blame those free trade agreements somewhat for hurting their business. I don’t know which companies but I've heard that from executives in Wisconsin because the manufacturing job loss has been so great here in this state.”
 
Ron Johnson: Well in a free market capitalist system there are always winners and losers.  It's creative destruction. That just happens. It's unfortunate. But let’s face it, if it weren't for that we'd still have buggy whip companies.”

Sounds like he's been drinking from the same Ayn Rand cup of nonsense that has made Paul Ryan drunk and dangerous. Ryan, of course, was one of Boehner's top supporters in their failed attempt on behalf of Chinese currency manipulation. Another one of the Republicans who has stuck with Boehner on these misguided trade policies is Iowa sociopath Steve King. He was one of the minority of the minority who voted in favor of Chinese currency manipulation, something that costs Americans billions of dollars in lost jobs growth. You may recall that back in July we spoke with King's opponent, tax expert Matthew Campbell who did a guest post here about preserving Social Security by making the wealthy pay their fair share of the payroll tax, just like everyone else does. This morning Matthew, an avid pro-trade Democrat, told us he would have voted for Tim Ryan's Currency Reform Act for Fair Trade that Steve King voted against. "House GOP members such as Steve King are evidently more concerned with Chinese jobs rather than U.S. jobs. We shouldn't allow China to continue to have an artificial advantage in the global economy that goes against America's self-interest to have a strong manufacturing base and strong middle class in the U.S. It is wrong that China doesn't let is currency float. This is giving the Chinese currency an artificial advantage in the global marketplace of up to 30% that is gutting the American manufacturing base and costing American jobs. Americans are committed to foreign trade, they just want to make sure its fair trade and that it's leaders aren't asleep at the wheel hurting America's self-interest." No one should be elected to Congress, regardless of political party, who doesn't commit to the same point of view. And if you'd like to help Matt out against King, you can do it here.