I agree with that opinion, Gary, but it’s still a fact that he twice vetoed essentially the same reform. Without the Repub congress sending it back to him it doesn’t get signed by Slick; I call that having your hand forced.

Quick quiz: what country on Earth has lost the most manufacturing jobs in the last 15 years?

Here’s the answer.

http://hotair.com/archives/2008/02/29/obamas-nafta-double-talk-confirmed-ctv/

The Obama campaign told CTV late Thursday night that no message was passed to the Canadian government that suggests that Obama does not mean what he says about opting out of NAFTA if it is not renegotiated.
However, the Obama camp did not respond to repeated questions from CTV on reports that a conversation on this matter was held between Obama?s senior economic adviser ? Austan Goolsbee ? and the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago.
Earlier Thursday, the Obama campaign insisted that no conversations have taken place with any of its senior ranks and representatives of the Canadian government on the NAFTA issue. On Thursday night, CTV spoke with Goolsbee, but he refused to say whether he had such a conversation with the Canadian government office in Chicago. He also said he has been told to direct any questions to the campaign headquarters.

My grandmother died Friday and I just spent most of a week in my old hometown. Thanks to NAFTA, most of that area no longer has jobs… at least that’s their perception. Let me expound on this for a second:

My Father works for a company that specializes in making kiln furniture, that is specialty ceramics that hold various other ceramics during firing, so that they bake properly. They’ve had some pretty awesome contracts including work on kiln furniture to bake ceramic tiles for NASA. However, since NAFTA, they went from the number one supplier, to bankrupt. Their competition in Mexico could sell the same pieces to American companies for the cost of raw materials at my Dad’s company. This is obviously great for the companies buying the cheaper materials. However, without that company, lots of Ohioans are out of a job.

This seems to be the case in a number of areas, and while Cleveland, Akron etc may have options for people to turn to when a factory goes under, Southeastern Ohio is not as well stocked in job options. That’s the failure with NAFTA as far as I can tell from the perception of people affected. Their jobs were replaced, which makes things better for some Americans and American Companies… but no one provided them with an option to replace their job. Companies aren’t opening new factories, plants or corporate offices in the backwoods of Ohio. Ceramics survived there because the natural resources were plentiful (Roseville and Crooksville used to be considered the Pottery Capital of the world).

So, while NAFTA benefits me, personally… in my nice job in the city… NAFTA has seriously harmed the lives of many individuals who aren’t as fortunate. That, is why Obama and Clinton are hitting it so hard here as opposed to other states. They may be blowing smoke, but its the smoke that Ohioans want to hear… as if killing NAFTA would bring the factories back.

I don’t think so. I think he realized the Dems had to get the welfare albatross off their necks even if the rest of the party didn’t.

To get away with what Obama gets away with, you would have to say that the former soviet style controlled economy is just what we need now and nobody be the wiser.

BTW – Bush’s humorous line this morning explaining Manny’s absence for the second time – “Did his grandma die again?” was hilarious.

There’s got to be some video.