Would 'Buy American' backfire

Date: Tuesday, February 03, 2009 2:58 AM

<<<<< JOB DESTRUCTION NEWSLETTER No. 1971 -- 2/03/2009 >>>>>

According to the United States Chamber of Commerce, "buying American" is a
dangerous idea that will cost Americans their jobs.

To watch Murphy in action watch this Lou Dobbs video clip.

http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/bestoftv/2009/02/02/ldt.tucker.stimulate.this.cnn

Dobbs also had a very short segment on Obama's next lousy appointment: Sen.
Judd Gregg.

No video is available for that segment on Gregg. I used to regularly post
clips like that one on youtube so that the public could watch them free of
charge. Unfortunately providing that service isn't free to me -- I have to pay
for cable or satellite TV (which I can't afford now) and of course there is
the hardware to digitize the video and post it online with high speed internet
which also costs money. I volunteer my time for this newsletter and to do
things like posting video clips for free, but of course time is never actually
free.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and all other newsletters to find out how to
donate to ZaZona.com.

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http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0902/02/ldt.01.html

LOU DOBBS TONIGHT

Stimulus Showdown; Obama's Appeal; Daschle's tax Troubles; State of Emergency;
Buy American

Aired February 2, 2009 -

Well President Obama tonight appears to be on the verge of choosing Republican
Senator Judd Gregg of New Hampshire to be his commerce secretary. Senator
Gregg is an outright supporter of so-call free trade, and free trade
agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA (ph). Wow, he's also a strong advocate of
expanding the H-1B visa program.

Now give another wow. Those programs of course to bring in even more foreign
workers into the United States to compete directly with higher price, middle
class workers. Corporate America of course uses those visa programs,
particularly the H-1B visa program to import cheap labor from foreign
countries to replace American workers.

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BILL TUCKER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It sure seems like a patriotic
requirement in the economic stimulus plan.

SEN. BYRON DORGAN (D), NORTH DAKOTA: In the context of creating legislation
that would put people back to work, the question is are we going to spend
American taxpayers money and purchase foreign products in order to make these
repairs and build these projects? I hope not.

TUCKER: But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce says it's a dangerous idea. In a
letter to the congressional leadership, the Chamber warns of dire consequences
should it happen.

JOHN MURPHY, U.S. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE: The concern of the Chamber is that "Buy
American" provisions in the stimulus package could have the effect of costing
American jobs, causing retaliation from our trading partners overseas as they
raise protectionist barriers against our exports.

TUCKER: The Chamber doesn't hesitate to warn that the protectionism of the
1930s contributed to a depression. And even though no one is talking about
raising any trade tariffs this time around, only creating a preference for
American made steel, iron and manufactured goods. Fear is a substantial part
of the Chamber's argument. An argument greeted with outrage by groups who
believe the "Buy American" clauses are appropriate, necessary and legal.

LORI WALLACH, GLOBAL TRADE WATCH: There are a handful of very large
multinational corporations who don't think of the national interest, they
don't think of the public interest, and in their self- interest, what they're
trying to do is gin up horror and fear by almost any policy that they -- that
doesn't suit their own needs.

TUCKER: The Chamber claims we're the largest exporting country in the world.
But according to analysis of the trade data by the Economic Policy Institute,
Germany and mainland China exported more than America in 2007.
We are the number one importer, however.

ROBERT SCOTT, ECONOMIC POLICY INSTITUTE: U.S. multinational companies are the
largest single importer of goods into the United States. Those companies alone
imported more than $600 billion worth of goods into the U.S. in 2007. That was
about a third of all of U.S. imports.

Foreign multinational companies import another more than $400 billion worth.
Together those two groups, U.S. and foreign based multinationals, were
responsible for 2/3 of our imports.

TUCKER: Buy America is hardly a new idea. Congress passed the Buy American Act
in 1933 for the procurement of federal goods. In 1982, Congress passed a Buy
America Act for transportation related procurements and there have been no
trade wars as a result.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TUCKER: Now this is where it gets fun, you know, if you like politics as a
blood sport, because the only way for the Buy America provisions from Senator
Dorgan that are now in the Senate bill to come out is by amendment, which
means that some senator will have to go down on the floor and in front of
America say they're against American dollars being spent, Lou, on buying
American products to stimulate the American economy.

DOBBS: It is absolutely stupefying that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, as
brazen as it has been representing the multinationals -- by the way, anybody
who thinks the U.S. Chamber of Commerce represents small business in this
country, you're hallucinating. Let me assure you.

They're represent multinationals without any allegiance whatsoever to the
national interests of -- at least of this country, and without any apparent
interest to the common good of the American people.

But to -- for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to say don't buy U.S., it makes you
wonder why they even have a tax exemption, I mean this is crazy.

TUCKER: It staggers the imagination and as you can imagine, all of the
manufacturing groups were all just dumbfounded that this group is supposed...

DOBBS: Well, including the National Association of Manufacturers.

TUCKER: Well, the National Association of Manufacturers, Lou, we have not
heard from.

DOBBS: Well, where are they?

TUCKER: They have not -- they didn't...

DOBBS: Where are the little darlings?

TUCKER: They didn't sign the chamber -- they did not sign the chamber's
letter.

DOBBS: Where are the little darlings because the NAM, speaking of groups that
only represent big multinational groups and not the smaller manufacturers in
this country, I mean I think people are starting to figure out what a bunch of
-- you know how hoodwinked they've been...

TUCKER: Right.

DOBBS: ... by these two groups. But I have to say, the other day to see
President Obama, talking with a number of the heads and CEOs of corporations
directly, was, I think, a great reflection on him as well as on those CEOs who
suddenly decided maybe the Chamber of Commerce shouldn't be the sole
mouthpiece, along with the business roundtable, for business in this country.

This could be a major change in the direction of this country, if we have CEOs
who who'd -- because I'm pro business, I am absolutely pro -- I'm pro labor as
well. And those are competing concepts in the minds of many. I look at them as
counter-billing values that support one another.

But to actually have CEOs who stand up and speak for themselves instead of
hide behind the skirts of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, my gosh, hallelujah,
America, we shot got a shot.

Bill Tucker, thank you very much.

TUCKER: You're welcome.

DOBBS: As always.

Well, we want to know what you think about all of this. And our poll question
tonight is this: do you believe the fact that the U.S. -- did I say U.S. --
Chamber of Commerce believes "Buy American" is a bad idea shows just how much
trouble our nation is in?

We would like to hear from you. Yes or no, cast your vote at Loudobbs.com.
We'll have the results here later in the broadcast.

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