ABC Digs Into Clinton Trade Hypocrisy - Clinton Campaign Responds With More Deception

On Monday, I wrote about Hillary Clinton airing an ad decrying the closure of a defense manufacturing factory that her husband, Bill Clinton, helped close by approving the sale of the company to a Chinese state-owned firm. Now, ABC News is running with the story, and uncovers some more ugly details. The Clinton campaign has responded not by fessing up, but by putting out more dishonest deceptions.

From Jake Tapper:

"A memo prepared for [Indiana Senator Evan] Bayh by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service earlier this year stated that the Clinton administration could have objected to the sale under CFIUS, but it did not...In 2000, also during Bill Clinton's presidency, Magnequench purchased from UGIMAG the factory in Valparaiso that manufactured the Neo magnets. President Clinton's administration took no steps to stop the purchases in 2000, either."

The sale was a pretty serious national security issue, not so much because the technology was sensitive, but because the sale means our military has to rely on foreign companies for critical weaponry. Here's Tapper:

The two Chinese companies were headed by the husbands of the first and second daughters of then-Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. One of those daughters was at that time "vice minister of China's State Science and Technology Commission, whose responsibilities included acquiring military technologies by whatever means necessary," according to David Cay Johnston in Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Corporations Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (And Stick You With the Bill).

"Complaints about the sale of Magnequench were made to the U.S. government because of the military applications for the magnets," Johnston reports. "Still, the Clinton administration, an ardent proponent of globalization, approved the sale."

Around that time, Shingleton says, "there was talk about the national security issue and the loss of jobs because they were leaving. Some of the higher-wage jobs left immediately [in 2000]. I knew personally some people who were managers and who lost their jobs."

Not surprisingly, the Clinton campaign is compounding its deception with more deception as it tries to explain away this latest controversy. McClatchy today quotes Clinton spokesman Jonathan Swain claiming that "In 1995, when this group bought Magnequench, there were assurances made that production would stay in the United States." But as ABC recounts, the Congressional Research Service reports that the state-owned Chinese company that Clinton allowed to purchase Magnequench "promised to keep those Anderson, Ind., jobs in the U.S. only until 2005."

This is about as pristine an example of Clintonian deception and parsing as you are going to find. First comes the pander - an ad that conveys that signature Clinton bite-the-bottom-lip, feel-your-pain message of empathy and outrage. Then comes the revelation that the whole thing Clinton supposedly feels bad about was originally brought about by the Clinton administration, which she endlessly touts. And finally there is the lying - pretending that there were "assurances" that what happened wouldn't happen, when in fact those assurances were not what's being claimed.

With both Indiana and North Carolina being among the two worst-hit states by the Clinton-backed NAFTA/PNTR policies that this Magnequench controversy epitomizes, you would think this would make a perfect issue for Barack Obama to start talking about.

Join the book club for David Sirota's upcoming book, The Uprising, due out on 5/27.

Comments

[RRonin]

Regardless of who's the candidate is in November, the big loser is going to be Bill Clinton. Not because of his statements or his finger wagging, but because of the scrutiny focusing on the long term effects of his policy decisions when he was President. Just as with this sale that the Clinton administration insisted just had to go through, the truth is coming out that Bill didn't always have the best interests of the American people at heart, at least those Americans who worked for their money and didn't sit back on their duffs and let their money work for them. I'd love to see the donor list to Clinton's Library and Foundation and see the names, and where all that money came from.

[KarateKid]

re: your last sentence, I was thinking exactly the same thing. I would put nothing past them. It's amazing how many people swallow their lies.

[Msohio]

With both Indiana and North Carolina being among the two worst-hit states by the Clinton-backed NAFTA/PNTR policies that this Magnequench controversy epitomizes, you would think this would make a perfect issue for Barack Obama to start talking about. PRICELESS

Barack-----it's NAFTA, Iraq, the mortgage crisis, gas and food costs (take your pick)

[useyourbrain]

except it was BILL CLINTON's administration. Nothing he states shows HRC had anything to do with it and his claim that HRC's campaign of lying and deception is what? What press release have they given on when Bill Clinton did. I don't think HRC had a dog in that fight or do you want to say that every policy issue, statement, etc. is to be tied to Hillary? She has disagreed with him on many things and will continue to do so.

[aznurse]

Didn't she blame Bush for the closure of the factory???

[Mojane]

Bill and Hillary have always been a team and will continue to be a team, especially if THEY regain the WH by whatever pit bull tactics it takes. Talk about guilt by association....they pretty much beat all. It takes a true innocent, a naif, to think she wasn't aware of Bill's machinations in and out of the WH.

[charley0008]

Let's get real, she acted as a virtual vice-president with a finger in every pie except foreign relations. If she touts the 'good old days, of the Clinton White House, why should not then be held accountable?
She had no problem holding Sen. Obama accountable for people saying nice things about him, which he had nothing to do with nor any control over.
I am woman, when I was fighting for 'equality' it meant 'equality' not better, not less we just wanted to be treated as equals. That also applies to Hillary in this campaign, although her whining would make you think she forgot the idea that 'equal' meant 'equal' not equal +!

[mortrefuge]

So her 8 years as first lady was mere window dressing? She therefore has no claim to any experience during this time? And previously she was first lady of Arkansas for 12 years? Is this also the same empty, empty years? What is she left with? "Bless us, we are rich?"

[bfbenn]

You certainly wouldn't know that from her public statements! By her account she was in the thick of it the entire time - isn't that part of her "experience"?

[utd]

"you would think this would make a perfect issue for Barack Obama to start talking about."-

I would think that, and I do, but it has been a non-attack issue for them ever since she did that whole "SHAME ON YOU BARACK OBAMA SHAME ON YOU !!" bullshit about the NAFTA fliers he made in February. She never denied it because it was true, but her scolding made the entire Obama camp a slight bit chicken shit about addressing the issue properly since then. He should have gone on the news the next day and said "NO, shame on you you ruthless bitch. You supported NAFTA then, you support it now, you lie to cover your ass, and the policies of the Clinton administration cost a lot of good Americans their jobs over the years and now you lie to their face about getting new ones for them just like you lied about getting the people of New York 200,000 jobs and lost 30,000 jobs in 7 years instead... shame on you."

[atienne]

Newsflash-Barack is the candidate...not Reverend Wright! Maybe you don't think he has anything to do with it but since you said 'Newsflash' Hillary is the candidate, I had to make a point of that since there are too many using Wright as an excuse. And while Hillary IS the candidate, she uses policies that Bill was behind and she lobbied for NAFTA. And that's just the beginning of her deceipt!

[THEhillbilly]

News flash for you: Hillary is the candidate. That should tell you that Bill isn't. Kicking him around is cool, but pointless. The fun part is that if this story had come up in real time, you would have been defending him.

Another news flash for you: "The Clintons" were never president. Bill was. His lying wife has nothing but eight years of experience hosting White House dinners. It's really sad that she's the best candidate the Democrats could find.

As for grandiloquent, done-nothing tyro Obama, you might be right. Since he has no selling points of his own, he should join you in babbling about this sort of thing, since he doesn't seem eager about elaborating on his "real change" buzzword. So far, all he says about it is that we can believe in it.

[RanTheMan]

"News flash for you: Hillary is the candidate. That should tell you that Bill isn't."
**** It's Hillary talking about the Magnequench closing as though it was Bush's fault, trying to deflect any role her husband played in the situation. It's typically hypocritical..

"...Obama..." "Since he has no selling points of his own..."
**** That line is simply evidence that you have chosen not to do even the smallest amount of research to actually find out what Obama's policies/plans are all about.

All of that snarky cynicism in your post wasted, because you choose to remain under-informed. What a pity.

[MSaldana]

Same old, same old... Obamabots never tell you what Barry's policy positions ARE! It's always "you could look it up." Think that's because they don't know? Well, you can't blame 'em for that: Neither does anyone else! Why? Because he ain't tellin' !!!

-MS

[Ignorancedestroys]

Hey rookie, i would love to see you comment on the Paul Vs Clinton. I guess the fundraising wasn't for her either????? Give me a break PLEASE!!!

[findingthetruth]

Mediocrity ALWAYS attack excellence. Do this COUNTRY a favor. Educate before going to a poll booth.

[dumboldfarmer]

So...are you saying that all this "experience" Hillary has been touting for being first lady means nothing? She says it counts, are you disagreeing with her?

[LarksTongue]

2004: Hillary Clinton: "I Think On Balance NAFTA Has Been Good For New York And America." [Clinton Teleconference on Job Training Fund Cuts, 1/5/04]

There's more:

http://factcheck.barackobama.com

But, of course, you knew that.

[Promisin1]

Don't get mad at Chris Matthews, David Gregory, et al. for keeping the Rev. Wright story alive. These people have producers who decide what story to run with. In the case of Chris matthews, who makes $5 million annually, he doesn't want to lose his huge salary. Can you blame him? Even the producers have bosses. So, if you never hear anything about Peter Paul Vs. Clinton and very little more about this ABC story don't forget that the talking heads have very little, if any, control over the news stories they cover. Witness Keith O. complaining tonight about his producer forcing him to cover the Paula Abdul gaffe. Simply put, if these guys are allowed to discuss Peter Paul Vs. Clinton her campaign would be over and she would most certainly be facing criminal charges. Finally, remember the 20 major corporate donors who threatened to withhold their support when Nancy Pelosi said the superdelegates should go with the candidate having the most pledged delegates at the end of the primary season.

[mcthorogood]

The superdelegates need to count the skeletons in Hillary's and Barack's closet. The candidate with the smallest number should win!

Update from Hillcap.org

In the landmark civil fraud case against Bill Clinton in Los Angeles, where the former President is charged with defrauding a Hollywood dot com millionaire to help Hillary Clinton obtain more than $1.2 million from him for her 2000 Senate campaign, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Aurelio Munoz ruled on Friday, April 25 that Hillary Clinton would not be required to testify in a sworn deposition as a material witness in the case until AFTER the November election!

[mykle]

It's pretty obvious that the "media" has been "paid off" not to run anything about Peter Paul. How convienent for Hillary not to have to testify about "The Biggest Campaign FRAUD in History"-until AFTER the elections. Why can't our "news channels" report on this ? It shows how things are done "The Clinton Way".

[JustSaying]

This is too much like the bush pResidency. Many many things were kept secret, reports on the war were withheld until after the election. The msm keeps telling us, when blathering about Wright 24/7, that the people have a right to know. Why does this only work one way?

[guajiro]

Outstanding reporting David. The truth is not always pretty but it's up to us, the public, to at the very least read honest reporting such as yours and ultimately vote appropriately when the time comes. Thanks again.

[jayzam]

HYPOCRISY.... that is pretty rich from someone who supports BOZAMA... who is the biggest hypocrite and liar of them all.... you BOZOMITES... need to get a life and realize that you have been duped!!

[newshawk14]

Try offering a little proof and a cogent argument, instead of just name calling and shouting BS.

[vschicago]

At least we're not getting duped by Clinton...

OBAMA, President as of January 2009

[MSaldana]

Maybe, but it'll be without the votes of Clinton supporters. And that's due more to the really vile and really "nasty" spirited attitudes and comments of the Obamabots than Barry himself...

-MS

[meltingpot101]

To even suggest that Obama, as imperfect as he may be, is anywhere in the same realm as the Clintons in deception and lying only "shouts to the world that you, sadly, have no idea what your talking about."

Just the other day Bill says the Obama campaign played the race card on him, he was recorded. The very next day Bill, to the cameras, tells the msm "Thats not what I said," DON'T BELIVE YOUR LYING EARS....EYES ..YOU FOOL.

How about NAFTA, the Columbia Free Trade. The list is really quite exstensive.
Face it guy...The Clintons are Masters at Deception.

[MSaldana]

Just to level the playing field, my recollection is that NAFTA was quite popular when it was enacted, INCLUDING among progressives.

Short memories or first-order hypocrisy?

-MS

[Redeemer777]

" I remember running under snipper fire"

[Nobuks]

So you agree then that she did lie to those people about their concern. Right on! See how easy it is once you wipe the dirt off you to feel clean again.

[newshawk14]

Occasionally, I've run into congenital liars, but have learned to avoid them. I wish the American
public would come to the same realization about the Clintons.

[FarOutFish]

The 1st job of any politician is to get reelected. To accomplish this they will say or do anything. This leads to cynicism as in the joke, “How can you tell a politician is lying? There lips are moving.” Clinton is no different than her peers, she just makes unnecessary and stupid lies there are easily exposed.

[mounthood]

Yes, so it ends up we elect liars for our leaders. It's all smoke and mirrors, everyone has an ax to grind, and no one speaks unbiased truth. Don't tell me how bad your opponent is. Tell me what your agenda will be if you are elected. Politics in America has sunk to a pissing match between liars, with no objective truth-tellers anywhere. So much for the great American experiment in democracy. I say a pox on the whole corrupt system.

[PioneerKing]

Dude, are you surprised that the Clintons would lie. If any time a Clinton speaks 95% of what they are saying is nothing but lies.
Dude why do you think the Clintons made so much money in the past eight years? Bill and Hillary are almost as corrupt as McCain.
Hillary will be just like Bush/Cheney in terms of policy and she will continue the Bill Clinton strategy of strangulation/triangulation the Democratic Party.
When Hillary is elected president she will continue to sell the country to the highest bidder while Bill gets paid millions in thank you fees. Folks will look back on NAFTA/CAFTA and all the existing "free-trade agreements," as the good old days. Vote for Hillary/Bill Clinton and Americans WILL find their selves worse off in 8 years than they are today.

[Bluebloodsbastardson]

Does anyone wonder what the Chinese Government bought with their Millions contributed to WJC campaigns through Huong, and Hsu and others.....fuckin Bill Clinton while President gave a tour of a new US nuclear sub to a Chinese General and other high ranking Chinese officers were allowed into US Military installations on "tours"...........

[PrdAmerican]

Hsu had the distinct honor to defile the Lincoln Bedroom when Bill and Hilliary were using the whitehouse as their own personal bead and breakfast.

[PrdAmerican]

2002 Article:

China makes spying a company policy; by purchasing high-tech firms in the United States, China gains access to advanced weapons technology which then is duplicated on Chinese production lines - World: Espionage

A U.S. high-tech firm bought in 1995 with Clinton-administration approval by a consortium that included two Chinese companies is proving to be a threat to U.S. national security, according to senior government analysts. The Anderson, Ind., based Magnequench Inc. was bought by the San Huan New Materials and Hi-Tech Co. of the People's Republic of China (PRC), which was started and still is partially owned by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing....

http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1571/is_40_18/ai_94511263/pg_1

[deb813]

Thank you for the best news I've had in freakin days. The Clintons are all over the map on the global economy and trade and they are pandering to the Walmart folks telling them they will bring jobs, jobs, jobs while the only interest in jobs they have is to see how much money they can get from other countries to ship our jobs to even MORE COUNTRIES. Freaking hypocrits, we spend a nonstop month discussing Reverand Wright and bitter comments while multimillionaire Hillary panders to the poor slobs who need her help most who she really isn't interested in once she gets their votes. Keep this story alive because unlike Reverand Wright, who her hubby is cozying up to will affect the American people negatively.

[olderdem]

'Bout time we got back to Hillary the liar narrative. Just in time for IN and NC.

[MSaldana]

So sorry, but the anti-American, anti-Semitic, anti-white diatribes of "pastor" wrong AND his connection to Barry are NOT going away... no matter how much you Obamabots try sweeping them under the rug!

-MS

[indianajenny]

Will you please quit the name calling and hate spewing? Have you nothing better to do in your life? Obama 08

[DennyCrane]

The white working class probably already know this. But they're willing to vote for Hillary anyway. I guess to them having a black President is worse than losing your job.

[OhMyGoodness]

I have to agree.

[meltingpot101]

What do you agree with, Denny Crane's post or having a black president is worse than lossing your job??

[vschicago]

You're right and so was Rev Wright...funny how some white people in this country are proving the same guy right that they want to villify for being so wrong.

[apkosmic]

pedants corner: its not david sirota's error but deng xiao ping dies in 1997