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.
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As Hill and bill would say: SO?
The Obama people are really starting to sound desperate. Its kind of enjoyable :)
"The Obama people are really starting to sound desperate". For Obama or not for Obama we want to know that the next president isn't going to be a complete liar like Bush 2 and Clinton 1. Here's the challenge for "hopeforchange" - admit the Clinton's and their "spokespeople" are lying about this. If you want to support them in spite of it that's your choice and you can certainly take a couple of lines to make your arguments. Saying it's "enjoyable" to to witness desperation is probably not the quality you want to brag about. Do all Clinton supporters enjoy watching desperation?
Pathetic isn't it? Grasping at straws and trying to divert attention from Rev. Wright and the rest of obama's ills this week.
hopeforchange:
Your post contains the most factual comment as well as the funniest one. Very, very nice!!!
-MS
The business lobby will crush this story. They didn't get rich by allowing freedom of the press to interfere with making money. Maybe the story needs to be spiced up. How about Bill and Hillary were going to a meeting connected to this when sniper fire broke out. Anxious to complete the mission, they threw Rev.Wright in front of the barrage and the day was saved. Bet they'll run that.
Agreed - or at least a 527 ad from some group opposing those types of trade policies.
What does this story have to do with Rev. Wright? *closes web browser*
It doesn't have anything to do with Rev. Wright, because it's about the Clintons!
So what millions of Ameircans lost their jobs, who cares about the gas prices and I really don't care about people losing their homes, that's not important......I want to know what Rev. Wright is doing and what did he say today.
Obama08! Donation time.
Can someone in the media please run with this? I heard it's on World News Tonight, but thats just not enough. Look how much airtime Rev Wright got. Oh wait, I forgot, the MSM doesn't devote much time to legitimate issues.. Paula Abdul's faux pax will probably get 5x the amount of publicity this gets.. ugh
No one will run with this as it not related to Rev. Wright. Hillary continues to pander to whoever will vote for her, as long as they don't check the facts, which her target audience won't. Bill had the luxury of spreading half-truths and being called to task. The Clinton's just don't get it.
I turned on David Gregory's program on MSNBC because Ed Schultz is on the panel. You know what I'm doing right now? LAUNDRY and reading Huffpo. It was non-stop Rev. Wright bullshit and I am FED UP!
There's no room on the news for what is really important to American's and facts and information like this story are lost.
Clinton is doing robo calls in NC and doing more negative and false commercials, lying every damn day and Gregory is talking about a former pastor who has no relevance in the future.
There is no hope. I donated to Barack's campaign as a match to a new donor today. The new donor from NV gave within minutes. It doesn't seem to matter what we the people do, they the media are ruining this country and destroying another very good candidate and we cannot do anything to stop it!
The only way to get them to quit harping on this story is for thousands of people to write to the media an express our complain and to boycott the news. They only respond if it'll hit them in their pockets. I've already written and I just don't watch the news on MSM anymore. I listen to NPR and watch Freespeach TV. I would advise all Obma supporters to do the same.
Same experience, Mistlesuede. I turned it off. I'm cleaning the cat box.
I too donated and got a match today, instantly. Nice email from a woman in PA who shares our dismay at the media-rhhea coverage of Rev. Wright's narcissistic hissyfit.
It's the end of the month. Contribute to Obama and show the supers he still has our support. It's the only way to end this.
My pension is in tomorrow...Obama its in the e-mail
I did twiced today and got two matching ones. Both sent me emails saying just hang in there and we will make it!!!
Great story, but it will die tomorrow and we'll be talking about Rev. Wright again. I'm bored out of my mind.
Here! Here! More Wright all the time.
Just think if George Stephanopolous and Charlie Gibson had spent their debut on matter like this... you know, trade policy, fast-tracking China to MFN status, NAFTA,... I'm not sure but I think they call these "real issues."
So confusing this year with trying to figure out Wright from wrong...
You are so right (pun not intended). Gibson earns more than 2 million dollars and Stephanopolous probably make about a million. These guys have to make their bread and butter; talking about real issues like $4 gas won't earn their pay. Come to think of it, why should they care about $4 gas given how much money they make.
This, plus the Clinton-linked robo-calling 501(c)(3/4) under investigation by multiple states for misrepresentations to voters--Maggie Williams is/was on their "Leadership Team," John Podesta and other Clinton WH flaks are on their board--could be enough "sexy" material to change the topic.
The earlier flap over NAFTA isn't over. The
opposition in the Canadian Parliament is currently drafting ethics violations against Clinton's political
ally Harper and is calling for a national election.
That's really good news! I've been wondering what was happening with that.
Is this being carried by other outlets? Is ABC even covering this on air and not just online? It's an interesting story.
On the air, but they should all be covering it. As well as her threat to obliterate Iran, which got a total pass. I am so tired of Wight and flag pins instead of REAL ISSUES being covered.
A good pull. But is anyone really suprised at this point.
Well, well ...
I just hope that the Indiana and North Carolina electorate is intelligent enough to see through
the lies and deception of the Billary couple. BUT, with the way the polls are closing in to a virtual
dead heat ---- I can only scratch my head in disbelief that America is willing to be duped again.
It's called Perception Management. That's how
Hillary came to owe Mark Penn ten million dollars.
Hill couldn't destroy the Democratic Party on her
own, she's not that clever.
All the slime we're bombarded with is scripted.
Perception Management was developed by the
Pentagon. There's a lot of articles on PM online, Wikipedia has a short article on it.
sfbayani,
I guess, then, the fact that Clinton is tightening up the race in NC (she's ahead in one poll) ain't gonna' make your day, huh?
Is this the kind of President Americans need?
The Clinton campaign seems to have an inexhaustible supply of these easily disproved canards. I guess their theory is that if they throw enough of them out there, a few will slip by the fact checkers. Doesn't seem to be working.
The flip side of this is that if the Clinton campaign has only canards to offer in defense of Sen. Clinton's candidacy, what does that have to say about her actual fitness for office? I'm beginning to have difficulty in distinguishing between the undesirability of a McCain presidency and the undesirability of a Clinton presidency. Increasingly, it's beginning to look like a distinction with no difference.
"I'm beginning to have difficulty in distinguishing between the undesirability of a McCain presidency and the undesirability of a Clinton presidency. Increasingly, it's beginning to look like a distinction with no difference."
Sammy,
If that's not a great example of the blindness caused by the mass hypnosis that IS Obamabot Nation, than I don't know what would qualify !!!
-MS
Lou Dobbs prefers to harangue illegal aliens and, do not be surprised if he regurgitates the Jeremiah Wright story instead of giving prominence to story that deals with an issue he claims to care so much about. The Clintons are as slippery as eels. They know how to play the rural America/so-called blue collar workers. I will not be surprised if she gets away with it in Indiana, helped on by Bayh whose interest right now is the post of VP in a HC administration.
But did you hear what Jerry Wright had for dinner? Chicken. Does this mean that Obama is soft on terrorism? The entire story tonight on CNN, Hardball, CNBC, Obermann, CBS,NBC, ABC, FOX, CW, HBO, Showtime and The Playboy Channel.
lol!!
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