Bard BUCHANAN-Reform http://gopatgo2000.com/default.htm I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too? Then there's a pair of us? Don't tell! They'd advertise, you know. How dreary to be Somebody. How public, like a frog, To tell one's name the livelong June To an admiring bog. -- Emily Dickinson "Better to die on one's feet than live on one's knees." "There ain't no knowledge in the SECOND kick from a mule!" ---- APFN ADVISOR "Can any of you seriously say the Bill of Rights could get through Congress today? It wouldn't even get out of committee." --- F. Lee Bailey "From the rage of today's downtrodden comes the revenge of tomorrow's revolutionary force." -- Edward Britton
Dear Brigade, "The volatility of the issue for traditional-labor Democrats was rubbed in Wednesday by Teamsters President James Hoffa, who told a television interviewer that he would not rule out endorsing Buchanan, who is seeking the Reform Party presidential nomination, because of his trade views ... "Pat Buchanan is probably the only person who has it right with regard to trade," Hoffa told CNN Wednesday. "Gore doesn't talk about it. Bush doesn't talk about it....." GO PAT GO!!!!!!!!!!! Linda ---------------------- Global trade debate heats up on Capitol Hill By Tom Hamburger Sacramento Bee Washington Bureau April 16, 2000 WASHINGTON -- Police facing days of protests aren't the only folks bracing themselves in Washington. Leaders of both political parties are unnerved. It's not just the diverse coalition that's hitting the streets of Washington to protest globalization and the practices of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It's also the upcoming divisive debate on the House floor next month when Congress considers upgrading China's trade status. More than that, both parties -- and many interest groups -- are finding strange new alliances and divisions erupting within even the most traditionally cohesive political ranks. You could see it Wednesday when liberals like Reps. Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and Bernie Sanders, the Vermont socialist, shared the anti-trade podium with conservative commentator Pat Buchanan and Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey. The four were among a parade of speakers at a Teamsters rally on Capitol Hill where the audience chanted, "Remember in November," and warned that no party and no candidate should take the labor vote for granted, particularly when it comes to trade. Strange as it may seem in this hot economy, concern about global trade has become the session's hottest political debate. "I wish this issue was not before us this election year," said Rep. Robert Matsui of Sacramento, a free-trade advocate and the Democrats' point man on the China trade legislation. Matsui is optimistic about prospects for winning the May 22 vote on China, but he acknowledges the costs to Democrats of considering such a divisive subject in an election year. "In a practical sense, it would be better for us to focus on health care, Social Security and that kind of issue," he said. But like it or not, trade questions are coming. Questions about globalization are rocking all sectors of American politics. In their battle to retake Congress, Democrats are banking on strong backing -- financial and organizational -- from labor unions. And they are counting on continued support from the increasingly influential environmental lobby. But labor and key environmental leaders are declaring defeat of global trade agreements a top legislative priority, and both groups are applying pressure to Democratic lawmakers. Last week, thousands of Teamsters, United Auto Workers and Steelworkers inundated Capitol Hill lobbying members on trade. Meanwhile, however, a powerful coalition of industry groups including the high-tech firms are pushing for free trade and have amassed their own financial war chest and marketing machine. Those groups appreciate that the Clinton administration -- including Vice President Al Gore -- are advocates for global trade, including improving commercial ties to China. The volatility of the issue for traditional-labor Democrats was rubbed in Wednesday by Teamsters President James Hoffa, who told a television interviewer that he would not rule out endorsing Buchanan, who is seeking the Reform Party presidential nomination, because of his trade views. "Pat Buchanan is probably the only person who has it right with regard to trade," Hoffa told CNN Wednesday. "Gore doesn't talk about it. Bush doesn't talk about it." "Among Democrats there is a tremendous amount of anger over this and it has become a huge fracture point in the party," said Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., a leading opponent of the China deal and free trade agreements. Matsui scoffs at the complaints. "The average person knows the value of trade," Matsui said. "We have had 10 years of economic growth, and what's interesting is that nobody sees the end of this. ... " Former Labor Secretary Robert Reich is generally a free- trader. But he cautioned fellow Democrats last week to listen to the complaints of workers marching in Washington. Labor and environmental groups want trade rules that safeguard the environment and provide clear benefits to workers -- not just corporations. As these groups mount unprecedented campaigns, the pressure for Democratic votes only grows. While some leaders, like Minority Leader Richard Gephardt, sit on the sidelines, others like Wellstone and Pelosi attend the rallies. Republicans like Rep. Jim Ramstad of Minnesota, a whip on the China trade vote, are fretting. As he woos GOP votes, Ramstad can count on many Republicans like California Reps. Doug Ose and Wally Herger. But some are problematic. Minnesota's Gil Gutknecht and John Doolittle of Rocklin are both conservatives, both free- traders. But neither will commit to supporting trade improvement with China this spring. Both listen to the entreaties of GOP trade advocates. But both are also sensitive to the anti-abortion and religious lobbies that oppose trade with China because of that country's attitude toward abortion and Christianity. On the other hand, Doolittle and Gutknecht have high-tech companies in their districts that tout the benefits of free trade. Enough Republicans are wavering that Armey said he may need 110 Democratic votes for passage. Matsui remains optimistic about passing the China trade upgrade next month. ------------- end --------------- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ T H E I N T E R N E T B R I G A D E Linda Muller - WebMaster Post Office Box 650266, Potomac Falls, Virginia 20165 Email: http://www.buchanan.org/form-contact.html Web: http://www.buchanan.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have You O F F I C I A L L Y E N L I S T E D Yet? http://www.buchanan.org/form-enlistment.html ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The One and Only B R I G A D E Email List! To Subscribe or Unsubscribe send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] With the Message: SUBSCRIBE or UNSUBSCRIBE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
