Amanpour: Obama’s Anti-Free Trade Position 'Does Not Go Down Well' with Europe

Photo of Paul Detrick.
By Paul Detrick (Bio | Archive)
July 25, 2008 - 08:36 ET

Is Sen. Obama too protectionist for Europe? Maybe. If you were watching "CNN Newsroom" July 24 you may have caught Christiane Amanpour telling you why.

"[Europe] wants to see an [American] president committed to free trade," cautioned CNN Chief International Correspondent from Berlin, Germany, the site of a speech by presumptive Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama.

Amanpour pointed to Obama's wanting to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement as a problem for the Illinois senator. She explained why on the July 24 broadcast during Obama's visit to Europe.

"But let me tell you a word of caution. The European top trade official for instance has said, ‘Listen Barack Obama quit that crowd pleasing rhetoric and get serious for instance on the issue of trade.' You know Barack Obama as a candidate has talked about renegotiating NAFTA. Well, that does not go down well in Europe, which believes in internationalism and globalism, in globalization," said Amanpour on the morning broadcast.

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Amanpour also restated in the online version of the story that the top EU trade official offered caution to Obama on NAFTA, saying that he needs to be serious about a "U.S. commitment to free trade and unfettered markets."

European conservative leaders like President of France Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel have both embraced globalization as a part of policy.

But Obama's position on NAFTA is like change you can't keep track of.

Obama campaigned against NAFTA before the Ohio primary and criticized Democratic presidential rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) in a speech of supporting the deal.

FoxNews.com quoted Obama February 19 attacking Clinton on NAFTA saying, "She says speeches don't put food on the table. You know what? NAFTA didn't put food on the table, either."

"Ten years after NAFTA passed, Senator Clinton said it was good for America," Obama was quoted in the Associated Press February 24 as saying. "Well, I don't think NAFTA has been good for America - and I never have."

The Associated Press also noted that Obama also said that attempts to repeal the trade agreement "would probably result in more job losses than job gains in the United States."

—Paul Detrick is a research analyst at the Business & Media Institute.


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he will change his mind...

July 25, 2008 - 08:45 ET by bubbatech01

as soon as there is a poll out there that says a majority of people think NAFTA is good.

Every reporter has to make

July 25, 2008 - 08:56 ET by gopsteve

Every reporter has to make one obligatory comment this political season that is not fawning over Obama...this was hers.

This way, they can say they reported "both" positive and negative.

Actually, now that I think about it, she may have been trying to cover for him so he didn't look too pro-Europe.

Obama missed the boat

July 25, 2008 - 09:33 ET by AndyR

This is comparable to Al Gore talking about global warming when it is -5 out with 18" of snow on the ground. Obama is talking about free trade and all the Socialist European leaders that would have supported this position two years ago have all been replaced with Conservatives.

I think Obama is lying about NAFTA just like Clinton did

July 25, 2008 - 09:54 ET by Dee Bunk

that is the one thing I'm not worried about. He won't change NAFTA. His minions will give him a pass for his lies just like they did to Clinton.

I am worried about his increases to corporate tax rates and other regulatory restrictions on American companies that make them less competitive. Taxes and other restrictions should be reduced and he wants to increase them. We already have one of the highest corporate tax rates as it is.

 

Ha ha ha ha! - EU is for

July 25, 2008 - 11:49 ET by jdhawk

Ha ha ha ha! - EU is for free trade?  They are highly protectionist.  The have stopped major mergers when our companies wanted to merge with theirs.  They have fined Microsoft over a billion dollars for being a so-called monopolist while allowing the Air Bus airline company to be started by the governments of England and France and then infusing them with cash several times since with the goal of creating a monopoly in the airline business.   Regarding farming and livestock they have created many barriers both of the tariff variety and the made up notion that our foodstuffs and meat products are some how tainted and unhealthy.

The countries that make up the EU are anti competitive.  This is the reason that some of the countries failed to ratify the EU's constitution. For example, when it came up for a vote in France it was voted down.  The reason given by many French voters was:  it would open up France to competition from eastern Europe.  In other words, the six week vacations and 35 hour work weeks in the socialist cacoon of France might be in danger due to hungrier and harder working eastern Europeans.   

 

What is that!!?? New speak?

July 25, 2008 - 12:16 ET by c5then

Europe is only for free trade when they don't have to abide by it themselves. The European countries are some of THE most protectionist in the world. I am absolutely sure that Europe wants a US President who is for 'free trade'so that they can sell all their product to the US consumer, but don't have to open up their markets to US products. That's what Europe means by 'free trade'.

The day that "politician" became a career choice is the day we started losing the Republic. Let's get it back! Alan Keyes '08.