Jobs First?

From McCainPedia

As John McCain attempts yet another re-launch of his campaign, he’s starting with a “Jobs First” tour that, according to the Wall Street Journal, won’t offer any new economic policies or solutions. Instead, McCain will “repackage” the failed and flawed Bush policies he has been offering for months. Since 68 percent of the voters are concerned that his policies are too similar to President’s Bush, the first job on John McCain’s “Jobs First” tour is explaining why he is promising four more years of the Bush economy.

Jobs First?

MCCAIN: YOUR JOBS AREN’T COMING BACK…

McCain: Not His "Ambition" For Children To Work In Textile Factories. "I never have sold anything to a grocery store. I bought a lot from grocery stores. I buy flowers a lot cheaper when they are grown in Colombia than when they are grown in South Carolina. It has never been my ambition for any child to grow up to work in a textile factory. I would much rather have them work in a BMW plant or high-tech factory or other kinds of employment for which we can provide the training and education." ^[1]

McCain Told Steel Workers in Ohio That Their Jobs Were Not Coming Back. During a campaign event in Youngstown, Ohio, McCain touted free-trade policies, a member "of the audience asked Sen. McCain what he would do to avoid a collapse like that of the steel mills in the future, he replied, "I can't look you in the eye and tell you that I believe those jobs are coming back." ^[2]

McCain Told Michigan Voters That Their Jobs Aren't Coming Back. While campaigning during the primary, McCain told Michigan voters "I've got to give you some straight talk: Some of the jobs that have left the state of Michigan are not coming back… They are not. And I am sorry to tell you that." ^[3]

TOP MCCAIN ADVISOR PROMOTES OUTSOURCING

Fiorina Called the Outsourcing of American Jobs ‘Right Shoring.’ As HP CEO, Fiorina made comments in Washington alongside Intel’s CEO that “drew an unusually strong reaction from workers, who suggested the pair forfeit their own highly paid jobs to Chinese or Russian executives working for a quarter of their pay.” Fiorina said that “there is no job that is America's God-given right anymore” and had also said called what is generally referred to as “offshoring,” the outsourcing of jobs to cheaper labor centers overseas, as “right- shoring.” ^[4]

Promoting Outsourcing, Fiorina Said U.S. Can’t Be Distracted by ‘Short Term Employment Concerns.’ “[Fiorina] said the country cannot afford to be distracted by short-term financial and employment concerns. ‘The biggest barrier [to solutions] is our nation's attention span,’ she said.” ^[5]

Fiorina Blamed Automotive Industry’s “Decline in Competitiveness” For Losses, Defended NAFTA. In an interview about NAFTA, Carly Fiorina said, “The first thing you say is the automotive industry in Ohio and Michigan, for example, is suffering less because of NAFTA, frankly, and more because of a decline in their own competitiveness.” ^[6]

Fiorina Said That The Automotive Industry In Ohio and Michigan “Benefited” From NAFTA Because “Toyota…Is Hiring A Lot of People.” Fiorina defended Senator McCain’s position on NAFTA, saying, “And I would point also to that Toyota is hiring a lot of people, they’re building plants in this country and so it’s an example of how the automotive industry has benefited, and so what you’d want is for that auto worker to look around and say ‘there are opportunities to go work for a company like Toyota. And, if I’m willing to go back to a community college to a program that’s been designed to give me some new skills, then maybe I will have an opportunity.’ That’s what you’d hope we’d have the sort of programs to support, that sort of hope and opportunity for people.” ^[7]

MCCAIN OUT OF TOUCH ROSY RHETORIC ON THE ECONOMY:

In January McCain Disputed Suggestions of Recession. At the Republican debate on January 10th, 2008, Senator John McCain said, “I don’t believe we’re headed into a recession…I believe the fundamentals of this economy are strong and I believe they will remain strong. This is a rough patch, but I think America’s greatness lies ahead of us.” He then focused on reining in federal spending, and argued that it’s, “what caused interest rates to rise. It causes people to be less able to afford their own homes. We need to stop the spending and that way, we can get our budget under control and we can have basically a strong fundamental fiscal underpinnings.” ^[8]

McCain Said A Lot of Americans’ Economic Problems Are “Psychological.” When discussing the gas tax holiday, McCain said, “I think, psychologically – and a lot of our problems today, as you know, are psychological – confidence, trust, uncertainty about our economic future, ability to keep our own home.” McCain said that his gas holiday will give people a psychological boost and that solving the mortgage crisis would be a major psychological step forward. ^[9]

McCain Claimed Americans Were “Better Off Because We Have Had A Pretty Good Prosperous Time.” In the January 2008 Republican debate, McCain commented, “I think you could argue that Americans overall are better off, because we have had a pretty good prosperous time, with low unemployment and low inflation and a lot of good things have happened. A lot of jobs have been created.” ^[10]

McCain Says Economy Has Improved. During an interview in April, McCain declared that, "you could make an argument that there's been great progress economically". ^[11]

MCCAIN WRONG ON NAFTA…

McCain Predicted 316,000 New Jobs in 1993. Similarly, the NAFTA could result in the creation of 316,000 new jobs in this country, as well as tens of thousands of jobs in my home State of Arizona, in addition to adding considerably to overall economic output in Arizona, the United States and Mexico. President Clinton says that we must have safeguards to protect our workers and the environment. I agree that it is important that we negotiate these side agreements, but they should not forestall moving forward on the underlying agreement. ^[12]

NAFTA Net Displacement Was One Million Workers. A 2006 Economic Policy Institute study found that NAFTA had displaced just over 1 million jobs in this country, and net job loss of 16,000 in Arizona. ^[13]

MCCAIN PUTS HIS LOBBYIST FRIENDS AHEAD OF U.S. JOBS

McCain Noted Benefits Of Andean Trade Preference Act To US Consumers. Addressing opposition to the ATPA, McCain sold, I say to the Senator from South Carolina, I know there are individual and heartbreaking stories of people who have lost their jobs in the textile industry in South Carolina. The fact remains that history and the record show that every American family, whether they are unemployed or employed or rich or poor, has benefited by the importation of less expensive goods and services into the United States. We balance this with assistance, training, in every way we can, including reaching agreement on health benefits for dislocated workers. I never have sold anything to a grocery store. I bought a lot from grocery stores. I buy flowers a lot cheaper when they are grown in Colombia than when they are grown in South Carolina. It has never been my ambition for any child to grow up to work in a textile factory. I would much rather have them work in a BMW plant or high-tech factory or other kinds of employment for which we can provide the training and education. I hope the Senator understands the fact that Americans have profited by free trade enormously. Yet we can still address the specific problems that result from dislocated workers. That is what free trade is all about. That is why I believe this Nation will continue to prosper when we have free trade agreements consummated between ourselves and our neighbors. We should be concerned about the economy of countries such as Colombia because their narcotraffickers can take over that country and export their goods, which are drugs, into this one. ^[14]

Charlie Black’s Hired by Oil Company to Lobby for Andean Trade Pact. From 2001 until taking a leave in spring 2008 from his lobbying firm BKSH & Associates, McCain chief political advisor Charlie Black lobbied on behalf of Occidental Petroleum, for which Occidental paid his firm $1,610,000. Though much of Black’s recent lobbying for Occidental pertained to Colombia and “trade issues, including economic embargo on Colombia,” Black’s Occidental lobbying disclosure forms show that he also lobbied on the Andean Trade Preference Act. ^[15]

At Least Three Other McCain Advisors/Fundraisers Mentioned Lobbying on Andean Trade Pact in Lobbying Disclosures. Other McCain advisors and bundler fundraisers who lobbied on the Andean trade pact include Peter Madigan, an International Republican Institute colleague of McCain’s whose lobbying reports for the Peruvian Asparagus Institute and Altria Corporate Services (formery Philip Morris) mention the deal; fundraiser Tim Powers, whose reports for National Environmental Strategies list the trade pact as a lobbying issue; and Christine Burgeson, a McCain fundraiser and wife of McCain’s former energy advisor/energy lobbyist Eric Burgeson, who lobbies for CitiBank. ^[16]

MCCAIN WRONG ON WORKER RETRAINING…

2004: McCain Voted Against An Amendment To Provide Assistance, Including Training, To Service And High-Tech Workers Whose Jobs Move Overseas. McCain voted against an amendment that provides that existing Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) benefits be made available to service and high-tech workers; clarifies that TAA benefits are available to workers whose company moves overseas to any other country; increases training funds to match anticipated enrollment; increases health care subsidy available to TAA beneficiaries from 65 percent to 75 percent; and provides economic adjustment plan assistance to communities that have significant trade-related layoffs. ^[17]

2002: McCain Voted Against Community College Training Programs For Trade Displaced Workers. McCain voted against an amendment that would outline additional trade negotiating objectives regarding textiles and establish an emergency assistance grant program for community colleges that provide training programs for displaced or endangered workers, and to allow community colleges to expand and create new retraining programs customized to immediate needs of communities. ^[18]

1995: McCain Voted Against Job-Retraining For Workers Displaced By International Trade Agreements. McCain voted against an amendment to maintain the worker retraining assistance part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance program, which provides job retraining for workers laid off as a direct result of an international trade program such as NAFTA. ^[19]

MCCAIN ON THE BUSH AGENDA:

McCain has voted with President Bush 95 percent of the time in 2007. According to Congressional Quarterly, He also has a record of heartily supporting Bush on some of his most controversial priorities, including the Iraq war and comprehensive immigration reform. In 2007, as he ramped up for his second White House run, McCain voted with Bush 95 percent of the time, according to Congressional Quarterly, which tallied votes McCain was present for on issues in which the administration took a position.” ^[20]

McCain Voted for 4 of 5 Bush Budgets Adding to $9.8 Trillion in Spending. McCain supported four of the five Bush budgets that the Senate voted on from 2001-2006. 2001: H. Con. Res. 83: $1.95 Trillion ^[21] 2002: McCain Voted to Table ^[22] 2003: McCain Voted No ^[23] 2004: S. Con. Res 95: $2.45 Trillion ^[24] 2005: H.Con.Res. 95: $2.6 Trillion ^[25] 2006: S.Con.Res. 83: $2.8 Trillion ^[26]

MCCAIN ON EQUAL PAY…

McCain Skipped Important Vote On Pay Discrimination. McCain was one of two senators to miss a vote on the bill that would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to allow employees to file charges of pay discrimination within 180 days of the last received paycheck affected by the alleged discriminatory decision. ^[27]

McCain Said He Did Not Believe The Pay Discrimination Vote Would Have Done “Anything To Help The Rights Of Women.” At a campaign event in Rochester, Minnesota, McCain said, “…I believe that it was the correct decision of the United States Supreme Court and I don’t believe that this would do anything to help the rights of women except maybe to help trial lawyers and other members in that profession.” ^[28]

Defending His Vote Against Pay Discrimination, McCain Suggested Women Need More “Education And Training.” McCain also said, “They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else. And it's hard for them to leave their families when they don't have somebody to take care of them. It's a vicious cycle that's affecting women, particularly in a part of the country like this, where mining is the mainstay; traditionally, women have not gone into that line of work, to say the least.” ^[29]

ON GREEN JOBS AND RENEWABLE ENERGY

McCain Repeatedly Voted Against Tax Credits For Renewable Energy Production. McCain voted against several amendments aimed at encouraging renewable energy production. ^[30]

McCain Opposed $290 Million For R&D On Renewable Energy, Including Wind Power. McCain voted against an amendment to extend the renewable energy production tax credit and clean renewable energy bonds programs for four years including $290 Million for renewable energy R&D on Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, hydropower. ^[31]

McCain Cast Deciding Vote to Cut Funding For the Rural Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program From $23 Million To $3 Million. McCain voted for a motion to concur in the House amendment with the Senate amendment on the bill that made changes to programs for a net savings of $39.7 billion over five years. ^[32]

McCain Repeatedly Voted Against Tax Credits For Renewable Energy Production. McCain voted against several amendments aimed at encouraging renewable energy production. ^[33]

McCain Voted Repeatedly Against Establishing National Renewable Energy Standards. McCain voted against an amendment that would mandate that renewable energy sources must produce at least 10 percent of the electricity sold by electric utilities by 2020, a minimum of 2.5 percent must be produced beginning 2008 through 2011. ^[34]

Renewable Energy Tax Credit Extension Worth 116,000 Jobs Per Year. A 2008 economic study by Navigant Consulting finds that "over 116,000 U.S. jobs and nearly $19 billion in U.S. investment could be lost in just one year if renewable energy tax credits are not renewed by Congress, according to preliminary results released today by the American Wind Energy Association and the Solar Energy Industries Association. The study finds that over 76,000 jobs are put at risk in the wind industry, and approximately 40,000 jobs in the solar industry. The states that could lose the most jobs include: Texas, Colorado, Illinois, Oregon, Minnesota, Washington, Iowa, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, and California. The lion's share of these states would lose more than 1,000 jobs." ^[35]

ON BUY AMERICAN RULES:

McCain Sponsored Amendment That Ended Defense Department’s Buy American Requirement. McCain authored an amendment that would allow the Defense Department to forego a requirement to purchase American-made equipment if that equipment was manufactured by Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands or Spain. ^[36]

Senate Republicans Voted to End the Defense Department’s ‘Buy American’ Requirement. In May 2003, Senate Republicans voted for the McCain, R-AZ., amendment to the Dayton, D-MN., amendment that would allow the Defense Department to forego a requirement to purchase American-made equipment if that equipment was manufactured by Australia, the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, The Netherlands or Spain. The Dayton amendment would strike a provision of the bill allowing the Defense Department to forego a requirement to purchase American-made equipment if that equipment was manufactured by any nation with which the United States has a reciprocal defense procurement memorandum of understanding or agreement. ^[37]

Outside Links

CAP: John McCain’s Health Care Tax: ^[38]

Tax Policy Center: “Senator Obama offers much larger tax breaks to low- and middle-income taxpayers.” ^[39]

Washington Post Fact Checker: 4 Pinocchios for McCain’s “Fantasy” Planto Balance Budgets by Cutting Earmarks: ^[40]

References

1. ^ [Congressional Record, 4/30/2002]
2. ^ [Wall Street Journal, 4/23/2008]
3. ^ [Boston Globe, 1/10/2008]
4. ^ [San Francisco Chronicle, 1/9/04; Investors Business Daily, 1/8/04]
5. ^ [Technews.com, 1/8/04; Washington Post, 1/8/04]
6. ^ [Carly Fiorina, Interview on “Cavuto on Business,” Fox Business Network, 3/3/08, foxbusiness.com]
7. ^ [Carly Fiorina, Interview on “Cavuto on Business,” Fox Business Network, 3/3/08, foxbusiness.com]
8. ^ [FNC Debate, 1/10/08]
9. ^ [FOX News, “Your World With Neil Cavuto,” 4/16/08]
10. ^ [CNN GOP Debate, 1/30/08]
11. ^ [Bloomberg Money & Politics, April 17, 2008]
12. ^ [Congressional Record, 2/18/1993]
13. ^ [Scott, Salas & Campbell, Revisiting NAFTA, 9/28/2006; http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/bp173]
14. ^ [Congressional Record, 4/30/02]
15. ^ [Black/BKSH Lobbying Disclosures, Senate Office of Public Records]
16. ^ [Burgeson/CitiBank Lobbying Disclosures; Madigan/Johnson, Peck, Madigan, Boland & Stewart Lobbying Disclosures; Powers/PowerStrategies Lobbying Disclosures, Senate Office of Public Records; McCain Bundlers, Public Citizen, Whitehouseforsale.org; ABC News, 2/1/08; Department of Energy Release, 4/4/05 (<http://www.doe.gov/news/1610.htm>); Miami Herald, 5/16/08]
17. ^ [2004 Senate Vote #80, 5/4/2004]
18. ^ [2002 Senate Vote #111, 5/15/2002]
19. ^ [1995 Senate Vote #482, 10/10/1995]
20. ^ [Arizona Republic, 4/6/08]
21. ^ [2001 Senate Vote #98]
22. ^ [2002 Senate Vote #134]
23. ^ [H.Con.Res. 95; 2003 Senate Vote #134]
24. ^ [2004 Senate Vote #58]
25. ^ [2005 Senate Vote #114]
26. ^ [2006 Senate Vote #74]
27. ^ [2008 Senate Vote #110, 4/23/2008]
28. ^ [CNN Live Feed, Town Hall (Rochester, MN), 5/7/2008]
29. ^ [Associated Press, 4/24/2008]
30. ^ [2006 Senate Vote #42, 3/14/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #158, 6/28/2005; 2001 Senate Vote #125, 5/21/2001]
31. ^ [2006 Senate Vote #42, 3/14/2006]
32. ^ [2005 Senate Vote #363, 12/21/2005]
33. ^ [2006 Senate Vote #42, 3/14/2006; 2005 Senate Vote #158, 6/28/2005; 2001 Senate Vote #125, 5/21/2001]
34. ^ [2005 Senate Vote #141, 6/16/2005; 2002 Senate Vote #50, 3/14/2002; 2002 Senate Vote #55, 3/21/2002; 2002 Senate Vote #59, 3/21/2002]
35. ^ [AWEA Press Release, 2/4/2008]
36. ^ [2003 Senate Vote #191, 5/21/2003]
37. ^ [2003 Senate Vote #191, 5/21/2003]
38. ^ http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/health_taxes2.pdf
39. ^ http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411693
40. ^ http://blog.washingtonpost.com/fact-checker/2008/05/mccains_fantasy_war_on_earmark.html