The Los Angeles Times: on Free Trade


George W. Bush: Fast Track in west; WTO in east

Bush said he would seek "fast-track" negotiating status from Congress to expand free trade in the Western Hemisphere: "I will work to create an entire hemisphere in free trade," he said. "I will work to extend the benefits of NAFTA from the northernmost Alaska to the tip of Cape Horn." He said he wanted to build on NAFTA to bring other countries throughout Latin America Meanwhile, the Bush campaign distributed a policy statement that said he supports admission of China and Taiwan to the WTO.
Source: Kelley Shannon, Associated Press, in L.A. Times Apr 24, 2000

George W. Bush: Free trade with China creates expectations for democracy

"NAFTA is good for Texas, it is good for Mexico, and it is important for our citizens to understand it is good for America," Bush says. As a presidential candidate, he is taking his views further, favoring permanent normal trade relations with China and admitting China and Taiwan into the World Trade Organization. He calls China a "strategic competitor," says its economic rise is inevitable and contends that by trading freely the United States can help create expectations for democracy in that country.
Source: Kelley Shannon, AP writer LA Times May 16, 2000

Jerry Brown: Opposed the Northern American Free Trade Agreement

Brown was the last Democrat standing in the 1992 race against Bill Clinton, and their competition grew unusually personal and nasty, heightening the drama of a prospective 2016 campaign.

Brown repeatedly attacked Clinton's character and ethics, took after Hillary Rodham Clinton for her work with a prominent Arkansas law firm while her husband was governor--"You ought to be ashamed of yourself," Bill Clinton said in a finger-wagging debate exchange--and carried his fight to the party's national convention long after it was clear Clinton would be the nominee.

Brown never explicitly endorsed Clinton's candidacy and remained a thorn once Clinton became president, opposing the Northern American Free Trade Agreement, welfare reform and other Clinton administration initiatives. Still, Clinton backed Brown's 2010 campaign for governor, even ignoring a swipe about Monica Lewinsky, for which Brown quickly apologized.

Source: Mark Z. Barabak in Los Angeles Times Dec 17, 2013

  • The above quotations are from Media coverage of CA political races in The Los Angeles Times.
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2016 Presidential contenders on Free Trade:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Aug 06, 2024