Bush drops steel tarriffs, Sells out US Steel, Probably loses Ohio

[ShaneGR]

This is HUGE. We've been bleeding manufacturing jobs in Ohio for years. One of the few things keeping open the steel plants were these tariffs. Bank it, Bush just lost a 2000 red state.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/999705.asp?0cv=CB10

(snips)
Bush dropping steel tariffs

Decision could trigger backlash in steel-producing states

By Mike Allen
THE WASHINGTON POST

Dec. 1 — The Bush administration has decided to repeal its 20-month-old tariffs on imported steel to head off a trade war that would have included foreign retaliation against products from politically crucial states, administration and industry sources said yesterday.

------------------------------------

Bush advisers said they were aware the reversal could produce a backlash against him in several steel-producing states of the Rust Belt-including Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio. That arc of states has been hit severely by losses in manufacturing jobs and will be among the most closely contested in his reelection race.

[whirlygigspin]

1. YES!

We need Ohio!

go Dean!

[1songbird]

2. I don't think it will hurt him in Ohio.

It probably will in West Virginia, however.

[Maple]

3. Not nearly as much

as a massive trade war would have hurt all of you.

[1songbird]

5. Exactly!

[diamondsoul]

7. Wanna bet?!

I'd stake money that Dem candidates will use steel as a springboard issue in Ohio now.

[1songbird]

13. There are about 100,000 employees in the

steel industry here in Ohio with LTV being the largest steel company. Lifting the steel tarrifs will hurt them and their subsidiaries. But this is the home of powerful Proctor and Gamble and GE Aircraft Engines. Now I can say with complete knowledge that an international trade war would have devastating consequences on GE Aircraft Engines. There are many other business here that bring in more revenue then the steel industry that would be negatively affected by a trade war. Bush* knows that no Repug has been elected President without winning Ohio.

[ShaneGR]

15. Ummmmmm.......

LTV went bankrupt and was bought out by Republic who just went bankrupt who are now totally screwed. There are also a few plants around Youngstown and Toledo. Can't remember the names but not that big.

Overall there were probably about 100,000 steel jobs still left in the Cleveland area alone. Basically the last 3 years have been the worst, revenue wise, since a certain guy who is running for President was mayor.

To be honest, no one saw it coming. We were all too busy in Cleveland with gloating over the comeback city than to imagine it would get bad again.

[Toucano]

11. He won Ohio in 2K by 165,000 votes

We've lost some 200,000 jobs since he took over. Talk about a ripple effect! People are going to relocate and we'll lose more house seats if this continues.

Steel tariff or no steel tariff, Ohio's gone. Republicans are pissed at the tax and spend corporocrat Taft, too.

I think one state has gained jobs since 2000. Which one could it be? Hmmm. The only one that begins with an F as in F'd up! Yeah, that's the one.

[tritsofme]

4. I try not to get excited when a

percieved electoral advantage for our side means pain for other Americans.

[VolcanoJen]

6. This is amazing news.

Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia are all big-play states in the general election... I'm very, very surprised at this move, although I suppose they think that it's safe to make it a year out....?

[ochazuke]

8. Why'd he do it?

Given that Shurbya is incapable of making a non-political descison, what interest group is he pandering to with the tariff roll-back? Or, if not that, what political need does it meet?

One thing's for sure, he didn't do it because he believes in free trade, or in the authority of a foreign entity (WTO) over the United States.

I guess the threat of retaliation was it?

[Blue_Chill]

9. He had no choice, Europe had him on this.

They threatened to impose tariffs on florida orange juice if he didn't reverse the steel tariffs. That would have cost him florida.

hehehehe!

[jburton]

10. Wow

Ohio was already looking bad for W* and now this.

[PurityOfEssence]

12. How decidedly un-masculine...

I'm, of course, using the term in its lunkheaded, macho and derisive worst light.

This is deliciously idiotic. He's too spineless to stand fast on the protectionism he wanted to weasel Pennsylvania's electoral votes from them, and he'll never be able to explain it away; either he's a newborn free-trader or he was lying about caring for the industrial infrastructure of the country. Now he's caught trying to figure out which lie to lie about having reconsidered.

How can a government that demands first-strike capability as some god-given right EVER be incorrect? It just can't be allowed.

Big deal; the media will obediently bury it.

We don't have media in this country, we have obedia.

[Journeyman]

14. Let's contrast Shrub with Mr. Abraham Lincoln. . .

The 16th President of the United States was fond of saying:

"I am a slow walker, but I never walk backwards."


Sometimes, I think Shrub must have an automatic transmission attached to his ass, to facilitate the speed with which he changes his mind and pseudo-policies.

[Bombtrack]

16. The tarrifs weren't even working

I don't think you can complain about deficits when we're waisting money on tarrifs that aren't doing any job other than buying votes

[NewYorkerfromMass]

24. Correct- this will have no net effect

and it may even be a plus for Bush.

[durutti]

17. I oppose all tariffs.

They only favor the workers of one nation at the expense of the workers of another.

Instead of opposing free trade, we should establish some sort of global floor on wages, working conditions, etc.

[Elwood P Dowd]

20. The big corporations would love that idea.

They would come up with some “feel good” name, congress would pass it, and the news networks would praise it. When the details and results started coming in, we would discover that the corporate CEOs had written 20,000 pages of special provisions into the legislation to protect their foreign operations. The foreign lobbyists would have their special provisions included. In the end, we would lose several million more jobs as the rest of the world laughed their ass off at our stupidity.

[newyawker99]

23. Hi Elwood P Dowd!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Lady President]

18. Not a big effect

I don't think this is going to have much effect on the election. First, the news will spin this as a positive. Europe was threatening us with huge retaliatory tariffs on our exports and the news will proclaim how much money was saved around the country. Second, the people who are effected by this are yellow dogs already, so we won't get new votes. Third, many people have been brainwashed into thinking that steel jobs are a thing of the past and workers should have taken it upon themselves to seek training in other areas. Typical blame the worker argument.

I do feel horrible for the remaining steel workers. There are no jobs in steel mill towns and these workers are facing a real struggle.

[LibertyorDeath]

19. Ohio's in the bag for the evil one according to Diebold

Walden W. O'Dell, the chief executive of Diebold Inc., sat down at his computer to compose a letter inviting 100 wealthy and politically inclined friends to a Republican Party fund-raiser, to be held at his home in a suburb of Columbus, Ohio. "I am committed to helping Ohio deliver its electoral votes to the president next year," wrote Mr. O'Dell, whose company is based in Canton, Ohio.Machine Politics in the Digital Age

The American economy and $ are circling the drain so i'm sure Rove is
pulling out all the stops to make the idiot son look like he knows what he's doing when it comes to the economy. They are selling out Steel along with the rest of the USA.

They could give a rats ass about the average American.

[AWD]

21. Torn between emotions...

One, I have sympathy for my brothers in the steel industry.

Two, I'm doing a happy dance, as my chances of election just grew.

[muriel_volestrangler]

22. however, with the recent fall of the dollar

imports will be more expensive anyway, so that will help American steel compete.

[Ksec]

25. Bush only won Ohio by 3.2 in the last election

And I knew these tariffs were going by by. Being a former steelworker that lost due to unfair trading practices I can say Steel in eastern Ohio western Penn is a huge block of votes. Easily enough to kill that 3.2 % . Gore only lost by 3% and he ignored us. He didnt even visit Ohio during the latter half of the campaign. Duh Gore Duh