Ballinger:Bush must act on economy

[surfermaw]

In a phome interview last week, Republican REp. Cass Ballenger of Hickory told me that President Bush- and som eof his GOP allies could be headed for political trouble in North Carolina if the White House dosen't do a better job addressing the alling economy.
step one for Bush,Ballinger said, should be getting the Chinese to stop manipulating its currency. Until then, more an dmore U.S.factories workers will lose their jobs. He and other members of Congress from teh Carolinas have signed on to House and Senate mesures that would impose a tariff if China dosen't agree to float its yuan.
Here more o f what Ballinger said:
"There's no way anybody (selling U.S products) can compete if you're giving the other side of a 40 percent discount... People are hurting all over the country. And the Chinese are the reason they're hurting.'
"In 2000, North Carolina gave Bush on eof his biggest (wins, with a 13-percentage -point margain against then-Vice President Al Gore) I would think he could do the right now."
"I'm a strong supporter of George Bush,but I'M practical (about how Bush's record on teh economy could help elect Democrats to Congress). I was a minority member (of the House) for eight years and I don't want to go back to that."
I approached (Bush political adviser) Karl Rove at the presidential picnic in June and told him tha they better pay more attention to te (job issue)or (Rep. Richard)Burr (The GOP's likelySenate nominee in 2004) is going to have trouble.
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