Hillary Clinton in Detroit: Democrat preaches American nationalism to union bureaucracy

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.wsws.org/articles/2007/jun2007/clin-j11.shtml

Hillary Clinton in Detroit: Democrat preaches American nationalism to union bureaucracy
By Patrick Martin
11 June 2007

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Saturday’s Detroit town hall meeting for Hillary Clinton, sponsored by the Detroit and Michigan AFL-CIO, should dispel any illusion that the election of a Democratic president in 2008 will put an end to the aggressive, America-first foreign policy that produced the Bush administration’s invasion and occupation of Iraq.

The Democratic frontrunner told an audience of 600 people, mostly union officials and workers close to the union bureaucracy, that the solution to the problems of working people in the United States is a tougher line on trade with China, Korea, Mexico and other countries. At the same time, she portrayed the US debacle in Iraq as the fault, not of the Bush administration, but of the Iraqi people themselves.

The Detroit event is one of seven forums sponsored by the AFL-CIO nationwide to promote the Democratic presidential candidates. Clinton’s appearance was her first in Michigan since she officially launched her campaign.



The AFL-CIO officials were clearly uneasy at holding a town hall meeting in the most impoverished large city in America and a metropolitan area with some of the most extreme contrasts between wealth and poverty. The audience was carefully selected to ensure that the discussion did not get out of control. Local unions distributed the tickets required for admission, and those who participated in panel discussion with Clinton or asked questions from the floor were prescreened.

One rank-and-file steelworker made reference to this vetting process as she asked Clinton about fuel efficiency standards in the automobile industry. “I’m not sure why I’m asking this,” she said, before reading out the question written for her by a union official. A school teacher who spoke passionately about the need for greater equality in funding between rich and poor school districts began her remarks apologetically. “Maybe I’m not supposed to say this,” she remarked.

The bulk of Clinton’s speech was a litany of standard liberal promises of better jobs, better schools, better health care and a better environment. She pledged “quality, universal health care,” “revitalizing our manufacturing sector,” an Apollo-style government program to deal with the energy crisis, and a universal pre-kindergarten program to improve public education.

FULL story at link.

[Donnachaidh]

1. Does her tougher line on trade include repealing that nasty little NAFTA thing

she helped foist on the American Public? If not, this is yet another smoke-filled panderfest.

[madrchsod]

2. she really did`t say it was the iraq`s fault did she?

she really is clueless...