Obama Selects “Free Trader” and NAFTA Booster Ron Kirk as U.S. Trade Rep

[Leftest]

I am sorry to have to say that I am starting to agree with those who have pointed out that it looks like Obama has set up shop to continue down the road of status quo and more of the same. A few days ago Obama reaffirmed his change is more of the same when he selected former Dallas mayor and “free trade” advocate Ron Kirk to serve as U.S. Trade Rep in his administration.

I normally don't cite Dobbs on anything, but, I have to admit that Dobbs and CNN has it correct in this news clip.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgGEv-cdoms

[firedupdem]

1. Fuck Lou Dobbs and anything he has to say regarding Obama...

sorry, no disrespect to you but he's a racist fat fuck and I wouldn't care what he has to say.

You are entitled to your opinion, I don't know what road Obama could be on since he's not in office yet but hey, it's never to early to start looking toward 2012! Knock yourself out!

[Gman]

2. Ron Kirk is a great selection

He would have made a great Senator or Governor for Texas. That's not in the cards so his talent can be put to great use in the Obama administration. This one is a winner.

[rockymountaindem]

3. Except that in the capacity of trade rep. he can support the very policies that are killing our econ

Like NAFTA and our arrangement with China. Maybe he'd be good somewhere else, but in this role I'm not too impressed. Xavier Becerra would have been a much better Trade Representative.

[cyclezealot]

41. why was Becerra sacked..

Now I'm confused.. When it comes to trade, I'd trust Lou Dobbs' over Obama...Let's hope Kirk surprises us; but, be prepared to be disappointed and then ; the Democratic Congress will have to do its job..

[Shiver]

78. Becerra turned down the job. Can't recall why exactly. n/t

[Leftest]

4. Not if he's a NAFTA cheerleader

Obama so far seems to be a disappointment for those of us who supported him. He's stuffing his administration with hawks, homophobes and free trade/out sourcing cheerleaders. I mean what next? Ann Coulter as press secretary?

I don't mean to be inflammatory, but, his choices so far are more of what I would have expected from someone over on the other side of the isle.

[firedupdem]

5. who's the homophobe in his administration? n/t

[Tarheel_Dem]

10. Good question. I'm hoping we get an answer to that one. (nt)

[StreetKnowledge]

6. Yeah, that's getting to be impressively true.

The Democratic Party needs to grow some fucking balls. To hell with "moderate" Democrats and Republicans. When the Republicans owned both houses, did they listen to the Democrats? Not one bit, and we're paying the price now. So why keep doing more of the same? I understand he wants competency, but you can get that without jamming your cabinet with more of the same bozos.

Now, he could prove me wrong and ram HR 676 through, which would dramatically improve my confidence. Mr. President, are you listening? :)

[natrat]

52. there is no dem party like that- it is completly owned by corporations

[Marr]

70. You seem to be assuming that these "free trade" policies are a Republican thing.

They aren't. They're a Wall Street thing. A big money thing. A class warfare thing. And Obama is, sadly, looking as though he's on the other side in that fight-- like almost all of our political class, regardless of party.

[Tarheel_Dem]

8. WTF?

"Obama so far seems to be a disappointment for those of us who supported him.":wtf:

You do NOT speak for me. And quoting Lou Dobbs here only diminishes you, not Obama.

[NYC_SKP]

12. OH NOES!1!!11 Obama is an IMPOSTER... He only community organized so that

he could screw the little guy!11!!!

Oh Lord, however did I allow myself to be persuaded by this awful man? :sarcasm:

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. This is HUGH!!1111 I'm Series!1

:rofl:

[Deja Q]

48. What if... what if...

he can support NAFTA and still give a damn about Americans too?

Time will tell. Anything else is prejudice.

[eridani]

54. Anyone who supports NAFTA regards working Americans as disposable human garbage n/t

[Gman]

64. Kirk is not a progressive/liberal purist

thank God.

[natrat]

51. free trader , nafta= horrible corporatist choice

if you don't realize what this administration is by now pitty on you

[eridani]

53. Accelerating the race to the bottom? Thanks, but no thanks n/t

[Joe the Liberal]

7. I'm not exactly thrilled with alot of his choices but......

I'm going to wait until he's actually in office before I criticize. Maybe he is more of the same, maybe he is going to continue down the road of status quo, maybe he's not, only time will tell. Give him some time, and realize who else we could have been stuck with (McCain/ Palin).

[natrat]

60. i am predicting slightly less of the same

with a lot of "hope" thrown in

[doc03]

9. Now that pisses me off n/t

[NYC_SKP]

11. Here's what you don't understand, perhaps... A: Lou Dobbs is an asshat. B:...

B: If you're going to reform a system like the very complicated international trade system, you might need someone familiar with it. The president of the UAW, for example, would not be.

C: If as president you expect to have the ear of the greatest number of people with a stake in this, you might want someone already in the network.

D: All of these appointments serve at the pleasure of the POTUS and had better follow his lead.

NOW SERIOUSLY: Do you think all that community organizing was just a front??? :wtf:

PLEASE BACK AWAY FROM LOU DOBBS!!!

[firedupdem]

14. Here we go...

Also, this guy was big on NAFTA when it benefited his state with Mexico. Now he's working for Obama with a different set of goals.


http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/397800/1/.html


In tapping Kirk on Friday, Obama said that while the success of American business depends on "strong, robust trade, and open doors for American products," any agreement he signs "must be written not just with the interest of big corporations in mind, but with the interests of our whole nation and our workers at heart."

Kirk has "seen the promise of trade, but also its pitfalls, and he knows there is nothing inconsistent about standing up for free trade and standing up for American workers," Obama said at a press conference in Chicago.

"Ron is going to be responsible for to assure that there's reciprocity in all of our trade agreements," Obama said.

That reciprocity will extend beyond just trade in goods, Obama said, but also means that "on both sides of the border, we end up having labor and environmental agreements that are enforceable so we don't have a race to the bottom, but instead the standards of living of all workers are raised."

[NYC_SKP]

22. Thanks for the link and info.

I trust Obama to use his cabinet to do the right thing by American workers and the environment, and to do it responsibly.

:thumbsup:

[JDPriestly]

35. Hope is one thing. Denial is another. You are dreaming.

Obama's choices suggest that the race to the bottom has only just begun. Hold tight. It's going to be a hard landing.

[rockymountaindem]

17. Except his first choice, Xavier Becerra, fit all those criteria

and was against NAFTA and other free trade deals without labor and environmental protection provisions. The difference between him and Kirk is night and day. I don't understand this reversal. Certainly if Becerra didn't want the job there was someone else with similar views who could have filled in.

[dflprincess]

18. If Obama really wanted to change the system he might find somebody with some new ideas

instead of relying on people who supported the policies that got us into the mess we're in.

The community organizing was twenty years ago - before law school, before he developed political ambitions I'm not convinced he's held on to any ideals he had then.

[NYC_SKP]

21. I think we develop our values at an early age, our choices then foretell our future.

I find it difficult to believe that someone who chose to spend time with members at the bottom of the society in lifting them up would easily forget their experience when given the opportunity to level the playing field.

Of course it's possible that he was more struck by his skill in organizing than the good work he was doing, and that now he's just on a power trip that began back then, but I really doubt it.

One reason I can easily give him the benefit of the doubt is that I have no clue, none, about how I would approach these things, but I know this:

If I hated wars, I'd probably dislike generals very strongly, but if I wanted to get out of one without generals, I'd be a fool.

[dflprincess]

73. And when the plan is to wind down one war

and escalate another it would really be foolish not to use generals. That's why having Gates stay on was so "brilliant" - the policy of endless war can continue seamlessly.

[JDPriestly]

34. Now, don't go into denial. Obama's economic leadership appointments

are are free-traders, one and all. His secretary of Labor is pro-labor, and some of his lesser appointments on his economic team are reasonable, but where is, for example, Galbraith? Not one of his top leaders, that's for sure.

Kucinich and Edwards were good on trade. The rest of the candidates were not. If you voted for Obama because of his great smile, his race or his youth, too bad and hoped for the best on economics, you made a huge mistake. If you like free trade, outsourcing, thriving monopolies, etc. (and lots of people do), then Obama's your man. Enjoy. It's going to be a long four year for the economy.

[cali]

63. Kucinich, yes. Edwards? Fuck no. That slimeball sucked on trade

and nearly everything else in his 6 years in the U.S. Senate. How very revisionist of you. And boy, a lot of you certainly got suckered by Johnny Hedge Fund.

[JDPriestly]

67. I firmly believe that when Edwards went home, after running for VP,

he got an eyeful and an earful from the folks in his hometown. And I also believe that eyeful and earful changed his point of view.

Interestingly, Edwards is the only one of all these guys with a degree in mill management. That was the profession he planned to enter as a kid. What do you suppose his fellow mill management majors are doing today? I bet he knows, and I bet it isn't mill management.

It does something to a person to see the job opportunities of their family and friends disappear due to outsourcing. That is an internal game-changer. A big one.

That is why I tend to believe John Edwards on trade. Obama -- not so much. There is a reason why bankers liked Obama better than Edwards, Kucinich or the others, and it's not just his beautiful smile.

[eridani]

55. Dobbs is only an asshat about immigration

He's right about NAFTA and election integrity.

[Tarheel_Dem]

13. A whopping 82% of us disagree with your assessment.

CNN: Obama's 'honeymoon' follows Bush's 'failed marriage'
From CNN Senior Political Analyst Bill Schneider

(CNN) — How's the honeymoon going?


Eighty-two percent of Americans are happy with the way President-elect Obama is handling his transition. Even 61 percent of Republicans like him — and they're the in-laws in this marriage. He's not supposed to be good enough for them. “You know, I am remarkably pleased with Obama,” conservative leader Pat Robertson told CNN this week. “I had grave misgivings about him – but so help me, he’s come in forcefully, intelligently.”

Previous honeymoons –- like fellow Democrat Bill Clinton’s — have been good. But not this good.

The public is particularly impressed by Obama's cabinet appointments: 80 percent approve of Obama's so-called “team of rivals.” Obama's scoring more than 20 points better on his cabinet picks than President Bush did in 2001.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2008/12/25/schneider-obamas-honeymoon-follows-bushs-failed-marriage/#more-33541

[Selatius]

20. Hate to play devil's advocate but most Americans once supported Bush as well.

Those of us who disagreed with his policies felt pretty lonely, but we held out, and in the end, Bush is going down as one of the worst in American history. The so-called "fringe left" were vindicated in the end.

I disagree with Obama's top picks for his economic team. I voted for Obama; that's true, but I fully realized what I was voting for when I cast the ballot. He wasn't the change agent I was looking for, but look at the alternative: John McCain.

[NYC_SKP]

23. DU is not the US, and, Get your Bush approval rating graph here:

It just happened to be on my clipboard.

Now, most Americans prefer to watch the finale of American Idol to voting, so I'm not sure who supported Bush means much.
I think DU is far more well informed, though biased.

Americans loved them some bush, especially when his popularity skyrocketed to 90% right after 9/11. After that, well, lets say it dwindled.

[Selatius]

24. True, DU is not the US, but when the other poster cited a "national" poll, it became fair game. nt

[NYC_SKP]

25. But Bush only got to 90 because of a war, he started with 57%

So Tarheel_Dem's point has some value.

I mean, it took an attack on the US for bush to get to where Obama is now.

[Selatius]

26. True again, but 57% would still constitute "most" by layman's definition.

We're splitting hairs at this point, but I feel I've made my point.

[NYC_SKP]

28. Best Holiday Wishes to you...

and yours, Selatius!

:thumbsup:

[Political Heretic]

81. Damn you and your...your...... your logic!!

:P

[MessiahRp]

61. I would also throw in that MOST Americans have no fucking clue about Obama's appointments

Aside from Hillary, none have really gotten much media airtime or discussion and other than the various happy Neo-Cons talking heads on TV talking about how pleased they are with this team the only Obama coverage has been about Blago the past few weeks. None of the News programs are really analyzing where each of these appointments stands on the issues... if they did and spend some serious time explaining this to the American people I would bet big time his numbers would start to drop. People voted for change not more of the same and he has appointed all Center-Right DLCers and Republicans thusfar. Real change does not have a seat at the table.

Rp

[JDPriestly]

38. I'm probably pretty typical for DU. I like many of Obama's policies,

but his pandering to the religious right and the free trade extremists disgusts me. He's so much better than Bush on many other issues, that it isn't funny. But Obama is a pretty conservative politician. His healthcare policy will please the insurance companies a lot more than the consumers.

But the economy is getting so bad, and free trade will make it so much worse that I expect that after a couple of years, Obama will change his approach. The free trade approach has proved unworkable and cannot be made to work.

[Tarheel_Dem]

27. Well, the "fringe left" had a choice between Kooch, Gravel & Nader,

and to a lesser degree, Edwards. What happened with that?

[Selatius]

29. They lost, but ultimately, the left was proven right on the war and Bush's record.

He was an abysmal failure regardless of his popularity ratings.

[Political Heretic]

83. True but that assessment wasn't just "the left's"

I think that was a pretty broad assessment by people coming from a diversity of perspectives, which evolved into a plurality of public opinion, then a majority. For instance it wasn't difficult to find voices critical of the war from the "right" or "left" or "middle" - I understand that it was publicly popular. But I'm saying critics came in all shapes and sizes, I know because I remember reading conservative, libertarian and leftist authors' opposition to Bush doctrine and war policy.

[depakid]

40. A fair assessment would be that 80% of Americans are utterly clueless about policy matters

and wouldn't know how to analyze a good choice (in terms of their own self interests) from a bad one even if it jumped up and bit them on the ass.

In this case, as with several other dubious appointments, only time will tell if significant changes in policy are in the pipeline.

[Tarheel_Dem]

42. I know a lot of you feel as if you're much brighter than the general electorate,

but Obama's even smarter. By not choosing to surround himself with a bunch of yes men/women, he's won the admiration of broader population. The narrow minded, self-important boobs at DU are not the US, and only minutely representative of public opinion. I, for one, am ecstatic to have an incoming President who knows the world isn't all black, and it isn't all white. Let's hope your vision expands to see those shades of gray that the rest of us do.

[depakid]

43. It's a matter of being well informed

and thinking critically.

Something that seems lacking in certain posts on this thread.

[Tarheel_Dem]

44. Got a mirror? (nt)

[depakid]

45. You can have a look at the record

Kirk's been a highly paid lobbyist and an outspoken (if not quite corrupt) proponent of NAFTA.

Generally speaking, cats don't change their stripes- though I guess we'll have to wait and see.

[eridani]

57. Not smarter. Just paying attention. There's a difference. n/t

[Deja Q]

46. Not to pee in the coffee, but ask them if they know who he sacked and who his replacement was

Then ask that their stances were.

For what saying all that's worth.

Remember, things weren't entirely bad under Bill Clinton's tenure.

Maybe there's a greater good.

I don't know. But I refuse to get all negative and pissy about it. Or "read between lines", looking for menace and dooooooooooooooooooooom that probably isn't there.

[eridani]

56. Most of whom are paying not the slightest intention to anything but American Idol n/t

[Statistical]

59. Anyone concerned that 61% of republicans like the choices he has made? (n/t)

[readmoreoften]

90. Well if most people think it, it must be true.

:crazy:

You think they might get their "true" ideas from cable news? Is the same public who thought Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9-11? Fantastic.

[Pastiche423]

16. Wouldn't "Free Traitor" be more descriptive?

Kirk fits right in w/the other appoinments - status quo.

[Deja Q]

47. Well, if he is, you can be first to find a sword and play "Mr. Swashbuckler"

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

19. Ron Kirk is an excellent choice

and before shitting on Kirk and the USTR why not do a little research on the role of the USTR before throwing up some paranoid video about a North American union.

[firedupdem]

30. He is...

I just googled for more information. He sounds like a great choice for this position. Also, he carries out Obama's agenda...none of them are going rogue if they want to keep a job.

[earth mom]

31. All you are going to get on this thread is excuse after excuse why it's OK when Obama does

shit like this.

Now shut up so some people here on DU can cram that "hope and change" down your throat! :sarcasm:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

32. Obama never promised to appoint anarchists and socialists,

Ron Kirk is a black Robert Reich - not Alan Mulally.

[earth mom]

33. Yeah, go ahead and smear the true left by calling them names-it's the rethuglican

and dino way isn't it? :puke:

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

36. who the hell are you to define "left"?

and socialists and anarchists seem to be what the anti-Obama trolls are demanding.

[earth mom]

77. Who the hell put a troll like you in charge of what defines the left?

And btw-this country could use a helluva lot more socialism. Instead of throwing people away like so much trash. :puke:

[Lorien]

85. Amen nt.

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

89. So the President Obama supporters are the trolls on Democratic Underground?

Good to know, I will make a note of that.

[readmoreoften]

91. Yes, if they're paid disrupters.

Or psychotic fanboy disrupters who don't even get paid.

[readmoreoften]

92. The left has a fairly clear definition in global politics.

Maybe you should take less policy classes at try your hand at a few poli-sci courses. "The left" is socialist. There is no "left" in this country. There is only right-wing authoritarianism of varying degrees: timocracy, or oligarchy with a little voting to make it feel democraticky. You sound like someone who fancies himself to be a "pragmatist" (most policy wankers do).

Most people weren't looking for some tinkering this election. They were looking for a real shift. I've got bad news for you: most people in the US would love a little socialism in America.

[Lorien]

84. Yeah, go right to the extremes. Generally when someone's party gets them

elected, they do respond by appointing people who uphold the fundamental values of that party. Bush didn't run out and appoint and anarchists and socialists, for example. This appointment of Obama's says "More of the same", which is contrary to his "change we can believe in" mantra. Thus the consternation. So let's stop running right to the most extreme and illogical argument in defense of his selection, OK?

[Pastiche423]

66. Don't you find it amusing that "some people" on this thread

clearly have no clue WTF they are talking about, yet they are the only people that know that their messiah is the only true light? He is only doing good for the people.

Even exposing their lack of knowledge only earns you name calling - liberal, left, far left, etc. They can't discuss the issues, because they don't understand them at all!

It matters not one whit that he is appointing the same people that got our country into the crisis we find ourselves in today. Mo matter! They believe their messiah is more intelligent than anyone! And don't you say different!

[Alexander]

37. 6 years ago, most DUers were hoping Kirk would be in the US Senate...

...and cheering him on every step of the way.

My, how times change. :eyes:

[tammywammy]

65. Funny isn't it. n/t

[snowbear]

39. You sound just like Lou the Snob Dobbs

.
.

On one of his crankier days.

[Deja Q]

49. Granted, the last 8 years has led to... paranoia

Time will reveal, but the 1990s weren't all bad with Bill Clinton (NAFTA signer) in office.

I will not wallow in paranoia.

Or even sexual relations with someone with herpes.

[MadHound]

50. Gee, another corporatist/centerist pick for the Obama administration

Not surprising, given his other picks. Disappointing, but not surprising. That promised "change" is starting to look more and more like the same ol' two party/same corporate master system of government in action again, this time with a NEW, MORE HUNKY PRESIDENT. Just keep your eye on the charismatic president and pay no attention to what's being done behind the curtain.

[blue97keet]

71. Agree, More of the same old same old

with Rubin and Summers on the economic team.

[Lorien]

87. It is incredibly depressing, but I can't say that i'm surprised

I was honestly hoping to be pleasantly surprised by Obama, and still hold some slim "hope for change". He can't be as bad as what we've had for the past eight years, on that we can all agree! But I'm growing less and less hopeful for any sort of new American Renaissance which will pull the middle and working class out of the downward spiral we're been in and save the planet that we all call home. Profit is STILL God in the US, and the Corporations still control the government and our lives, like it or not. Only something truly catastrophic will shake people up enough to make them demand REAL change, and I'd hate to imagine what that would be at this point. :scared:

[crispini]

58. Realistically, Ron Kirk is not a very good fit for this post.

Since when does "mayor" prepare you for any great knowledge of trade?

[natrat]

62. half his fucking cabinet are corporate pigs

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

68. Do you know anything about the man?

Other than that a rambling conspircy theorist was dissing him on CNN?

Ron Kirk is a lawyer specializing in matters of public administration and finance, such as trade!

[tammywammy]

69. crispini lives in Dallas, where Kirk was mayor n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

72. and a damn good mayor he was

Obama could go back to Chicago, dig up the Haymarket anarchists, appoint them to the USTR, Sec. of Labor, Sec. of Commerce and Sec. of the Treasury and somebody here would be claiming they were homophobic.

[crispini]

74. Yeah, I live in Dallas.

And Ron Kirk was certainly not liked by all when he was here. I have friends in politics who have several not-very-nice stories to tell about him.

[RB TexLa]

75. Tough shit. Ron Kirk has said the Western Hemisphere is artificially too big on many occasions

He will work to bring about free trade throughout the Americas.

When supposedly intelligent people bitch and whine along side human filth like Lou Dobbs they really should ask themselves what the fuck they are doing.

[LWolf]

76. Here; you need this:

And this:

:thumbsup: :thumbsup:

[UTUSN]

79. KIRK is a great Dem. "All politics is local" trumps ideological "purity."

The Dem party is made up of different groups, each of which has its own agenda, with its #1 agenda item being unique to itself, while all the unifying items among the groups are down-agenda.

You will find that very good Dems, who happen to be located along the borders (thus, the "local" part), are in favor of NAFTA and other such trade issues, being in contrast to Union Dems.

You can go down the line of all groups and find similar contrasts. KIRK was a protege of Ann RICHARDS, was the Secretary of State (in Texas), was the first Black mayor of Dallas, and put up a fighting chance in the Senate race to replace wingnut-asshole Phil "ENRON" GRAMM, being almost the lone, SERIOUS Dem to make a fight in the aftermath of Shrub's Rethug sweep of the state.

Anybody wanting to exclude this or that Dem group based on "purity" is opting for a losing party.

[Midwestern Democrat]

80. I've pretty much given up on the Democratic Party when it comes to trade

- at least at the presidential level. Edwards was the only major candidate that I trusted on this issue and his campaign was pretty much D.O.A. There are other reasons why I will continue to vote Democratic, but I'm no longer going to delude myself into thinking that this is one of them - the state of campaign finance today has pretty much ensured that (defeating bad trade bills in the House, IMO, is our only chance - and frankly it's a slim one).

[natrat]

82. trade? my god they are full on liars about everything

[rockymountaindem]

88. I was excited about Xavier Becerra

I really can't understand this reversal. Our trade policy will probably just continue the way it is... screwing everybody except the ultra rich.

[leftofthedial]

86. other than an apparent commitment to competence

Mr. Obama is about 95% status quo.

A repuke President could have picked most of this staff, especially the economic team. Their ideology makes any recovery highly unlikely. and makes "change" a lie.

[readmoreoften]

93. 95% status quo?

Please point me to that other 5% where he bucks the system. The only status quo I see being changed is more right-wing ideology brought into the Democratic party through "pragmatism" like faith-based funding, privatization of schools, etc...

[leftofthedial]

95. Chu, Barnes and Solis are not status quo.

That's about it though. (Although the top of my head isn't functioning well with this cold, and I may have forgotten someone.)

Everyone else is basically a repuke and/or one of the people who got us into this mess.

[Breeze54]

94. WTF?! ... You expected progressive choices?

Get real. :eyes:

Same shit, different day.