Black Unemployment and Underemployment at an All Time High

Hear a great discussion from NPR about Black unemployment... from a few weeks ago.

A must listen.

Chronic Unemployment Highest Since The Great Depression- No Jobs Strategy In Sight

I recall the President saying (when he was candidate Obama) something to the effect that when you get inside the bubble of Washington... you become one of them - meaning a politician out of touch with what is happening on the ground, especially in middle America. It is becoming more clear to me that Obama may be in the process of becoming 'one of them'.

CBS reported this week that chronic unemployment is at its highest since the Great Depression... and even worse than the Depression era on a percentage basis.

About 6.2 million Americans, 45.1 percent of all unemployed workers in this country, have been jobless for more than six months - a higher percentage than during the Great Depression.

The bigger the gap on someone's resume, the more questions employers have.

"(Employers) think: 'Oh, well, there must be something really wrong with them because they haven't gotten a job in 6 months, a year, 2 years.' But that's not necessarily the case," said Marjorie Gardner-Cruse with the Hollywood Worksource Center....

Here's another problem: more than 1 million of the long-term unemployed have run out of unemployment benefits, leaving them without the money to get new training, buy new clothes, or even get to job interviews.

In addition to the low job numbers, it was also reported this month that worker's share of national income has also dropped considerably over the last decade. All confirming what many working folks already know because we can feel it. When you are a millionaire and live in a cocoon in Washington, you can't feel it. You can see it, but it doesn't mean that you can feel it...and have real empathy for working people.

I can definitely feel it everyday. The company I work for lost its contract to provide services last month.... technically leaving me in limbo. Luckily, I was retained by the new service provider who saw my worth. But the work environment is worse now than ever.... so my job search has continued as if I were unemployed. I have been under-employed for several years now (a category that isn't included in national stats). Sometimes under-employment can be just as bad as having no work at all.

I know a major reason for my unsuccessful job search is because I am competing with a much larger number of job applicants than normal. There will always be someone with a flashier resume, someone who graduated from a school with a bigger 'brand', and someone with more extensive experience, even for the entry level jobs that I am seeking in public service. So even though I am not unemployed myself... I am still affected by the job market. As a result of my under-employment, my quality of life is just about zero. It is amazing that I have not gone completely nuts and killed myself at this point. A lot of people in my position either snap, kill themselves, or turn to alcohol...or worse.

Imagine working in the same miserable job that you hate getting up to go to for 17 years and only surviving (not living life). Being broke, especially as a man, robs you of quality of life. It means you can't date successfully, can't form the relationships you want...and of course that means you can't have a family of your own. This is why the condition of the economy is 'real' to me.

But despite the tough job market and high unemployment, we see the usual from Republicans. Working people and their labor rights are under attack everywhere from Wisconsin to Florida. Meanwhile corporate profits are as high as ever, with companies (seemingly on purpose) avoiding hiring to both increase profit margins to benefit those at the top, and to hurt the Presidents chances for re-election. CEO's and the Chamber of Commerce, would love to see a President Romney...or any nameless Republican, because it would mean less regulation, tax cuts, and more political support for the killing of labor rights... a dream scenario for corporations.

I am baffled by the response of the Obama Administration and Democrats in Congress. What is their strategy? Do they even have one? According to recent reports from Washington insiders... the Obama Administration "doesn't have the stomach for a new jobs bill". They don't seem all that concerned with creating jobs. Much of their economic focus seems to be on the deficit. Unbelievable.
I personally don't believe they have a clue. I predicted a couple of years ago that this is where we would be right now. I hate to say I told you so.... but I told you so.
I also laid out a general outline of what a jobs plan could look like.

The approach by Democrats makes no sense politically or practically. This is why i'm so baffled. Yes, the Republicans control the House. But dammit, the Democrats still control the Senate and the White House. It's as if they completely capitulated after the mid-terms. Progressive strategy is (and has been) non-existent. Even if they can't get a jobs bill passed.... making the effort would be smart politics for Democrats. President Obama should make a primetime address to the nation to spell out a jobs plan (worth anywhere from $50 to $150 billion - nothing compared with the nation building funds, the war money, and strategic bribe money that the U.S. has wasted over the past decade overseas). I'm referring to a more targeted jobs bill designed to spark the private sector, build the infrastructure of the future, and create sustainable employment in new industries.... a plan that could create millions of new jobs that will be around for a while. Democrats should put the plan on the table and force Republicans to vote against it (and they would). That is a winning strategy. That's a gift for Democrats...and it is a card that is available for them to use right now. Doing nothing... or taking cues from the Republicans about what the national debate should be (in this case... the debt/austerity), makes the Democrats look unbelievably weak and inept.

I know that a President has limited tools when it comes to dealing with the economy. However, a President can help to create more ideal conditions for economic growth. The real problem for the U.S. is 1). There are too many consumers and not enough producers; 2). There has been a fundamental shift in consumer behavior post 9/11 and again post 2008; and 3). The U.S. is being battered by globalization.... it is not adjusting well to it, largely because the Country failed to prepare for the changes in global labor and the shift in wealth. The U.S. is now paying dearly for not making the right kinds of adjustments to weather the impact of cheap labor, cheap goods, the rise of China (and the wider impact from Asia). The U.S. still isn't making the right adjustments, particularly in education. While students in other Countries receive a global education, American students still get outdated instruction from an insular perspective.

I don't see things getting much better anytime soon.

Great Commentary - "It's The Jobs, Stupid".

NPR Series Follows Unemployed in St. Louis

NPR is spotlighting six unemployed St. Louisans as they look for work. Listen to the ongoing series here.

America's Next Chapter - A discussion about the current state of the nation

"Is There a Brighter Future for the Next Generation?"

Watch/Hear an interesting discussion from earlier this month on the state of America and the outlook for future generations. The event was moderated by Tavis Smiley and was held at George Washington University. I'm not all that crazy about Tavis Smiley, and you could probably pick up a hint of the animus that he still has for Obama... but despite that, the event provides a good alternative "State of the Union".

I prefer this lineup of speakers over panels that Smiley typically has for predominantly Black events. This provides a greater mix of viewpoints.

Watch the event in full here.

Or listen to the full program here.


Related Posts

The American Dream - Harder Than Ever To Attain

Arianna Huffington Discusses Third World America

Discussion on Long Term Unemployment

Hear a pretty good discussion on long term unemployment from NPR. (under-employment is also discussed). How has the economy impacted you?

I posted a general plan/vision for dealing with unemployment back in 2009, and again a few months ago. Unfortunately, Obama and his advisers are not seeking the kind of approach I presented (massive incentive programs centered around green jobs, research/innovation, and other job creation strategies). The Republican Congress would never support these ideas anyway. But I still believe that the vision I described is generally the way to go. Without major investments in infrastructure and programs that would produce long term sustainable jobs, the unemployment rate will likely remain high for years.

Related

Rikyrah, this might interest you...

Difficulties faced by women in the workplace

Women file suit against Citigroup

American Dream Harder Than Ever To Attain

A recent piece in the New York Times, by writer Louis Uchitelle, highlights the difficulties faced by the millennial generation, also called Generation Y. But it hasn't been much better for my generation (Generation X).

From the piece American Dream Is Elusive for New Generation:

The Great Depression damaged the self-confidence of the young, and that is beginning to happen now, according to pollsters, sociologists and economists. Young men in particular lost a sense of direction, Glen H. Elder Jr., a sociologist at the University of North Carolina, found in his study, “Children of the Great Depression.” In some cases they were forced into work they did not want — the issue for Scott Nicholson.

Military service in World War II, along with the G.I. Bill and a booming economy, restored well-being; by the 1970s, when Mr. Elder did his retrospective study, the hardships of the Depression were more a memory than an open sore. “They came out of the war with purpose in their lives, and by age 40 most of them were doing well,” he said, speaking of his study in a recent interview.

The outlook this time is not so clear. Starved for jobs at adequate pay, the millennials tend to seek refuge in college and in the military and to put off marriage and child-bearing. Those who are working often stay with the jobs they have rather than jump to better paying but less secure ones, as young people seeking advancement normally do. And they are increasingly willing to forgo raises, or to settle for small ones.

Read the full New York Times report.

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Worse for Black Americans

See reports on Black poverty and the struggle with recession from the BBC and MSNBC. The Loop also has a good piece on childhood poverty from last year.

I gave up on the American Dream some years ago. Now I am just seeking survival. I realized the Dream had become an empty slogan.... that the chances of achieving it were slim to none. I almost feel as if I have been lied to all this time. I started to feel this way at age 27 or 28, when I had begun to run-in-place. I just wasn't achieving, even though I was working everyday and studying hard. The last 5-10 years pretty much confirmed the doubts going through my mind at the time.

Now I am about $80,000.00 in debt with no prospects for meaningful employment. The chances that I will be able to pay this money back is pretty close to zero. Over the last year I have been engaging in all sorts of maneuvers (including going back to school and making matters worse with more debt) to keep creditors at bay just a little while longer. But at some point in the next year or two, I will be looking at default. Once I run out of options and default, I will be ineligible for many....well.... basically all jobs in the Government sector...where I want to work. American Dream? Where?

And the thought of finding a mate, developing relationships, and starting a family have been out of the question. Not even an option for me.... never has been. Men, of course, are damn near exclusively defined by what they do....how much money they earn, their ability to support a family, yadda yadda yadda. This is how women rate men. This is especially the case in the U.S., where women are shallow & materialistic to the extreme.

If a man can't meet certain professional/financial expectations...if you don't have a job with a respectable salary, if you can't support a family.... then you aren't considered a man at all. Chances for actually attracting a decent mate under such circumstances are remote. So in the last decade (really more than that) I have actually never bothered to try with any serious effort. All due to this elusive "American Dream".... trying to hold out for a meaningful job opportunity. The lost decade has really worn me down.

(btw... I think one of the next bubbles to pop will be student loans....as students who leave college end up like me... stuck in BS service jobs earning less than $30,000 a year....or can't find work at all).

Needless to say I really hate my life...and the prospects for the future are bleak. With the incompetence of the Obama Administration....not having a clue of what the Hell to do to stimulate the economy...and with all the wars, the misguided foreign policy, and the financial mess (global and personal), I believe things will get worse.

An Xavier University survey seems to support my angst about the future. From the Atlantic:

When asked if it is now harder or easier to attain "the American Dream" than it was for their parents' generation, 60 percent of Xavier's 1,022 respondents said it's getting harder; 68 percent, meanwhile, said it will be even harder for their children than it is for them.

The poll was conducted Feb. 14-21 by Fairbank, Maslin, Maullin, Metz & Associates (FM3) for Xavier's Institute for Politics and the American Dream, reaching respondents over 18 years old via land lines and cell phones. Margin of error was +/-3.1 percent. Xavier plans to release a similar poll every year.

Even as people think it's getting harder to achieve the dream, Xavier found, they still believe--more or less--that it's possible with hard work: 35 percent said the American dream is "entirely" dependent on hard work, while 53 percent said it's roughly an even mix of hard work and good luck/circumstances. And 67 percent think they can achieve it in their lifetimes.

Fifty-eight percent, meanwhile, said America itself is in decline.

I actually am a little more pessimistic about the "hard work" theme in the Xavier survey, because even with hard work, the Dream seems out of reach. And more important than that was the belief by the majority of respondents that the U.S. was in decline. (Something I have been saying for years).

Read the summary of the Xavier University survey conducted earlier this year. See pdf.

Related Links

The End of the American Dream - Working Harder, Falling Further Behind, by Lee Sustar

Is The American Dream Possible for Most Anymore? (Discussions w/ Barbara Ehrenreich).

Impact of Corporate Based Economy (some links may be dead).

Both Sides of The Loop: April 4, 2010

Check out the Both Sides of the Loop podcast. In this edition of Both Sides of The Loop Marvin King and Lenny McAllister discuss the March employment figures, black unemployment and why Artur Davis of Alabama didn't support health care reform.

Why Obama Should Have Worked Harder On Economy

Forcing healthcare through Congress at a time when the issue was not a top priority for most Americans will likely cost the Democrats come November....as I have already mentioned. Obama & Co. should have at least been much more aggressive on plans for job growth while pushing for healthcare reform.... this would have helped in making them look less out of touch. His team of advisers are definitely not the most competent.

Now they want to tackle immigration... thinking (mistakenly) that the healthcare victory has somehow given them momentum for dealing with an issue even more contentious. Obama will end up wasting what little political capital he has left on Immigration Reform. Clueless doesn't seem adequate for describing Emanuel, Axelrod, Plouffe and all the rest.

There is still a little bit of time between now and November. Alot can change in that time. It looks like the economy may finally be creating jobs again.... after losing millions over the last two years. But it will take a long time to change the public's perception... especially when there are TV networks and radio stations dedicated to telling Americans that Barack Obama and the Democrats are devils, socialists, and that they are to blame for the economic collapse. (Americans are incredibly gullible and unfortunately they listen to the nonsense from Faux News and the rest).

Republican in Tennessee Says 'Unemployed Should Just Find a Job'

Benefits about to run out? Too bad. You lazy folks should shut up and find a job.

From the Young Turks:

Self-sufficiency is key to fixing Black unemployment

First the good news: Black unemployment in February was down 0.7 percent from January's recession high of 16.5 percent. Now, the bad news: it's still 15.8 percent, which is 7.1 percent higher than the national unemployment rate of 9.7 percent. Since the recession began in December 2007, the Black unemployment rate has gone up 7.8 percent, nearly doubling in two short years.

Read the rest at The Loop.

Republican Senator Holds Unemployment Benefits Extension Bill Hostage

hat tip: W.E.E. See You

From The AP:

Unemployment Extension Fails in Senate
GOP Sen. Jim Bunning Blocks Action over Concerns About Swelling Deficit

(AP) The Senate failed late Thursday to extend programs for laid-off workers, jeopardizing unemployment benefits scheduled to expire over the weekend.

The benefits are part of a larger package of government programs, from highway funding to loans for small businesses, set to expire Sunday because senators couldn’t agree on how to pay for an extension.

The House passed a bill Thursday extending the programs for a month while lawmakers consider how to address the issues long-term. Senate Democrats repeatedly tried to follow suit Thursday night but they couldn’t overcome the objections of a single lawmaker, Republican Sen. Jim Bunning of Kentucky, that the $10 billion bill would add to the budget deficit.

The Democrats are to blame for not forcing this clown to stand up on the floor, and any of his co-conspirators to STAND ON THE SENATE FLOOR - FOR ALL TO SEE - as they hurt at least 1.2 million American citizens. If they're so big and bad - FORCE THEM TO FILIBUSTER. This mamby-pamby bullshyt of letting them get away with it - without shouting it from the rooftops everytime a Democrat gets on tv - is pathetic.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN NOW?

From Bob Cesca:

Funding

* No reimbursements to States for previously-committed Federal highway funds. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) will not be able to approve any expenditures from the Highway Trust Fund beginning on Monday, March 1. This will prohibit FHWA from reimbursing States for any previously-committed Federal highway funds.
* No ability to commit additional Federal highway funds. Due to both a statutory prohibition and the furlough of its employees (described below), beginning on Monday, March 1, FHWA will be unable to approve States’ commitment of any Federal highway funds.
* No ability to commit additional Federal transit funds. FTA will be unable to approve any new transit grants from all transit programs that are funded out of the Highway Trust Fund. This will prohibit States, transit agencies and MPOs from receiving funds from any of the following programs: Bus and Bus Facilities, Urban and Rural Formula, Metropolitan and Statewide Planning, Fixed Guideway Modernization, Formula Grants for Elderly and Disabled, Job Access and Reverse Commute, New Freedom and Transit in the Parks.

Furloughs

* Shutdown of Agencies and furloughs of over 4,000 Federal employees. The entire FHWA, the entire Federal Motor Carrier Administration (FMCSA), some portions of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and some portions of the Research and Innovation Transportation Administration (RITA), will cease operations and furlough their employees (totaling over 4,000 employees) beginning on Tuesday, March 2.

ARRA

* ARRA “Recovery Act” Impact: Due to the furlough of FHWA employees, any remaining obligation of funds by States may not be processed. This could cause States to lose some unspent ARRA funds.

Highway Safety

* No new MCSAP or new entrant grants. The shutdown of the FMCSA will prevent the agency from entering into new obligations for its 11 grant programs and funding vouchers for work performed during the duration of the lapsed authority. In particular, two highly visible programs, the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) grants and the New Entrant grants, would be greatly affected. The MCSAP program provides funding to States to reduce the number and severity of crashes and hazardous materials incidents involving commercial motor vehicles. The New Entrant program provides funds to States to prevent unsafe motor carrier companies from entering the industry.

* All of NHTSA’s State highway safety grant programs would shut down. In addition to the furlough of its personnel, NHTSA would have to shut down operations of Highway Safety Research and Development; National Driver Register (NDR); and Highway Safety Grants, and would have to stop paying all bills for the programs under these accounts.

and what was Bunning's response when asked about all the unemployed people who would stop getting their benefits?

TOUGH SHIT

I kid you not.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

On Being Black in a White Economy

I could have also titled this.... why I hate being Black or why being Black sucks. But I covered that territory and made that point plenty of times.

The experiences of Black job seekers in a recent NYT report seem to mirror some of my own experiences. I have been under-employed for quite a while now and have often wondered how much of a part race may be playing in my disappointing job search. Race certainly has played a part from a class standpoint, since the legacy of race and class did not provide me with the best opportunity to attend the most exclusive schools and have access to the kinds of networks that would get me in the door. If you are white and come from privileged circumstances, those things are sort of thrown in as perks. Granted, most of my job search interests have been in the government sector as opposed to the private sector (can't stand the private sector) but I have still had some of the same experiences described in the NYT report.

This was also covered on the FN blog a few days ago. (by Philadelphia attorney Wayne Bennett)

For example, I too have felt the need in recent years to "clean" my resume... to wipe clean anything that would indicate race. There has never really been anything too overt on my resume that was "in your face" race identifying... because that's just not what i'm about anyway. From a professional point of view, I have always known that this was not the thing to do...and I never had the urge or interest to do so.

However, years ago I was briefly a member of an organization called NOBLE... one of the most prestigious & impressive Black professional/social organizations in the U.S... but wiped it from the resume. I'm no longer a member...but even if I were... I wouldn't mention it. I also avoid providing too many Black references.... wiped my reference page almost completely....except for one co-worker. There are many great professors who I probably could have added.... but nope.

I have been on interviews where I sense a feeling of disappointment or confusion when I walk into the room (not that i'm not impecably dressed...but i'm not who they thought would walk in). I am not sure that the interview is over at that point, but I can tell that the normal hurdles get raised immediately, and I have to prove why I even belong at the interview. The signals that they give off = who do you think you are? and Why are you even here?.

I also leave the race box blank on any EEO forms that I fill out... or I will sometimes leave the whole form blank. There was one gov't employer that required that the box be filled in (still baffled by that...because I thought they couldn't compel an answer to that question). I will sometimes check the box for "other" just for fun. But I avoid "Black".... because this seems to be the equivalent of admitting to a disease that will prevent me from being hired (in the eyes of the wider society).

I am also someone who wants to avoid the whole victim thing... although I often joke with co-workers that the system is not for us. They don't know that i'm not always joking...they can't even conceive it... because in their minds, the existence of a Black President has made all of these problems magically go away. But I still don't like the victim branding.... because I think (I know) that I am just as good as anyone else, especially for the type and level of employment that I have applied for.

I also find that being Black and male seems much worse...than simply being Black. This seems to pan out in the stats.

And here's a twist... I don't completely blame white society. Sure, it shares most of the blame...but (in my mind at least) I assign some of the blame to so-called Black culture or the "Black Community" for fueling this situation. By virtue of being Black I understand that I am held prisoner to a race (whether I like it or not...and I hate it) that trashes and brings shame to its own image...and feeds the very stereotypes that so many people fought to overcome 40, 50, 60, 100 years ago. Some even gave their lives fighting for the dignity of Blacks.

Sometimes I see my skin as worse than prison bars... metaphorically that's exactly how I feel everyday.

The Human Cost of The Broken Economy

Hear an NPR story about the way this economy is impacting everyday people. It shows how brutal this economy can be.

American Capitalism can really rob people of their dignity and humanity. It can rip the spirit right out of you. A cruel system indeed.

I am becoming more and more hopeless everyday (and i'm employed full-time...although under-employed). I guess I should feel lucky...but my employment situation is becoming more precarious with each passing day. Bankruptcy was officially announced this week. I started working when I was 16. And I have been employed continuously... and full-time (except for 3 months) since I was about 19 years old. I'll be 36 pretty soon. The idea of not working is unthinkable to me.

But the hopelessness is real. I have the constant feeling that i'm falling face down from the top of the Sears Tower in super slow motion.... going down a little more everyday....knowing what is waiting for me at the bottom but not being able to stop it.

Women Giving Up Their Dignity To Survive the Economy - What Would You Do In a Desperate Financial Situation?

What Are You Willing to Do If The Going Gets Rougher? What's Your Plan B if you lose your Job? Have you thought about it? If not, you probably should.

A recent MSNBC report highlighted the fact that many ordinary women are now turning to the Sex Trade in order to support themselves and their families in what's being called "The Great Recession" (perhaps soon to be a Depression). To me, this is one of those things that really gives you a true indication of how well an economy is working for the average citizen. It's more powerful than any abstract Labor Department number that rarely gives you a human face.

This latest story follows a story from ABC News which aired late last year.



This really tells the tale about what's going on in the economy more than any other measure. It really shows the kind of nightmare that Bush/Cheney left for us....and it isn't over yet. Sad and horrifying at the same time.

Whether I lose my job this year is basically a toss up. Bankruptcies from businesses are spreading through the economy, since many are finding that they can't meet their obligations to creditors and suppliers or found themselves owing too much for expansions they started 1 or 2 years ago.

But - for the women reading this - could you ever see yourself giving up your dignity and turning to sex work to earn money? How bad does it have to be for someone to get to a place where they have to make this kind of decision?

Things are bad...but it isn't quite the 1930's ...at least not yet (although if the Country keeps bleeding jobs at the rate of more than half a million a month...it won't be long before we get there). I believe that we are likely to reach the technical definition of a Depression sometime this year... I may discuss that more in another posting. But how bad does it have to be for you to consider dehumanizing and objectifying yourself by selling your body? Or is that just not an option for you?


And have any of you made your plan B? Have you thought about what you would do if you lost your job? What are your plans? The NPR program On Point had a great discussion this week where they talked with real everyday folks about their "Plan B's". Take a listen.

I know it's easy to sit in judgment when some of us still have our jobs... even those like myself who hate the jobs we have... but are actually feeling lucky right now (which is a pretty creepy feeling). But I personally couldn't Prostitute myself if I were a woman and if I faced a desperate situation. I would simply take lesser work and work harder... In fact, as a man, I am facing a desperate situation at the moment. I'm currently under-employed...But my attitude is just to keep trying.... I can't trade my dignity for cash... no matter how bad things get. If worse comes to worse, I can try to find a family member to move in with (which would be a crushing blow for me... since I have worked so hard establishing a good work history and have worked so hard putting myself through college...not to mention the fact that i'm extremely independent..hate to admit that I have lost a battle, am a personal failure and hate the idea of needing help. But I would pull a Dr. Kevorkian before parting with my dignity.

But then again, we don't know for certain what we would do if things got truly desperate.

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Related Articles & Blog Posts

Gina from What About Our Daughters Argues that All Money Isn't Necessarily Good Money

Additional link for this story from HuffPo

Blacks Fare Worse During Recessions

Over at The Loop, I have a column up on how blacks do during recessions and how some cities are better for black employment than others.

The Work Ahead

In towns like Hollandale, MS hopes are sky-high that Obama will return a sense of economic normalcy to towns like it and hundreds others across the country that are adrift in a new world order that doesn't seem to appreciate what they have to offer.

In Hollandale, unemployment and poverty are twin cousins of evil that keep large swaths of Mississippi economically stagnant. Bush's policies did little to help and if you believe his critics his policies did much to exacerbate Hollandale's problems. Disdain for the poor while currying favor among the rich left the Hollandale's of America adrift.

The key is to council patience and recognize that change won't come like a lightning bolt from the sky, but only after years and years of meaningful investment.

Hillary Can Run But Can't Hide from NAFTA

Clinton Claims That She Had Nothing To Do With Supporting NAFTA.

Oh Really?


Obama Responds to the Clinton Tirade on NAFTA


The Following Commentary From David Sirota at the Huffington Post

In response to Barack Obama's attack on NAFTA, the Hillary Clinton campaign has gone into meltdown mode. Here's Dow Jones' Marketwatch:

"Clinton's campaign fired back at Obama, charging the Illinois senator with misrepresenting Clinton's position on trade...'Recently [Obama] falsely claimed that Hillary said that NAFTA was a 'boon' to the economy. Now, Obama is resting his argument on a single paraphrase from an article written twelve years ago,' Clinton's campaign said in an emailed statement."

The Huffington Post has followed along with a laugh-out-loud piece in which the chief architects of NAFTA (many who are now wealthy corporate lawyers and lobbyists) are now saying, no, no, Hillary Clinton was really opposed to it. These are the same people, of course, who are looking for jobs in the Hillary Clinton White House.
What a total joke, really. This campaign clearly thinks we are all just a bunch of fools.

Hillary Clinton has made statements unequivocally trumpeting NAFTA as the greatest thing since sliced bread. The Buffalo News reports that back in 1998, Clinton attended the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and thanked praised corporations for mounting "a very effective business effort in the U.S. on behalf of NAFTA." Yes, you read that right: She traveled to Davos to thank corporate interests for their campaign ramming NAFTA through Congress.

On November 1, 1996, United Press International reported that on a trip to Brownsville, Texas, Clinton "touted the president's support for the North American Free Trade Agreement, saying it would reap widespread benefits in the region."

The Associated Press followed up the next day noting that Hillary Clinton touted the fact that "the president would continue to support economic growth in South Texas through initiatives such as the North American Free Trade Agreement."

In her memoir, Clinton wrote, "Senator Dole was genuinely interested in health care reform but wanted to run for president in 1996. He couldn't hand incumbent Bill Clinton any more legislative victories, particularly after Bill's successes on the budget, the Brady bill and NAFTA."

Yes, we are all expected to just forget that, so that Hillary Clinton's campaign can manufacture supposed "outrage" that anyone would say she supported NAFTA - all at a time her chief strategist, Mark Penn, simultaneously heads a firm that is right now pushing to expand NAFTA into South America.

What a total insult to America's intelligence.


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Further Reading:

As of November 2007, Clinton's position has been that she will vote to expand NAFTA.

Obama's response to Clinton's claim that she had nothing to do with NAFTA...that she never supported the deal.

Details of Hillary's Public Support for NAFTA.... What She Said, and when she said it.


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Hillary On Record Supporting NAFTA


Hillary and NAFTA from Meet The Press