Still looking for a message that resonates, Mitt Romney has taken a greater interest in China in recent days, including a new attack ad that blames President Obama for the growth in Chinese manufacturing capacity. As Jamelle Bouie noted, "[T]here's an obvious problem with this line of attack; it's completely false."
That's right, but there are less-obvious problems, too. The Boston Globe reported over the weekend, for example, that Romney invested in Chinese manufacturing companies, at least one of which was surrounded by barbed wire and guard towers, and packed with 12 women per dormitory room.
China's official Xinhua news agency published a strongly worded English-language commentary on Friday, noting in reference to Romney, "It is rather ironic that a considerable portion of this China-battering politician's wealth was actually obtained by doing business with Chinese companies before he entered politics."
The Obama campaign has even launched a counter-offensive, releasing this ad. For those who can't watch clips online, the voice-over tells viewers, "Mitt Romney? Tough on China? Romney's companies were called pioneers in shipping U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas. He invested in firms that specialized in relocating jobs to low wage countries like China. Even today part of Romney's fortune is invested in China. Romney's never stood up to China. All he's done is send them our jobs."
And it's against this backdrop that the White House will push back again against China at the WTO today, demanding that China stop subsidizing auto parts made for export.
I suspect the Romney campaign will say the move is only motivated by campaign considerations, but it's worth emphasizing that the Obama administration has been aggressive on this front for a long while.
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Actually, more US jobs have been lost to automation nd technology than to China. Note the increase in US worker productivity; it is the result of the savings in man hours that automation has created.
The headline should be that Willard champions economic slavery in China. I'm not sure that the U.S. would be doing business with the Chinese if the Chinese were paid a living wage. I am not particularly surprised about this article, based on Willard's business stripping tactics in the US. I am surprised that Willard attempted last week to make China the bad guy, and was told off by China about it. It was an obvious feint. Willard is shaking the etch a sketch, but the picture of his foreign policy does not change......
Like Don Q Willard seems to spend most of his time (instead of formulating a policy about ANYTHING) jousting into the wind, which is needed however to fill a "Empty Suit" which I'm afraid is HE!!!
Had to start laughing about what Romney wears to bed. For people to think about that one is like ackkkk my stomach my stomach. Geesh for what Romney represents for America, pleaseeeeeeee give me a break. That was just too good.
Hey Rach if you want to find out how the Arab world views us you need to talk to the REAL people (not those who are trotted out to the media when allowed) but those on the ground away from the protests. I spent 11 years in Saudi Arabia working and found thru many one on one conversations with male and FEMALE Saudi's(has you know this is nearly unheard of). I found to my surprise that they WERE just like you and me! Same problems, aspirations(for freedom to make their own decisions) and wishes to be back in the US(most were trained there), where they had most of these freedoms. What they hate most about our policies is the new restrictions on visa's that limit their travel to the US!!
Imagine if you will, the fish are running and there is a hole in the bottom of your boat.
Democrat-patches the hole then goes fishing
Republican-buys a large blige pump and goes fishing in the leaky boat.
The stink of desperation from the Romney campaign is palpable.
Jeez, R-Money's campaign is being run by a bunch of fools! They're going to bring up China? You mean that country that Bain outsourced thousands of American jobs to?
R-Money's poor strategy and poor judgement in hiring his campaign staff alone should disqualify him from being president!
Barbed-wire enclosed dormitories with 12 women to a room is not just low wage, it's also slavery.
We want machines/robots to do our work so that we can then have our unemployed starve under a bridge.
We need 40 million "jobs" in this country,, more with the coming "sequester". Oh well, if only the gov could print money, we could pay people to go to college,,,.
Creating 40 million jobs means first creating a new technology.
In 1900 roads were built with mules and men and shovels.
Today it one guy with a backhoe and four to watch.
Doesn't "new" technology often imply replaceing "old" technology, and those jobs? The newer technology I see on a day to day basis are the automated cashier machines at Lowes, King Soopers, etc,, how many net jobs did they create/slash?
Make the best of the welfare state, pay people to go to college, more at home nurseing caregivers, more teachers, police,,,,. Print money make jobs. No more taxes, print money.
He should watch what he says about China, they're liable to ship his outsourced jobs back to him.
Interesting. No wonder Romney's CURRENT tax return hasn't been released. It might speak volumes regarding his China interests thus exposing to new heights his runaway hypocrisy.
I love the fact that Romney and the GOP keep blasting Russia and China for everything getting them even more upset. This is why I fear Romney. He has already upset these countries to the point that what will happen if he gets elected and goes after our "number one geo political foe" and attacking with force China for trade manipulation? Time to pay up. It will be interesting to see how this country reacts when we enter WW3 as Romney hints he would be glad to do and we are forced to pay up on 10% of the countries debt. All while decreasing taxes and not paying for them. Try explaining how that is good for the country.
There is another huge problem with Romney blaming Obama for China's manufacturing growth that really needs to be held up to the light and then beaten with a stick -- it is a simple matter that Republican policies help China beat us in manufacturing.
It isn't that there is no penalty for investing or outsourcing jobs abroad. That is the obvious issue. But also every time Romney and his ilk try to kill the wind energy production tax credit, they make it easier for China to dominate the wind energy component business because China is where the market it, China is where the money to innovate and the support for the business is. Every time Romney and the Republicans run a Solyndra-bashing ad, they make it harder for solar technologies to get the support they need here and push the new development of solar technologies for the mass market to China (and in 10 years, we'll run up a trade imbalance buying those products back from China). Romney's desire to "let Detroit go bankrupt" helps limit our manufacturing capacity while making it easier for China to use government money to buy its way into the auto manufacturing business.
This is not just a matter of Romney's personal and business decisions. This is a fundamental policy difference between the parties, and the Republicans have huge culpability -- they have almost been in collusion with China -- in making sure various manufacturing sectors find more favor there than here. They need to be called out on it.
One word… GOME
It could become the cheer for Rmoney- Go me, go, me, go, me! It's so clear that is why Rmoney is running for President. Instead of chanting Go USA, he holds his fist up to China and Russia and chanting Go Me. IOKIYARmoney Everybody now, Go Me!
RW should love it on the self level, but GOME was Rmnoney's Chinese Electronics Manufacturing Investment that's being sued for pirating from Microsoft. Now that just speaks volumes to anyone who would first listen and not knee jerk defend Rmoney and offshoring jobs.
As an electronics assembler one could make a decent living here doing that job, perhaps a 2 income household. I did it in the mid 70's.
Also, agreed about killing wind and solar, let Detroit go bankrupt to allow other countries to beat US to manufacture ours here.
Love the one photo during the spot; Rmoney is doing a Bush-face. Priceless reminder material, although some *Amercians actually pine for such things!
Funny you mention Romney's face in the picture. I was thinking he looks a lot like Will Ferrell there.
I think he kinda looks like FDR..?...
Russia and China are both skewering Mitt and he's not elected yet.
Mitt skewered himself. He went after China and Russia first. Not the other way around. He brought this on himself.
And he's done it in order to court the extreme wing of his party, who would love to just isolate us from the entire world and don't care how we do it. Hard to tell who the bigger fools are here - the Tea Party or the Romney campaign.
"Mitt Romney? Tough on China? Romney's companies were called pioneers in shipping U.S. manufacturing jobs overseas. He invested in firms that specialized in relocating jobs to low wage countries like China. Even today part of Romney's fortune is invested in China. Romney's never stood up to China. All he's done is send them our jobs."
That's a pretty funny line. So did every American who ever bought an Apple product or a computer of any kind to say nothing of a big screen tv or automobile.
Folks ought to read up on trade policies and such. Here's a start under Benen's article you're commenting about. Please click the underlined words below and maybe search on your own about China will not export minerals required for manufacturing those tv's and iPhones, etc.
" it's worth emphasizing that the Obama administration has been aggressive on this front for a long while."
http://www.ustr.gov/about-us/press-office/press-releases/2012/july/obama-administration-challenges-chinas-unfair-duties-american-made-cars
Mother Jones caught Woolard talking to his rich greedy supporters!!!
http://www.motherjones.com/
After seeing the FACTS and listening to what Woolard really thinks there can be no doubt that Woolard and his corporate rich aholess. If your not a corporate your as good as dead.
Mitt talks a big game about trade with China, but has no problem shipping Americas jobs over there .While he goes around talking bad about middle class Americans.
Willard M. Romney lambastes the PRC for cheating America. He's just stepped in it! Now he has to explain how he's not cheating America by coming forth with all of his tax records!!
Willard M. Romney lambastes the PRC of cheating America (economically). In doing so, he's just stepped in it DEEP! Now, he HAS to be forth-coming with America and explain how he's not cheating us by releasing his tax records!
was watching Romney's new "all the jobs shipped to China during Obama" ad her in "battleground" Nevada and my first respone was "do you REALLY want to GO THERE, Mitt?"
this is the guy who's firm Bain capital was a PIONEER in OUTSOURCING. I think that ad just opens up THAT "can of worms" for Romney once again.
I don't think people will forget all this stuff between now and November.