Wall Street Journal calls out Obama on Free Trade
Posted by Chris Connolly on 10.18.2008
Basically says he's lying through his teeth on Columbia...
If you watched the debate this week, you probably heard Barack Obama explaining his reluctance to support the Columbian Free Trade Agreement was due to violence against union workers there. Well, in what has become a running theme in this campaign, Obama's claim has no basis in fact.
In Wednesday night's debate with John McCain, Barack Obama defended his opposition to the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement this way: "The history in Colombia right now is that labor leaders have been targeted for assassination, on a fairly consistent basis, and there have not been any prosecutions." Among the many falsehoods in this Presidential campaign, this is one of the worst.
It is true that Colombia has a history of violence. But since President Álvaro Uribe took office in 2002, that violence has been substantially reduced. The homicide rate through the end of 2007 was down by 40.4% and the rate among union members was down almost 87%. There is nothing "consistent" about a drop to 26 union member murders in 2007 from 155 in 2000.
As for prosecutions: In union-member killings, there were zero convictions from 1991-2000 and one in 2001. But from 2002-2007, there were 80. According to the Colombian attorney general's office, 29% of those murders were "found to have been results of theft, petty crime and random violence unrelated to union activity." Mr. Uribe has nonetheless created a special investigative unit for crimes against union members, and he expanded a special government protection program for unions.
What Obama said this week has no basis in reality and he knows it. In order to kiss the asses of his thug union friends, he tried to throw one of our best allies under the bus by repeating allegations that have been refuted time after time. Right now Uribe and Columbia are locked in a struggle to finally end the FARC reign of terror in that nation. With Hugo Chavez funneling weapons, money and training to FARC, Columbia needs all the help we can give them, especially an economic agreement that gives them easier access to our products.
When a nation is transitioning from a lawless, chaotic mess into a stable democracy, it needs friends who are willing to help them develop their economic and legal systems. What it doesn't need is someone blatantly lying about them and obstructing their progress in order to score political points with their union and Code Pink friends.
I am not sure where to start. The Walt Street Journal may be a reputable Newspaper in the USA, but has little clue about what really goes on in my country of birth. The official statement from the Colombian government is that all syndicate leathers who have been killed in Colombia had nothing to do with power groups trying to silence the labor movement in Colombia. The true is that in my country, labor leaders have and will always be target by the few elite families in Colombia. Sorry WSJ, you really need to get your facts from Colombian Journalist and not the government.
Journalist in Colombia are still trying to keep the people inform of what it is really going on in the country, and they have all the evidence to probe it.
Posted By: Colombian (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 03:29 AM
So if 26 Union leaders are killed each year, that's like virtually nothing?
Gimme a break.
And no one got convicted? In a corrupt government legal system? Wow, I'm surprised.
Kinda reaching CC. I appreciate you trying to point out one minor thing that Obama said that wasn't 100% factual, but why haven't you pointed out EVERYTHING McCain said that wasn't factual...
Starting with Sarah Palin being qualified to be President. Or heck, even the idea that we've gotten to know her... I mean Joe the Plumber has done more interviews. We know more about JOE than we do Sarah.
Posted By: POPs (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 03:35 AM
When he is elected, I bet you are going to grab your ball and take your rollie-pollie arse home, right?
Obama/Biden '08!
Posted By: David (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 04:13 AM
So 26 people die & it's nothing for us to worry about?
Posted By: Sane (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 05:11 AM
"With Hugo Chavez funneling weapons, money and training to FARC, Columbia needs all the help we can give them, especially an economic agreement that gives them easier access to our products."
I completely support a trade agreement with South Carolina.
Posted By: Tex (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 07:52 AM
I could tell this was a Chris Connolly article just by the title. The fact that you use phrases like "no basis in reality" is to me the epitome of irony.
Posted By: JO (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 08:53 AM
Oh yes. Columbia is a utopian society. Another great article. And in no way a steaming pile of crap on your part.
Posted By: BK (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 09:16 AM
Wow, only less than a 1/3 were random crimes and had nothing to do with the union. That's just over half of half of the murders! The murders are up this year, as it is already 26 with two and a third months left to go in the year. The most union activists killed in any country this year. How many does it take to cause a chilling effect?
Well, in the 2000 - 2003 time frame 26 Americans were kidnapped for ransom in Colombia (according to the State Department). That was 26 total over 3 years. I remember hearing about the horrible problem with that, do you? Hmm, if I was going to South America, would I go to Colombia... Keep in mind, that the State Department also estimates that there 30,000 Americans in Colombia on any given day.
In addition, we are certainly not doing anything to help Colombia. The $5 billion in aid (mostly military) since 2000 has all been sent in Pokemon cards, I assume. Free trade agreements are great when they are well-designed and provide benefits to both parties. Obama is a believer in worker protection, and he's not alone in that. Sometimes, you postpone an agreement until you have the things that are important in place. At least, you examine it, and see if it is doable.
According to the State Department: "U.S. policy toward Colombia supports the Colombian Government's efforts to strengthen its democratic institutions, promote respect for human rights and the rule of law, intensify counter-narcotics efforts, foster socioeconomic development, address immediate humanitarian needs, and end the threats to democracy posed by narcotics trafficking and terrorism. Promoting security, stability, and prosperity in Colombia will continue as long-term American interests in the region." Socioeconomic development and humanitarian needs. Sounds like ensuring workers' safety is in the spirit of our Colombian mission.
Anywho, another Cracker Jack report... please seriously think about not opening the box next time, Chris.
Posted By: Matt in Omaha (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 10:15 AM
How about that ULTRA-RECORD-SHATTERING 150 MILLION DOLLARS our President-to-be raised in september!?
McLame with 84 million for Sept/Oct and Obama with 150 million just for september.... Sounds GREAT to me!
Posted By: Guest#8210 (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 10:16 AM
Now this is what I like to see. A Republican or at least a GOP supporter using reasoned arguments and not resorting to name calling and slander.
However, I find it tenuous at best to suggest that Colombia is a vitally important US ally. If Colombia needs help, they should formally request assistance from the UN instead of negotiating economic deals with the US for coffee cups and cheap laptops. It's difficult to see how one Free Trade Agreement is all that stands in the way of the final demise of the vicious FARC terrorists.
Although Obama erred in not giving the Colombian government more credit for reducing government, the fact remains that 26 assassinations in a year is still a huge matter of concern. I also don't see how an FTA helps in developing Colomnia's legal, judicial and security issues.
Ultimately however, this would be important and relevant if John McCain uses it as a focal point of his campaign. Since he seems to spend most of his time using slanderous robocalls on voters as well as the same tired lies that Obama will raise more taxes than he does, it suggests he doesn't really give a damn about Colombia either. So why should Barack?
Posted By: Finn (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 10:50 AM
wow, typical conservative viewpoint...ignore reality.....the bottomline is Connolly, that these Union death squads are REAL, they stamp out any form of dissent whatsoever....of course you would know this if you had just managed to do your own research, like smart competent people....
Posted By: Guest#7035 (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Finally, a substantive point! Kudos, Connolly. Whether ye agree with this or not, ye masses, I for one am thrilled to see an attack on Obama that has to do with something that isn't a lie or mischaracterization. Thrilled.
More debate like this plz.
Posted By: Andrew Tobolowsky (Registered) on October 19, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Sane, the point is the Columbian government has in the past 6 years worked their ass off to stop the violence down there. Of course people being killed is something to be concerned about, but for Obama to outright lie about what is happening there is complete bullshit.
Posted By: Chris Connolly (Registered) on October 19, 2008 at 11:12 AM
It is nice to see someone on 411 who is willing to see Obama for the Marxist scumbag that he is. And for seeing him as someone who will lie and throw anyone under the bus just to get ahead. To see so many idiots following Obama like a herd of sheep is a sad sight to see, but it shows how stupid or ignorant someone can be when they are willing to follow a Socialist who will run America into a depression. If you think the economy is bad now, then wait until the "Messiah" gets elected.
This fool (Obama) wants to redistribute the wealth of those who make $250k or more per year. That is NOT "rich" people. To someone who makes $25k per year, $75k might be "rich" to them, so keep that in mind. Also, raising the taxes on those who make $250k+, which includes small businesses (those who employ at least 10 people, law offices, doctors offices, etc.), they would have to reduce the hours of their employees or lay people off. Those are the people who actually make decent wages and those who keep their jobs the longest. One other thing to keep in mind is that small businesses such as those are the ones who HIRE people and retain them, not fire them en masse like the major corporations.
If you people elect that Socialist Obama, America will suffer. Socialism does not work. We are a republic for a reason and we are only in the financial mess we are in due to greedy people on Wall Street and the Democrats in Congress (Barney Frank, Pelosi) and the Senate (Reid, Obama in 2005) who did not want to do anything in 2003 and 2005 to stop Fannie and Freddy from going down in flames and needing to be bailed out.
Posted By: Ladynaye (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 11:39 AM
Are you going to write an article about General Colin Powell. Oh wait, he threw your man under the bus. You'll probably call a GENERAL of the United States Army a terrorist....right?
HAHAHAHHAHA
C'mon, man up, or are you a pansy?
Posted By: David (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 11:46 AM
C'mon Chris...you can't go calling the Obama campaign out on every single one of its nitpicky lies...you need to eat and sleep every now and then.
Posted By: Jim C (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 12:02 PM
Only one union member killed every two weeks? And one conviction for roughly every five murders? I think we have a new world model!
Posted By: Bisch (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 02:15 PM
Ladynaye - 98% of small businesses make less than $250k a year. Their taxes will not get raised one single dime, so your argument fails.
I also find it ironic that Republicans continue to bleat about the dangers of socialism when their vaunted economic model of no regulation has led to the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Every Republican President since Reagan has plunged this country into a massive trade deficit and increased the national debt. Those are the facts. Socialism does not work? Maybe, maybe not. But the Republican economic policies of the last eight years sure as hell don't work.
Posted By: Finn (Guest) on October 19, 2008 at 06:01 PM
STAY CURRENT