The last debate (ABC) between Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) and Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) before the April 22 primary in Pennsylvania ventured briefly into foreign policy, with an emphasis on the Middle East. On Iraq, Clinton confirmed plans to begin withdrawing U.S. troops within sixty days of taking office. Read more »
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) released an economic plan Tuesday that included cuts in “wasteful spending” in defense programs. McCain also said the United States should “engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global playing field and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.”
“I propose that the federal government suspend all taxes on gasoline now paid by the
American people — from Memorial Day to Labor Day of this year. The effect will be an immediate economic stimulus — taking a few dollars off the price of a tank of gas every time a family, a farmer, or trucker stops to fill up. Over the same period, our government should suspend the purchase of oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which has also contributed to the rising price of oil. This measure, combined with the summer-long ‘gas-tax holiday,’ will bring a timely reduction in the price of gasoline. And because the cost of gas affects the price of food, packaging, and just about everything else, these immediate steps will help to spread relief across the American economy.”
Nearly one week before the Pennsylvania primaries, which have featured economic and globalization issues, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) Monday detailed her plan for “stepped up enforcement of trade laws.” Her plan includes numerous measures to crack down on what she called China’s “unfair trade practices.”
“It took the Bush administration seven years and more than 3 million lost manufacturing jobs to finally permit U.S. anti-subsidy laws to be applied on imports from China. But that decision could be revoked at any time. We know we can’t rely on the whims of the Bush administration to support U.S. manufacturers. That’s why I’m calling for changing our laws to send China and other non-market economies a simple message: ‘If you subsidize your exports and hurt our manufacturers, you’ll pay the price.’”
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) and Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) both discussed some of their foreign policy views as they relate to religion Sunday night in separate appearances on CNN’s Compassion Forum. Clinton said U.S. policy toward China has been “incoherent” and reiterated her call to President Bush to boycott the Olympic opening ceremony. She also said as president she would attempt to “rebuild America’s moral authority and demonstrate our commitment to compassionate humanitarianism.”
Barack Obama’s campaign said Thursday that he does not approve (ABC News) of former President Jimmy Carter’s decision to meet with Hamas officials. “Senator Obama does not agree with President Carter’s decision to go forward with this meeting because he does not support negotiations with Hamas until they renounce terrorism, recognize Israel’s right to exist and abide by past agreements,” Obama’s campaign said. “As president, Obama will negotiate directly with the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas.”
“If Chinese policies and practices do not change, I would not attend the opening ceremonies. It does no service to the Chinese government, and certainly no service to the people of China, for the United States and other democracies to pretend that the suppression of rights in China does not concern us. It does, will and must concern us.”
Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) said President Bush should keep the option of boycotting the opening ceremony of the Olympics “firmly on the table.” He said President Bush should decide to attend based on whether China takes “steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security, and human rights of the Tibetan people.”
In response to the CFR.org Online Debate, “Should the Next U.S. President Adopt a Tougher Stance on Trade Policy with China?,” reader Nicholas T. Dahlheim writes:
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