Hillary At Ohio GM Plant: McCain, Bush, Cheney Turn Backs On Blue Collar Workers

WARREN, Ohio (TDB) -- Hillary's knock on the Republicans: "They think America doesn't need to make anything anymore." She campaigned at the giant GM auto complex in Trumbull County today and ripped the Bush Administration over the loss of 3 million U.S. factory jobs. Ohio's share of the toll: Nearly 200,000. She said the GOP's likely nominee John McCain favors trade policies that will continue shipping American manufacturing jobs overseas to cheap labor nations.

"Let's be honest about something. When President Bush and Vice President Cheney say the economy is booming even though 3 million manufacturing jobs have been lost; when they promise to cut the Manufacturing Extension Partnership; when they cut assistance to small manufacturers; when Sen. McCain tells you business as usual on trade is just fine and tells neighboring Michigan workers that we can't bring new manufacturing jobs back to the United States -- they are sending you a clear message: They do not believe America needs a strong manufacturing base.

"They think America doesn't need to make anything anymore. They think those of us who remember how our manufacturers helped defend our freedoms in the great wars are just quaint and nostalgic. They think it would be just fine if every plane, every piece of machinery, every computer, every car were made somewhere else.

"Well let me be clear: I believe manufacturing matters. I believe we should be restoring the Manufacturing Extension Partnership -- not cutting it. I believe a strong America needs a strong manufacturing base -- and I intend to fight for one as president. Some may call this the 'rust belt' but that's not what I see. I see some of the hardest workers in the world. I see great universities and strong communites. I see a 21st century manufacturing belt. An innovation belt. An opportunity belt."

The complete text of her prepared remarks at the NE Ohio manufacturing complex is available here. Trade policy, globalization, NAFTA reform and the disappearance of Ohio's factories promise to to be recurring themes of both Obama and Clinton from now to March 4. Later today she's speaking about the foreclosure crisis. In Ohio, it's the economy, stupid.

OH-05 Dem Weirauch: Flawed Trade Policies Allowed Toxic Toys

TOLEDO (TDB) -- Democratic congressional candidate Robin Weirauch chose a crowded shopping area near a Toys R Store to denounce trade policies that have delivered "a lethal bill of goods" to U.S. stores and consumers. Weirauch spoke on Black Friday, the first day of the Christmas shopping season, and said too many imports -- including toys from cheap-labor Asian factories -- are shoddy, dangerous and have been made with toxic substances like lead. She said officials in Washington have either ignored the problem or looked the other way.

Weirauch wants consumer products safety to become a major issue and also urges families to shop for American-made goods whenever possible.

"Our manufacturing jobs have been shipped to places like China and India, and what do we get in return? Shoddy, unsafe toys that pose life-threatening consequences for our children. In fact, 80 percent of the toys bought in the United States are imported from China, and the vast majority of these toys are never being inspected."

Weirauch is trying to capture a traditional GOP seat in a conservative district. She faces Republican Bob Latta in a Dec. 11 special election to fill Ohio's vacant 5th Congressional District seat. It was held by Paul Gillmor, an entrenched and popular GOP veteran who died in a household accident last September. She pulled 43% of the vote against him in 2006. Weirauch has begun hammering on the trade issue across the NW Ohio district. The criticism plays well in Ohio, where more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs have been lost this decade. She contends trade agreements such as NAFTA have undercut the state's economic base while flooding U.S. markets with toxic goods.

"I know one thing for sure, when these products were made in America, we didn't have to worry about toxic toys. When our toys were made right here in Ohio, our kids were safe. Washington is broken, and the way this crisis has been handled is all the proof we need. Like Ohioans, I was absolutely stunned to learn that the Consumer Product Safety Commission has only one person testing toys being shipped to the U.S. Washington put a single person in charge of making sure that toxic toys never made it to the shelves . . ."