Bush: "Now Is Not The Time" To Nix NAFTA

Meeting With Leaders From Mexico And Canada, U.S. President Makes Push For Trade

(AP)  President Bush, replying to criticism from Democratic presidential candidates, said Tuesday that "now is not the time to renegotiate ... or walk away from" the North American Free Trade Agreement. He also denied the U.S. was in a recession, calling it a slowdown instead.

Mr. Bush also used a joint news conference with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper to renew his call for Congress to pass a free-trade pact with Colombia. He said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's refusal to schedule a vote could effectively kill it this year.

"It makes no sense to me to say that Colombian goods can come into our country duty-free, yet our goods can't go into Colombia duty-free," Mr. Bush said sternly. "And yet that's the case. An agreement with Colombia would level the playing field."

Asked about the state of the U.S. economy, Mr. Bush said: "We're not in a recession. We are in a slowdown."

"I'm obviously concerned for our consumers," the president said. He was asked whether the rising cost for gasoline will erode the potential positive impact of the $168 billion economic stimulus package passed by Congress, but did not specifically answer.

"No question that rising gasoline prices are like a tax on our working people," Mr. Bush said.

Some of Mr. Bush's strongest words came in defending NAFTA, which took effect in 1994.

The three-way trade pact has been criticized by both Democratic Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, who have promised to try to renegotiate the agreement if elected president. Mr. Bush's comments came on the day of the critical Pennsylvania primary, in which trade — and the loss of manufacturing jobs in the United States — has been a top issue.

"Now is not the time to renegotiate NAFTA or walk away from NAFTA," Mr. Bush said. "Now is the time to make it work better for all our people, and now is the time to reduce trade barriers worldwide."

Mr. Bush was asked if he thought he was losing the free-trade debate in the court of public opinion because of the strong opposition to NAFTA from the two Democratic rivals.

"My biggest concern on trade is with Colombia. NAFTA exists," Mr. Bush said, saying the pact was mutually beneficial to the United States as well both of its North American neighbors.

Both Calderon and Harper echoed Mr. Bush's comments on standing by the agreement and not reopening it.

"We agreed that this is not the time to even think about amending it or canceling it. This is the time to strengthen and reinvigorate it," the Mexican president said.

"Jobs have grown in all three" countries as a result of NAFTA, Calderon said. "The benefits are visible."

Calderon said he was respectful of the domestic politics of the United States and that "it is not my role" to talk to any of the presidential candidates about NAFTA. But he made clear that he wants Clinton and Obama to keep their hands off NAFTA.

"To talk about taking a step backwards in terms of free trade, in the case of Mexico, would effectively provoke considerable damage on the economy," Calderon said. Further, he said, that "It would be a sudden loss of economic opportunities that would even lead to even greater migratory pressure against the United States."

Harper said NAFTA was "important for jobs and posterity on both sides of the border."

He said it would be a mistake to renegotiate the agreement, but that Canada would be willing to take part in revisiting the agreement if the other partners insisted.

The Canadian president also said the pact and other economic agreements help to keep energy flowing smoothly. "Canada is the biggest and most stable supplier of energy in the world," he said.

On the pending Colombian trade pact, Mr. Bush singled out Pelosi, saying if she doesn't schedule a vote on Colombia, she will have killed it.

"She's going to have to explain why the voices of false populism have been strengthened," Mr. Bush said, referring to leftist Latin American leaders like Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez.

Layoffs in U.S. manufacturing and the current economic slowdown have made NAFTA and other free-trade deals the subject of intense criticism in the Democratic-led Congress. Both Obama and Clinton want to renegotiate it to add labor and environmental protections.

"I'm concerned about protectionism in America. It is not in our interest to become a projectionist nation," Mr. Bush said.

Earlier, Mr. Bush shared green onion omelets, grits and sides of Canadian bacon with the neighboring leaders on the last day of a summit showing solidarity on cross-border trade.

They ate the family style breakfast at Dooky Chase's Restaurant which was flooded by four feet of water during Hurricane Katrina. The establishment, a gathering place for black musicians and politicians in the 1960s, is owned by Leah Chase, known as the "Queen of Creole Cuisine."

nafta should be called "shafta"

[dog7771]

YES, IT IS TIME, FOR A LOT OF CHANGES. THE STINKY DIAPER OF THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION WILL BE THE FIRST CHANGE.

[libh8er]

"Now Is Not The Time" To Nix NAFTA"

Now Is Not The Time to build a border fence
Now Is Not The Time to crack down on illegal immigration
Now Is Not The Time to declare war on gang violence

"W", just as your dad was before you, you are a waste!!!!!

[factsearcher]

Bush said this is not the time to change NAFTA...
On the contrary, if inmmigration rules are to be changed...NAFTA is directly co-related with Inmmigration Laws and must be modified as well.
If we are looking ahead, (sometimes I wonder), this is the time to enhance our outdated laws of trade to benefit US first and foremost.

[slim1h2o]

I''m concerned about protectionism in America. It is not in our interest to become a projectionist nation," Mr. Bush said.

I can only assume that statement is a type-o. But knowing Bushits propensity for mucking his speeches, he may have actually said that.

So, with that,,I guess he is more worried about showing movies? LOL

What a goof this Bushit is!

[wwudiver]

Well, why would the free and open America media want me to believe that? Don''t they make more selling me papers that tell the truth?

[corey2444]

If all of you are right, pn both sides, do you expect me to believe that Paris Hilton is more imprtant than our industry? Surely, you joke. No rational American would believe that.

Posted by wwudiver at 02:49 AM : Apr 23, 2008

Im finding it hard to believe you actually read word for word my prior post.

I never said Paris Hilton is more important, but the media wants you to think so.

[wwudiver]

If all of you are right, pn both sides, do you expect me to believe that Paris Hilton is more imprtant than our industry? Surely, you joke. No rational American would believe that.

[wwudiver]

Well, if it is corporate big wigs in charge, why do we put up with it, please spell it out in explicit detail for me.

[wwudiver]

Ok, this should be simple. What administration passed nafta,who benefits and what administration is currently enforcing it?

Is it a little strange to you that a policy that seems to anger people on both party lines passes without question and remains without objection it is continued.

Perhaps, they are in business with the same people and service to their own is not of their value set.

I don''t know, tel me that I am wrong and use factual information. If you are correct, I will agee with you.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by donbl1

If you only see the numbers, while ignoring the human cost, that is just pro-NAFTA demagoguery.

If you and nine homeless people are in a room, and Warren Buffet walks in, at that moment you all are on average billionaires, but does this statistic put one extra meal on your table?

Unless you mug Buffet, it doesn''t.

[brianbwb-2009]

Posted by corey2444

Irrelevant, untrue, and off topic. Read and comment on the story, if you must move your lips while you read, it is allowed, just try to understand and keep on topic.

[brianbwb-2009]

"I''m concerned about protectionism in America. It is not in our interest to become a projectionist nation," Mr. Bush said."

Regardless of what Mr. Bush thinks, it is clear that the US is not able to maintain the standard of living that generations fought and struggled for, if its business structure is allowed to exploit slave labor.

The only way NAFTA can be of benefit to workers is if a standard wage floor is established, which allows workers in member countries to afford at least humane shelter, clothing, health care, transportation, education, and communication. Until it does, it does none of the member countries'' workers any good to participate, as it only re-codifies slavery.

[brianbwb-2009]

"She''s going to have to explain why the voices of false populism have been strengthened," Mr. Bush said, referring to leftist Latin American leaders like Venezuela''s President Hugo Chavez."

Which will be an easy explanation, the people are fed up with neocon corruption, and its attendants, racism and elitism.

[lucasnico]

price of gas at the end of Bush''s first term:

$1.75 a gallon

[formrusmcsgt]

He was asked whether the rising cost for gasoline will erode the potential positive impact of the $168 billion economic stimulus package passed by Congress, but did not specifically answer.
----
Probably better than another bone-headed lie......

[rwm2_2000]

Bush and his cronies want to put the US in a Economic depression so they can buy up everything and destroy the middle class. Nafta (by the Democrats) and Cafta (by the Republicans) are nothing but tools to implement the North American Union. Check our infowars.com w/Alex Jones.

[donbl1]

If you net out the energy shipments from Canada and Mexico, the balance of trade with Canada and Mexico have only deteriorated $3.9B since 2000.

That is nothing.

Knocking NAFTA is demagoguery.

China, however, is a different issue.

[liberalme]

Bush doesn''t (never did) give a RA WHAT is either good for this country or what we need or want.
He is a spiteful evil POS who, when he know''s whats right, he will do just the opposite! That''s power man!!!

How anyone, in their right mind can have any respect for this evil child is beyond me!

[mcvet]

Now is the time to trash NAFTA and trash the Republican Party.. BOTH have failed and failed badly!! Sieg Heil Bush