Obama: "It's Hard to Tell Your Banker That He's Wrong"
MALVERN, PA. -- Barack Obama today said the Bush Administration does not have leverage to pressure China on human rights abuses in Tibet because of the flawed economic ties between the two countries.
"It's very hard to tell your banker that he's wrong, all right?," Obama told voters here. "And if we are running huge deficits and big national debts and we're borrowing money constantly from China, that gives us less leverage. It gives us less leverage to talk about human rights."
Although Obama said he encourages trade between the U.S. and China, he argued that the U.S. should challenge China's policy on Tibet and its support of the Sudanese government. "We have to take a stronger stance and it's got to be more consistent over time," Obama said.
He also argued that there are a host of problems with the U.S.-China trade relations, including copyright issues and currency devaluation, which should be addressed otherwise trade agreements would not be fair.
Obama refrained from outwardly criticizing Hillary Clinton but he was highly critical of John McCain's economic policies. He called McCain a "worthy opponent" but accused him of changing positions on Bush's tax cuts.
"I admired Sen. McCain when he stood up and said that the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans offended his conscience," Obama said. "But he got over that, and now he's all for them, and for continuing to do the same things that have taken us toward recession."
UPDATE, 6:48pm: Obama released this written statement: "If the Chinese do not take steps to help stop the genocide in Darfur and to respect the dignity, security, and human rights of the Tibetan people, then the President should boycott the opening ceremonies. As I have communicated in public and to the President, it is past time for China to respect the human rights of the Tibetan people, to allow foreign journalists and diplomats access to the region, and to engage the Dalai Lama in meaningful talks about the future of Tibet. I am also deeply concerned about China's failure to support efforts to halt the genocide in Darfur. Regarding the Beijing Olympics this summer, a boycott of the opening ceremonies should be firmly on the table, but this decision should be made closer to the Games."