Senator Pushes 'Buy American' Logo In Tax Rebate

If you're planning on rushing out to Best Buy or Target to stimulate the economy and blow your tax rebate check this spring, Sen. Byron Dorgan is hoping you'll think twice.

Instead of spending the money on a TV made in Korea or clothing made in China, the North Dakota Democrat is pushing for taxpayers to use their rebate to buy American. In fact, Dorgan has offered an amendment to the Senate economic stimulus bill that would require millions of rebate checks to have the slogan "Support Our Economy - Buy American."

But The Crypt cornered Dorgan on Wednesday and asked how patriotic American taxpayers might actually carry out this populist message of buying stuff made in America, when virtually everything sold in retail stores these days is made outside the borders.

"You could get a list of manufacturers" and figure out where the goods are sold, Dorgan said, realizing that most folks who get their checks might not take the pains to cross reference manufacturers, retail outlets and the products.

"My hope would be to remind people not to continue to borrow money from China" to finance American debt, Dorgan said.

And then he came up with a better idea.

"The book I published would be a good start," he joked. "It's called 'Take this Job and Ship it.'"

The book details the exportation of American jobs, and Dorgan says his tome was definitely printed in America. Selling for Amazon at $10.17, that would leave the Dorgan fan club members with about $489 left in their rebate checks to find something else made in the USA.