Romney would be tough on China , he says

[alp227]

Source: Wash. Post

Republican Mitt Romney said Thursday that the United States was enduring “a trade surrender” and that if elected president, he would crack down on foreign importers who circumvent trade rules and take a tougher stance with China over intellectual property violations.

“If you cheat, there’s a huge advantage,” Romney said. “Fortunately in most of our lives, we find a way to stop the cheaters. . . we haven’t done that with regards to trade. China, in particular, has realized the extraordinary advantage to cheating.”

In remarks delivered at Microsoft’s corporate headquarters near Seattle, a major port city for trans-Pacific trade, Romney accused the Chinese of stealing U.S. designs, patents, know-how and technologies.

“I want to make sure that people we trade with follow the rules and if someone consistently cheats, I want to make sure they understand that can’t go on,” Romney said.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/romney-would-be-tough-on-china-he-says/2011/10/13/gIQANq1WiL_story.html

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HOWEVER, the article later quotes Romney: "Despite the fact that trade is good for us, over the last few years our nation has been asleep at the switch."

[midnight]

1. Who cares.... Sorry for such a crabby response, but blah blah blah....

"China, in particular, has realized the extraordinary advantage to cheating.” He must be thinking he is a better cheater than the Chinese and can beat them at the cheating game... Same old same old...

[Kennah]

2. It's true, they're paying their workers too much so now Americans can't afford Chinese crap

I'm a little confused over whether I should use the sarcasm tag at this point.

[TomCADem]

3. Yet, He Stands With John Boehner In Opposing Senate Anti-Currency Manipulation Bill

Did it take him only 24 hours to flip flop on this issue?

[Downwinder]

4. Remember Mitt, you are talking about your banker.

When your banker says jump ....

[No Elephants]

10. You'd think Mitt Gekko would know that from vast experience buying out companies,

firing everyone and selling off assets.

[TomCADem]

5. Romney dismisses Senate's China currency bill

Source: MSNBC

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney touted his plan to confront the Chinese government over currency manipulation and pirating of American products Thursday.

But he dismissed the currency bill passed by the Senate Wednesday as “political theater, one more occasion of deceiving the American people into thinking something is being done when nothing is being done.”

* * *

Megan Dubyak, a spokeswoman for Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, the principal sponsor of the currency bill, disputed Romney’s argument that the president already has the powers granted in the bill.

She said the president under current law does have the power to label countries as currency manipulators, but does not have the ability to penalize currency manipulation in the same way as he can penalize other subsidies used by foreign governments.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44893254/ns/politics/#.TpfBz94g-n4

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So, Romney tries to play to the American public by saying that he would tough on China, but he opposes the Senate Bill that was passed with mostly Democratic support, which proposes to do just that. Wow, Romney manages to flip flop in the space of two or three sentences. Is it a coincidence that the Republican controlled House is refusing to even present the bill for a vote?

So, despite his attempts to play the populist, Romney once again shows that he will ultimately come down on the side of the Chamber of Commerce on pretty much every issue.

[SoapBox]

6. Poor, Poor Flippy-Floppy Mittens.

...what a maroon.

[No Elephants]

11. There must be a graphic of a mitten flip flopping somewhere.

Hey!

Maybe Democrats could have some made and give them out at the Democratic National Convention like the Rethugs gave out flip flops and band-aids with purple hearts on them in 2004.

[applegrove]

7. Because, like all GOPers, Romney doesn't want to see any issue solved.

[PSPS]

8. Translation: China donates big to my secret super PAC, so they know I'm their guy.

[HowHeThinks]

9. Oh, Mitt...........

you'll do what they TELL you to do, and you know it. They own a great deal of this country, and probably a great deal of you as well.

All this tough talk coming from a guy who believes his magic underwear will protect him from harm. :eyes:

[WCGreen]

12. I hear he breaks dishes all the time...

So Mrs Romney has to say time and time again.

Mitt, would you quit being so hard on the China...

[Heywood J]

13. Apparently, he thinks he has a rough tongue.

After all, he'd be licking their boots pretty hard.

[applegrove]

14. So why did he come out against the democrats proposal yesterday?