NPR: Obama, Clinton Call For Tougher China Trade Policy

Obama, Clinton Call For Tougher China Trade Policy

Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both called for tougher trade policy towards China, as they campaigned for steelworkers' votes in Pittsburgh, ahead of next week's Pennsylvania primary.

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton sounded remarkably similar as they promised to defend American manufacturing jobs. Both said they would try to stop China from manipulating its currency and putting U.S. workers at a disadvantage.

They also took some swipes at each other while addressing a gathering of steelworkers in Pittsburgh. Clinton has been criticizing Obama for saying at a California fundraising event that some US workers are bitter and clinging to guns and religion and anti-immigrant sentiment as a result.

"I don't think he really gets it that people are looking for a President that stands up for you and not looks down on you."

Most of the workers in the audience didn't seem to mind Obama's remarks. One woman cheered him on, saying "we are" bitter.

-- Scott Horsley

3:13 PM ET | 04-14-2008 | permalink

Comments

Well, Scott that was a nice way of avoiding the fact that HRC received audible GROANS for her remarks against Obama today. Nope, guess they didn't mind his... but they sure minded hers.

Sent by Nicole | 3:18 PM ET | 04-14-2008

I have just returned from a month in China. It is a shame the Senators could not have been with our group. What we learned about the Chinese leadership leads me to believe that no one, is going to push them in any direction. Sorry folks they have all the cards. The operative word in the article is try.

Sent by Don Schweitzer | 3:40 PM ET | 04-14-2008

I hope after the election hoopla is over, Obama will come to terms with a more open and nuanced view of our relations with China. US/China relations will be the defining foreign policy work for the next decade and beyond.

Sent by Alfred J. Fortin | 4:02 PM ET | 04-14-2008

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