Marathon Pundit: ILSen: Giannoulias flip flops on NAFTA

Tuesday, October 05, 2010

ILSen: Giannoulias flip flops on NAFTA

The North American Free Trade Agreement has been a boon to states such as Illinois with export-driven economies. Republican US Senate candidate Mark Kirk has always supported NAFTA. As for his Democratic opponent, Alexi Giannoulias...who knows?

From a Kirk campaign press release:

Giannoulias Flip-Flops on NAFTA

Giannoulias tells Chicago Tribune Editorial Board he does not favor reopening NAFTA

Campaign website says differently

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board yesterday, Alexi Giannoulias forgot that he supports renegotiating NAFTA, a move that would put thousands of Illinois jobs at risk. When asked directly by the Tribune Editorial Board whether he supported reopening NAFTA, Giannoulias answered: "No". Unfortunately, Giannoulias’ website says that as a Senator, Giannoulias would “renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement."

*** He Said It ***

Alexi Giannoulias at the Chicago Tribune yesterday (listen to the audio here):

Tribune Question: Do you want to reopen NAFTA or not?

Giannoulias Answer: Uh. No. I think based on what I've said - trade agreements going forward we want to make sure there are environmental standards.

Alexi Giannoulias' campaign website:

"Alexi believes that the U.S. government must aggressively negotiate trade agreements that strengthen America's economic security and respect America's labor and environmental standards.

Renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and other trade pacts, and ensure that future agreements learn from our past mistakes. American workers will never be able to compete with those who are paid a few dollars for a day's work. In the U.S. Senate, Alexi would push legislation that requires the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office to analyze the impact of NAFTA and other trade deals on American jobs, wages and business investment, and calls for the White House to give Congress a plan for renegotiating those pacts. Alexi would not support new trade agreements that fail to protect American workers and uphold strong environmental standards."