Alexander J. Madison – October 9, 2007
After watching the Michigan GOP debate on the economy tonight, it may be understandable why casual GOP viewers might think “gee, we have a host of good choices”. Each candidate gave mostly reasonable answers to mostly reasonable questions, with at least an attempt at tying it to conservative principles. (I exclude Ron Paul, simply because he was on another planet for the evening, talking about cutting and running from the war against the terrorists in each answer).
But there was one moment that was most poignant, and it was not Mitt and Rudy’s amusing tit for tat on the constitutionality of the line item veto. It was when Duncan Hunter, after telling the audience about the loss of 54,000 manufacturing jobs in Michigan, turned to Fred Thompson, John McCain and Sam Brownback and said:
“And I would say to my colleagues, Senator Thompson, and the other senators, you all voted for Most Favored Nation trading status for Communist China. That set the groundwork for 1.8 million high-paying, manufacturing jobs moving offshore. Going offshore and some of them never to return. And what I would do is pass the Hunter-Ryan bill which would put countervailing duties on the Chinese when they cheat. They are cheating on trade right now. I’d bring those jobs back home to the United States. And I would connect up the middle class of America with the Republican Party one more time.”
Hunter was direct, in command and thoroughly convinced of his position. Fred was given the chance to respond and muttered something about the importance of ‘free trade’ being necessary for the US to maintain our economic strength.
However, the transparency of Thompson’s position was undercut by his subsequent admission that China was practicing unfair trade by devaluing their currency, the yuan, and that he would try to work that out.
But Hunter has been so far ahead of the curve on this issue, like on so many other issues, that Thompson and company now complaining about China is hollow rhetoric. First, notice the use of the term “communist China”. Above all else, Hunter recognizes these Mao protégés in charge of China are still an adversary, not a ‘partner’. The aforementioned Senators not only voted to give this communist nation a more than generous ‘permanent’ trade deal, but they did so at a time when many of their contemptible, hostile acts were being exposed. Those acts included illegally funneling money to democrats, a case that Thompson investigated and decided to turn into an advertisement for Campaign Finance Reform. They also included unprecedented theft of nuclear and military secrets from our labs and defense contractors, threats to nuke Los Angeles over the Taiwan situation, propping up North Korea’s and Pakistan’s nuclear programs, and bribing US companies and politicians for satellite (meaning missile) launch technology. And while doing this, the US congress each year passed another ‘extension’ of the Most Favored Nation trading status that they first obtained in the early nineties. And each extension was dutifully voted on and approved by McCain, Thompson and friends, while Hunter vociferously objected to this suicide pact. Hunter would bring out the intel folks to testify, publicize the Pentagon’s reports on the Chinese military buildup, point out the loss of manufacturing technologies, etc; all to no avail. PNTR was passed in 2000, eliminating the debate and removing any carrot-stick approach to trade with the chicoms for good.
So in addition to signing on to a horrible trade deal when China’s malfeasance was widely understood, the WSJ free traders opened the floodgates for computers and telecommunications equipment and automobile parts and everything in between being off-shored to a slave wage communist hellhole, at the expense of US manufacturing. Just look at the shelves in Home Depot today compared to 15 years ago. Power tools – Made in China. Hand tools – Made in China. Ceiling fans – Made in China. Light bulbs – Made in China. Microwave ovens – Made in China. Iconic ‘American’ products such as Masterlock – Made in China. Vise Grips – Made in China. Stanley – Made in China. Skilsaw – Made in China. For crap’s sake, the Radio Flyer Little Red Wagon is Made in China. The list is nearly endless.
The kicker is that these products are not only made in China, but that we have surrendered our manufacturing secrets and prowess, built up over many decades by preceding generations of US workers, to an enemy that has a strategy to take us down. Technology transfer is part and parcel of doing business with the People’s Liberation Army. Now, when a new high tech product like the Apple i-Phone is designed, it immediately goes to China for manufacturing. If China surpasses the US in microelectronics manufacturing, nothing will stop them from leapfrogging the United States in military system development in the future. All of this was bought and paid for by the blood, sweat and labor of the American worker. It is one thing to have ‘free trade’ with our longtime allies such as Canada, Britain and the Aussies, which Hunter supports. It is quite another to structure such a trade agreement with an adversary.
Duncan Hunter has understood this for a very long time. He has been the most consistent adversary of kowtowing to the Chinese. Hunter rightly points out that his good friend, the late, great President Reagan – a big believer in trade amongst nations- never gave the USSR a ‘free trade’ agreement. China is the new USSR, and it is only slowly that the GOP is now recognizing this fact, due primarily to Hunter’s non-stop, tireless pronouncements on Chinese duplicity.
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In fact, Hunter has not only been ahead of the curve on China, he has been ahead of the curve on Reaganite Conservatism, period. And out of the gaggle of candidates vying for the mantle of the New Reagan, he is the only one that even comes close. As the Vets for Hunter spokesman said recently, he is “more of a Reaganite than Ronald Reagan”. While certainly a stretch to compare a congressman to the Gipper in this manner, only Hunter is in the same ballpark.
When it was time to act on Reagan’s commitment to get a Constitutional Amendment to overturn the Court’s decision to ban school prayer – Reagan turned to Duncan Hunter.
When it was time to strong arm the defense build-up through the US House of Representatives – Reagan turned to Duncan Hunter.
When it was time to convince very skeptical European allies of the necessity and feasibility of the Strategic Defense Initiative – Reagan turned to Duncan Hunter.
When the entire weight of the Iran-Contra ‘scandal’ was tumbling down on Oliver North and President Reagan – only Duncan Hunter went toe to toe with the media and democrats.
When it was time to protect Duarte’s fragile democracy in El Salvador – Reagan relied on Duncan Hunter.
When Reagan proposed his massive tax cuts – Duncan Hunter was standing by his side.
When it was time to arm the contras and bring the Sandinistas to their knees – Reagan relied on Duncan Hunter.
When Reagan had incoming flack for his ‘evil empire’ speech from all quarters – Duncan Hunter punched them even harder, earning a place on Pravda’s enemies list.
When it was time to blunt the USSR’s power play in Europe with Pershing missiles on allied soil – Reagan had no firmer ally than Duncan Hunter.
When it came to Reagan’s eloquent defense of the unborn – there was no stronger believer than Duncan Hunter.
When Reagan saw the cracks in the Soviet armor – Duncan Hunter pulled out his pry bar.
When the entire world media, the democrats and most republicans lambasted Reagan from walking away from Reykjavik without an arms deal – Only Duncan Hunter vigorously defended the President.
When it came to slashing programs in the Federal Budget – Reagan could always rely on Duncan Hunter.
When it came time for Reagan to fire the Air Traffic Controllers for their illegal strike – Duncan Hunter gave him a spirited defense.
When it came to Reagan’s strong support for the 2nd Amendment – Duncan Hunter even upped the ante.
When it came to the Border Patrol, Duncan Hunter convinced Reagan to add hundreds more agents.
One huge area of disagreement, of course, was when Reagan proposed the 1986 Amnesty for illegal aliens. Hunter did not buy into that debacle for one minute, despite some arm twisting on the part of the Administration. Reagan eventually realized his friend was right.
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When Duncan Hunter was campaigning for and with Ronald Reagan, Fred Thompson was supporting Howard Baker for the presidency in 1980. In fact, even after Reagan won the nomination, Thompson did not donate to his campaign. He did not donate to it in 1984 either. Fred did, however, subsequently donate to GHWB’s and John McCain’s efforts for the top job, even becoming McCain’s co-chairmen in 2000. But a search of the newspaper data bases and political contribution records show nothing in terms of support for Ronald Wilson Reagan.
When Hunter was standing shoulder to shoulder with Ronald Reagan defending the goals and righteousness of the Vietnam War, Ron Paul was babbling on about foolish foreign adventures and unconstitutional wars, sounding more like John Kerry than anything resembling the Gipper. In fact, sounding a lot like he does today.
When Duncan Hunter was dropping out of college to go fight the communist stooges in Vietnam, Thompson, Romney, Rudy and Tancredo had convenient ‘outs’ to keep them out of harm’s way.
When Hunter was writing legislation to prohibit the lifting of trade sanctions with communist Vietnam – until they gave us unfettered access to POW/MIA archives – John McCain and Fred Thompson voted to give them the golden carrot.
When Duncan Hunter moved to threaten all trade with China for their 2001 downing and subsequent hostage taking of our airmen, it fell on deaf ears in the Senate.
While Hunter has worked tirelessly to secure the border and enforce the internal laws regarding illegal aliens year after year, Huckabee was calling law and order republicans racists, Fred was busy voting NOT to cut off their welfare benefits, and Brownback and McCain were hard at work on an amnesty plan.
When Duncan Hunter was telling our citizens that we “are a great country because we are a good country” and that he will “never apologize for America”, McCain was fretting about the “message” Club Gitmo was sending to the world and working fastidiously to hamstring our interrogators, Huckabee was channeling Barrack Obama with his “Our prestige in the world has been marred” baloney, and Ron Paul was urging us to listen to Osama Bin Laden’s complaints.
While Hunter was supporting the NRA’s and the pro-life movement’s first amendment rights, McCain and Thompson and Brownback were shoving Campaign Finance Reform down America’s throat, while Mitt and Rudy cheered from the sidelines.
When Duncan Hunter was becoming a board member of the American Conservative Union, forming the Conservative Opportunity Society with Newt Gingrich, being selected as President of the American Security Council and becoming the most knowledgeable member of the Armed Services Committee, Sam Brownback was earning D’s from the Americans for Better Immigration, Huckabee was raising taxes and singing Bill Clinton’s praises in Arkansas, McCain was hopping in front of CNN cameras touting his Gang of 14 maverick status, Rudy was telling Tim Russert about the necessity of partial birth abortion, and Fred was joining the Senate’s ‘Centrist Coalition’ and scheming on campaign finance reform with Russ Feingold.
And when Hunter stood tall and fought valiantly against Clinton’s gun grabbing Crime Bill, Rudy Giuliani and Mitt Romney offered high praise for the so-called ‘assault weapons ban’.
As Hunter so aptly stated during a previous debate, “We need to move away from the Kennedy wing of the Republican Party”.
Truer words have never been spoken.
How to Think Too Much 