GlassBooth

"Look, globalization is the answer. It’s not something to be feared, it’s something to be exploited. Ninety-five percent of the world’s customers are outside of the United States of America. So getting access to those markets through free trade agreements, and expanded trade, and adequate measures for full protection of intellectual property – I understand that China violates people’s intellectual property rights all the time, and I’ll take them to the WTO. I’ll put pressure on them to stop it. But, I’ll tell you – a developed Chinese economy, where they want their intellectual property rights respected, is probably one of the best ways to encourage them to respect intellectual property rights. You’ll never find anyone who comes on this blog that is more of a free-trader than I am, and I think the lessons of history are that if we resort to protectionism, as we did prior to World War II, and other times in America’s history, we pay a very hefty price for it. And I’m worried, frankly, about the rise of protectionism in America."

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"Free trade is a powerful tool for opening up closed societies, if leaders in the greater Middle East are willing to make necessary and overdue political and economic reforms. It's past time for nations of the Middle East to join the global economy, and for rulers to lead increasingly restive populations in the direction of democracy and free markets."

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"I don't believe in walls. I believe in freedom. If I were President, I would negotiate a free trade agreement with almost any country willing to negotiate fairly with us. Only risks to the security of our vital interests or egregious offenses to our most cherished political values should disqualify a nation from entering into a free trade agreement with us."

Speech to National Press Club, 5/20/99 May 20, 1999

"Yes, many American families will suffer from the inevitable dislocations caused by the imperatives of a global economy. But the answer to their suffering cannot be the adoption of policies that will sustain one industry by tariff or subsidy. Embracing protectionism here to retaliate for it elsewhere is akin to a murder-suicide pact."

Speech to National Press Club, 5/20/99 May 20, 1999

"While the effects of NAFTA are being closely monitored by supporters and critics of that pact alike, it has become clear that NAFTA represents an important component of our international economic policy, contributing to the creation of 300,000 new American jobs since its passage. It will likely be several more years before its full impact can be determined."

Senate Statement, Drug Free Borders, March 18, 1999

Q: One of the first things the Democrats are going to do is pass a bill to increase the minimum wage. Do you support that? A: If there are some protections for small business. It's a fact that small business has to be able to sustain an increase in payroll and we should be able to sit down and work that out.

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Q: But why have you been against the minimum wage? A: Even on people as low as $42,000. I'm for the minimum wage increases when they are not attached to other big-spending pork barrel. The practice in Washington is attach a good thing to a bad thing. And that way, then you have to vote yes or no. Q: So, you would have been for alone, after the increases in the minimum wage, even though you voted against it, I said 17, it was actually 19 times? A: Well, or 29 or 49, whatever it is. The fact is that I am for a living wage for all Americans. And I'd like to see them get it. But the key is to get them jobs, and get them the kind of good educational opportunity and affordable health care.

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"The American farmer is the most productive and efficient farmer in the world. He or she can compete anywhere in the world as long as we open the markets to those products. Isolationism and protectionism doesn't work. We should not subsidize ethanol or sugar or any other crop, because then that hurts the American consumer. But I will lower the barriers to products coming into the US in return for any nation that will lower their barriers to US products."

Republican debate in West Columbia, South Carolina

"The U.S. shares common interests with China that can form the basis of a strong partnership on issues of global concern, including climate change, trade and proliferation. But China's rapid military modernization, mercantilist economic practices, lack of political freedom and close relations with regimes like Sudan and Burma undermine the very international system on which its rise depends. The next American president must build on the areas of overlapping interest to forge a more durable U.S.-China relationship."

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