Lieberman Blasts Bush Free-Trade Policies

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Joe Lieberman criticized President Bush’s free-trade policies with China on Friday while also faulting one of his Democratic rivals for protectionism that builds “walls around our economy.”

“Rather than leaving America’s workers to sink or swim, as this president is doing, I want our government to help business create a rising tide of manufacturing growth -- and help our workers ride that tide to new jobs and prosperity,” the Connecticut senator said in a speech to employees at a high-technology manufacturing company.

Lieberman pledged that if he were elected president, he would be more aggressive than Bush in enforcing free-commerce laws against countries running up trade surpluses with the United States.

Lieberman cited the United States’ $100-billion trade deficit with China, accusing the nation of manipulating Chinese currency to give its exports to the United States unfair advantage over American goods.

Lieberman called Bush’s massive tax cuts a disaster for working Americans and accused some Democrats of protectionism. “Rather than thinking we can build walls around our economy, as some Democrats would have us do, I want to build bridges to markets around the world for American-made goods,” Lieberman said. Aides said the senator was referring to rival Rep. Richard A. Gephardt.

Gephardt’s spokesman, Erik Smith, countered: “The difference between Dick Gephardt and Joe Lieberman is that Dick Gephardt knows the difference between a good trade deal and a bad one. Senator Lieberman has supported trade policies that have sent millions of manufacturing jobs overseas.”