Bernie's Son, Levi Sanders, Thinks Trumps Tariff Proposal Is a "Good Idea"

[TomCADem]

There are some odd alliances playing out on the issue of tariffs.

http://www.concordmonitor.com/Shaheen-Sununu-Steel-Aluminum-Tariffs-NH-15994777

But Levi Sanders, the newest Democratic candidate in the state’s 1st Congressional District agreed with the president. The son of U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont said the tariffs are “a very good idea.”

“For someone who’s been in a union for 23 years, I can tell you definitely that folks that I talked to overall think it’s a good idea,” Sanders said in an interview with the Monitor.

Republican state Rep. Al Baldasaro, as usual, was outspoken in his support of Trump’s plan. “I disagree with the governor and I agree with the president,” said Baldasaro, who was a top surrogate and adviser to Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign in New Hampshire.

“If these countries are charging us a tariff on our goods that are coming into Canada from New Hampshire, why shouldn’t we be charging them a tariff for their goods coming into New Hampshire or anywhere in the United States,” Baldasaro said. “That’s a no-brainer. We’re being screwed over. Wake up.”

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. Al Baldasaro is a Grade-A fruitcake.

They don't come much nuttier than that guy.

[DURHAM D]

2. and Levi agrees with him. nt

[TheCowsCameHome]

15. ..on this issue

Baldasaro should be in a mental institution.

[JCanete]

4. non-sequitor nastiness for no purpose except to alienate fellow dmeocrats on this board who

like Sanders. It is no more allowed on these boards than if somebody were to say that about Clinton, so I wish you would stow it.

[left-of-center2012]

5. Hating Bernie for what his son said? Ho hum

Bernie hating is so boring.

[Tavarious Jackson]

36. Actually,

Bernie railed against NAFTA all of 2016 so it's not unreasonable to assume Bernie also likes what Trump is doing. Also, Levi said there was no daylight between him and Bernie.

[KPN]

6. Another bank shot at Bernie and,

by association, his supporters. It seems.

Really? Two stories/threads about Levi titled "Bernie Sanders Son ..." in one day here?

How to build a team.

Good grief!

[NurseJackie]

9. LOL

[Maven]

7. Levi Sanders is a snake.

He claims to be “progressive” while excusing racism and misogyny, and never misses a chance to disparage Democratic figures. And this is not the first time he has complemented or sided with Trump.

[NurseJackie]

8. Correct...

... on all counts.

❤️😁🍸🍷👍

[ProudLib72]

10. Levi Sanders is not a Dem. Don't lecture me on purity test bullshit. He just is not a Dem.

[Hortensis]

22. Well, reality is, anyone who registers Dem IS a Dem.

Can't even call those who attack Democrats 5 times more often and far more passionately than Republicans not "real Democrats" because they are.

What we can reject on DU is behaviors hostile to the party, and to our own beliefs individually. Lies and distortions about our values and goals, and attempts to undermine faith in our commitment to those values, are extremely common (right here on this thread), and those can and should be called out for what they are.

[trueblue2007]

31. I think i agree with you.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

11. What union is he a member of?

[BannonsLiver]

12. Recommended (gleefully)

[Jakes Progress]

14. levi is a weasel.

I didn't support Bernie in the primary (after the first month) but this is about his sleazy son. If Bernie says the same thing, then he is sleazy too. But I haven't read that he even supports levi's election.

Family. What you gonna do?

[Hortensis]

23. Agree. Disagreement with Levi should be levied at Levi.

[former9thward]

16. People have very short (or selective) memories.

Tariffs have always been the official position of the Democratic party. Some examples:

Hillary Clinton in 2016:

"When countries break the rules, we won't hesitate to impose targeted tariffs," she told the crowd at a manufacturing plant in Warren, Michigan. She said China and other countries have "gamed the system for too long."

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/11/news/economy/hillary-clinton-trade/index.html

And Clinton in 2002:

Start with steel. In 2002, when George W. Bush imposed temporary tariffs on imported steel, Mrs. Clinton, then New York’s junior senator, endorsed the move. Before Mr. Bush lifted the tariffs the following year, she testified to the International Trade Commission to make the case that they should be extended. New York, she said, “has seen mill after mill close as a result of dumped and subsidized imports.”

http://money.cnn.com/2016/08/11/news/economy/hillary-clinton-trade/index.html

President Obama in 2016 imposed massive tariffs on Chinese steel:

U.S. Imposes 266% Duty on Some Chinese Steel Imports

https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-imposes-266-duty-on-some-chinese-steel-imports-1456878180

Attempts to smear Sanders and Sanders' supporters with the tariff brush are being made by those who don't even know the long time position of the Democratic party.

[TomCADem]

18. Bernie Would Be The First One to Disagree...

....that his trade and tarifff policy is the same as either President Obama or Hilllary Clinton. Yet, you don’t see him taking issue with Trump’s actions on NAFTA and tarifffs. To the contrary, he has urged the very actions taken by Trump.

Also, why is this a smear.? This should be. Bernoe’S moment of triumph, since Trump has gone all in on trade policies that Bernie has long championed. Indeed, Trump has even agreed that his trade policies are similar to those advocated by Bernie.

Instead of giving Bernie the credit, you say Bernie was no different than President Obama and Hillary Clinton.

This idea that Bernie has always been a fan of Hillary Clinton and the Democratic party’s positions on trade is a bit of a stretch.

[R B Garr]

19. Thanks again for pointing out these unexplainable

contradictions.

[Hortensis]

20. Nonsense to tariffs as "THE official position" of Democratic Party!

Pure rubbish. Tariffs are merely one tool in the economic toolbox.

Our economy always does better under Democratic administrations, in spite of sabotage by the economic incompetence and serving of business that comes with conservative ideology, because DEMOCRATS ARE TOO SMART, COMPETENT, AND RESPONSIBLE to not use all tools available to us when each is appropriate.

We use tariffs, sure, when tariffs will give us a desirable result. We adjust or cancel when that is called for.

Btw, even Trump said our economy always did better under Democrats, even if it is no doubt something he picked up from much, much more knowledgeable and competent businesspeople.

[FSogol]

21. There is a huge difference between targeted tariffs to correct unfair trade & the Trump's crude "add

some tariffs to harm our allies because Hope Hicks had to leave and I wanna trade war even though I don't understand the ramifications."

[Hortensis]

24. Sure. What nations DON'T use tariffs as they feel needed?

Even nations highly committed to free trade use various kinds of tariffs, and other controls, to protect business and provide the stability business has to have to invest, produce and trade optimally. After intensive study and numbers crunching of the complex cost and benefit possibilities.

It's strongly suspected that Trump had no idea what the tariffs would be when he announced a trade war out of nowhere but just grabbed some numbers when asked by a reporter and just threw out 10 and 25% (!). Wonder if he remembered later which number might go with which.

[Jakes Progress]

25. It's not about tariffs. It's about workers.

The Democratic party is for policies that help workers. This tariff is broad and untargeted. It might help several thousand workers, but it will hurt many times that.

It is a stupid thing. Supporting a stupid thing is an indication of stupidity.

[former9thward]

27. You are saying the same things the far right is saying.

They hate it when necessary industries are protected also. It is the libertarian free traders who say "it will hurt many times that".

[Jakes Progress]

29. You are wrong.

Blanket tariffs with no consideration of nuance and without targets are stupid. They help 10 and destroy 1,000. How is it a part of the Democratic party's platform to kill exports, eliminate jobs, and raise the price of goods just so the steel manufacturer magnates will be able to pull enough of a dividend to put gold fixtures in the guest bathroom at the lake house?

Nuanced tariffs eliminate inequity in pricing without killing jobs for the workers. Tariffs are a good tool. They should not be viewed as a sledge hammer. Trump's tariffs are being done because he (and many here it seems) don't know how trade works to the benefit of the working class. It is a bragging tactic, a stump speech turned policy.

It comes down to a situation where if you don't understand how this stuff works, leave it alone. Properly applied tariffs are a good tool. This is not that.

[former9thward]

30. The United Steelworkers Union

which I am a proud former member and elected officer, disagrees with you.

(Pittsburgh) – United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard issued the following statement following a session the President hosted at the White House with steel and aluminum industry executives. During the session, the President indicated that he wanted to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to achieve the goals identified in the Department of Commerce Section 232 investigation reports.

“The steel and aluminum sectors have been under attack by predatory trade practices. For too long, our political leaders have talked about the problem, but have largely left enforcement of our trade laws up to the private sector. This is not what hard-working Americans want from their government. They expect national security, the foundation of which is built with steel and aluminum, to be protected.

"President Trump initiated action to investigate the impact of aluminum and steel imports on our national security. We applauded his action then and appreciate the attention that this issue has received in recent months. Comprehensive reports were sent to the White House and released to the public. They validated what we already knew: these sectors are critical to our nation.

“Since the President initiated action last year, workers across the country have raised their voices in calling for the need of action to ensure that our aluminum and steel sectors can survive. Our members have actively fought for action. Their voices have been echoed by a broad, bipartisan cross-section of Congress. They were joined by many of their colleagues and officials at the state and local level. Every call, letter, meeting and discussion focused on building a better America.

https://www.usw.org/news/media-center/releases/2018/administration-action-on-steel-and-aluminum-vital-to-protecting-national-security

I know, you will tell me, and the Steelworkers, they don't know how to protect their members and you know best. No thanks.

[OilemFirchen]

32. Thanks for honoring fair-use.

I'll contribute a few more excerpts beyond your four paragraph limit:

It will be critical to focus attention on the countries that have created the problem, and do not participate in helping to promote a solution.

Canada is not the problem. The United States and Canada have integrated manufacturing markets and our union represents trade-impacted workers in both nations. In addition, the defense and intelligence relationship between the countries is unique and integral to our security. Any solution must exempt Canadian production. At the same time, Canada must commit to robust enforcement and enhance its cooperation to address global overcapacity in steel and aluminum.

I've even added emphasis for easy reading.

[former9thward]

33. Yes, So if Canada is exempted, will you support the tariffs?

Canada and Mexico could be spared as Trump is poised to sign steel and aluminum tariffs by week’s end

I also added emphasis for easy reading for you.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/business/wp/2018/03/07/canada-and-mexico-could-be-spared-as-trump-is-poised-to-sign-steel-and-aluminum-tariffs-by-weeks-end-2/?utm_term=.06425b1aa777

Or is there going to be another problem why we can't protect steelworkers???

[OilemFirchen]

34. It would be a good start.

Does Mexico dump steel? South Korea? They are, after all, the other two major exporters.

We already have penalized China for dumping.

The question, though, is whether you support an across-the-board tariff on steel and aluminum. That is, as you'll note, the subject of this OP. Trump does. Levi Sanders does. Your union doesn't.

Well?

[former9thward]

35. Actually if you read the union statement

they did not oppose the tariffs. So your statement is wrong. They say that Canada is not the problem but nowhere do they say they will oppose the tariff if Canada is included. That said let's wait a couple days and see what the final tariff is. I expect no end of complaints no matter what it is.

[Jakes Progress]

40. Well.

Last edited Thu Mar 8, 2018, 11:51 PM - Edit history (1)

If all you care about is your own welfare, this can work for you. The same way the recent tax cuts worked for the middle class. You will get some more money, keep jobs for a few more years. Your bosses will buy the Mercedes with the leather lined trunk. And all of those not working in steel, but with steel, will see their jobs go overseas. You will, to a degree, certainly help your members and yourselves.

But in the great heyday of unions, back when they actually wielded clout and didn't have to grovel to some orange monkey for giving them a favor (which he didn't intend), back in those days, what made unions powerful was solidarity. When group of workers needed help, unions with more clout joined with them, had their backs. And it was reciprocated. Unions work when pilots strike with stewardesses, when truckers strike with printers. If a union is just another self-interest group willing to make a deal with whatever bigwig will bless them with a couple months of work, then they become the same as corporations, but without the life span.

Better than getting trump to toss you crumbs would be a union movement that would make it impossible for him to build a hotel with foreign steel (which he has done exclusively) because no steeplejack would climb Chinese steel, no welder would torch Mexican steel.

(It is all moot anyway. Once your hero has his win in the November elections, he will go back to getting cheap steel wherever he can. Your gratitude is a political tool for him. Your trust and fawning are misplaced.)

[ecstatic]

37. From my understanding, trump pulled the tariff thing out of his ass to change the subject,

and he did so without a well-developed plan or strategy in place. That type of erratic policy making is NOT good and not the type of recklessness we should cosign. There's a right way and a wrong way to enact policy. Did we see a long line of countries announcing retaliation for the tariffs Pres. Obama imposed?

[former9thward]

38. What "long line of coutries have announced realiation"?

None. Some have complained but that is it. We have industries that should be protected. Free traders are trying to make excuses why that should not happen. I am not in their camp. You are part of the solution or part of the problem.

[ecstatic]

39. I think you're missing the point

What trump did was not appropriate because it wasn't a well thought out, targeted plan. It was an erratic, spur of the moment plan that had zero input from any policy advisers or experts. THAT is the problem. By agreeing with trump's actions, you're normalizing his erratic, reckless behavior.

Also:

EU Tells Trump to Brace for Retaliation Over Metal Tariffs

The European Union mounted a last-ditch push to stop U.S. President Donald Trump from triggering tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum, vowing a “firm” response and warning of widespread damage from a trans-Atlantic trade war.

“I truly hope that this will not happen,” EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmstrom told reporters on Wednesday in Brussels. “A trade war has no winners.”

The EU intends to hit a range of U.S. goods with punitive tariffs in retaliation for Trump’s pledges to impose a 25 percent duty on foreign steel and a 10 percent levy on imported aluminum. His plan is based on a national-security argument that Malmstrom called “alarming” and “deeply unjust.”

In response to the White House’s steel measure, the EU is targeting 2.8 billion euros ($3.5 billion) of imports of U.S. goods including Harley-Davidson Inc. motorcycles, Levi Strauss & Co. jeans and bourbon whiskey. In addition to such iconic brands, the American products that would face a tit-for-tat EU tariff of 25 percent range from steel bars and motor boats to t-shirts and orange juice.

Link: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-07/trump-told-by-europe-to-brace-for-retaliation-over-metal-tariffs

[Gothmog]

17. Tariffs are not a good idea

[former9thward]

28. Who did you support in the 2016 primary?

Both major candidates supported tariffs. Only the libertarians oppose them.

[Jakes Progress]

41. You have a naive and simple concept of tariff.

[Freethinker65]

26. So do not vote for him in the Primary?? There are alternatives