Clinton, Obama focus on economy; McCain touts his years at Naval Academy
The Democratic presidential candidates discuss jobs and labor issues; the Republican continues his 'biography tour.' Former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton endorses Obama.
WASHINGTON--Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton promised a series of tax incentives today to encourage U.S. companies not to ship jobs overseas, pledging $7 billion to encourage green technology, research and what she called "insourcing" of American jobs.
"We reward companies like Exxon-Mobil who park $56 billion in profits overseas because they don't have to pay a dime in U.S. taxes on those profits," Clinton said while hosting a jobs summit in Pittsburgh. "And we're using your tax dollars to reward companies that ship your jobs overseas."
Calling for $500 million annually in investments to spur high-wage jobs in clean energy manufacturing technologies and create 5 million jobs in 10 years, the New York senator said her "insourcing" agenda would restore jobs lost to a global marketplace.
"Our government should get out of the business of rewarding companies for shipping jobs overseas, and get back into the business of rewarding companies that create good, high-wage jobs -- with good benefits -- right here in America."
With upcoming primaries in states like the Pennsylvania (April 22), Indiana (May 6) and Kentucky (May 20) that have been hard-hit by losses in the manufacturing sector, Clinton rival Barack Obama also addressed the faltering economy in a campaign appearance today.
Addressing the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO in Philadelphia, Obama pledged to fight special interests that he said routinely stack the deck against working Americans.
"Over the last seven years, we've had an administration that serves the interests of the wealthy and the well-connected, no matter what the cost to working families, and to our economy," said the Illinois senator. "It's an administration that didn't lift a finger while our economy rolled toward recession until the pain folks were feeling on Main Street trickled up to their friends on Wall Street."
Charging that the Bush administration has tried to silence the labor movement in what he called "seven years of the most anti-labor administration in generations," Obama said, "I'm tired of playing defense. I know the AFL-CIO is tired of playing defense. We're ready to play some offense."
As Democrats sparred over how to right the economy, Democratic National Chairman Howard Dean talked about how to end the sparring.
Meeting with Florida legislators, Dean said the party is committed to seating the state's delegates at this summer's convention.
