Considering backing away from a promise. O'bama is under pressure to back away from his promise.

Looks as if he's going to cave into the Foreign interests who want him to protect them.

promise of what, I'm just an uneducated voter.

On a, provision in a stimulus package that he promised will include all steel in constructions be made in the U.S.
Foreign, special interests are putting pressure on him to back off.
He's considering it.
Check's in the mail, folks!

Many people fall for campaign slogans and stump speeches.

Listen to Bush in 2000 ...LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFGHm3Hi-oQ

Part of the problem being that steel made in U.S. is bought by companies here to be formed into I-beams etc and then resold to the U.S. construction industry. So where the steel is U.S. steel, the actual finished product used in the construction is 'Made in Canada'.

Loss of export of finished product means less steel bought from the States as well. Hurting both economies.

News Thursday, 05 Feb, 2009
House Committee approves US steel use in stimulus package

Reuters is reported that US House Appropriations Committee has approved a provision to use US steel as part of the federal economic stimulus package.

Mr Jerry Costello Representative of D Belleville is a member of the Congressional Steel Caucus and has been a vocal supporter of the US steel industry. He had urged House leaders to include domestic steel manufacturers in the legislation.

US Steel Corporation has temporarily shut down operations at its Granite City plant and has left about 1,550 steel workers out of work for the time being. Amstead Rail laid off about 100 workers before the end of last year and has announced further rounds of layoffs next month and March 2009 that will cut 569 jobs from the steel foundry.

(Sourced from www.reuters.com)


http://steelguru.com/news/index/2009/01/25/Nzk5NDU%3D/House_Committee_approves_US_steel_use_in_stimulus_package.html

For the above link, click on "US steelmakers get boost in House plan".

I know people that work for Granite City Steel. It's in Granite City, IL, and just across the river from St. Louis.

They were rebuilding the plant before the recession hit.

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/news/Stock%20News/2116662/

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5655115.ecehttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article5655115.ece

President Obama to water down 'Buy American' plan after EU trade war threat.
The European Union warned the US yesterday against plunging the world into depression by adopting a planned “Buy American” policy, intensifying fears of a trade war.

The EU threatened to retaliate if the US Congress went ahead with sweeping measures in its $800 billion (£554 billion) stimulus plan to restrict spending to American goods and services.

Gordon Brown was caught in the crossfire as John Bruton, the EU Ambassador to Washington, said that “history has shown us” where the closing of markets leads — a clear reference to the Depression of the 1930s, triggered by US protectionist laws.

Last night Mr Obama gave a strong signal that he would remove the most provocative passages from the Bill.

“I agree that we can’t send a protectionist message,” he said in an interview with Fox TV. “I want to see what kind of language we can work on this issue. I think it would be a mistake, though, at a time when worldwide trade is declining, for us to start sending a message that somehow we’re just looking after ourselves and not concerned with world trade.”
Etc.
Seems he's becoming less of a savior and more like a Bushie.

meet the new boss same as the old boss!

not the exact same... the new one is black, you know. other than that I don't see much of a difference.


The steel provision was giving into the labor unions that produce it. the controversy with foreign nations are the trade agreements. To keep it simple, requiring that all steel come from America means that you are technically boycotting foreign steel on those products. That is against many of those agreements.

A requirement to buy American is nothing but a stupid idea.

Why?

Because, there is a reason people buy foreign. May-be it is cheaper, may-be it is better, may-be both.

If we are required to buy American, against our own judgment, it simply means we are required to buy expensive or bad, or both.

It also shows you that those who run our economy, have no idea of what they are doing.