Date: October 27th, 2007

Situation: Presidential Candidates Forum via Video Chat - Rural Youth Summit - Ames, IA

Question: Senator Clinton was asked what she would do to help reinvigorate the country’s rural areas.

Answer (in part): Senator Clinton said America’s rural areas would benefit from new trade deals that include “good standards for labor and environmental protection.” She also mentioned we’d need to ensure “strong enforcement mechanisms and to close loopholes that give tax breaks to companies that go overseas.”

Date: October 27th, 2007

Situation: Presidential Candidates Forum in Person – Rural Youth Summit – Ames, IA

Question: Senator Edwards was asked what he would do help reinvigorate rural America.

Answer: Senator Edwards mentioned that corporate farms are driving out the family farmers (trade related) hurting small and that Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are destroying the environment. He also mentioned that he would enforce Country of Origin Labeling.

Date: October 27th, 2007

Situation: Presidential Candidates Forum in Person – Rural Youth Summit – Ames, IA

Question: Senator Obama was asked about the changing face of rural America and what he would do to reform immigration laws so as to respect the contributions of immigrants and keep immigrant families together.

Answer: Senator Obama responded that he backed comprehensive immigration reform - the standard talking points – secure border, path to citizenship, new applicants at the end of the line - but also that people are coming to this country because agribusiness is pushing people off the land in other countries, and that we need to stand up to them as well.

Question: Trade agreements like NAFTA have hurt family farmers. What is your stance on further trade agreements?

Answer: Senator Obama responded that he wants to include strong labor and environmental standards in any new agreement, and that he would amend any past trade deals to include strong provisions. He also stated that he would revisit the NAFTA Chapter on Agriculture, which has been devastating for family farmers and caused millions of peasant farmers off the land in Mexico and the reason for influx of immigrants. He said the same principles would have to apply to any new agreements, like the several now pending, and that he would not initiate new agreements that did not include those standards and bring affected parties to the negotiating table.

Date: October 23rd, 2007

Situation: Several Public Questions - Town Hall in VFW Hall 9127 in Des Moines, IA

Question: Senator Dodd asked about views of NAFTA and CAFTA, and what he would do with Future Trade Agreements.

Answer: Senator Dodd admitted voting for NAFTA but said he learned his lesson and opposed CAFTA. He said that as President he will never sign a trade bill that doesn’t benefit working people and referred to the Maytag plant closure as an example. He went on to say that CAFTA allowed nations to set their own labor and environmental standards and that this caused a ‘race to the bottom.’ He attacked China for poor product safety, currency manipulation, and ’slave labor.’ He did not make a concrete stance on trade.

Other Questions: a) Senator Dodd was asked about the deterioration of the family and referenced the economy, plant closures and offshoring as elements that stress families via the economic hardship of layoffs and poor wages. He said unions needed to be a big part of the answer, and b) when asked about corporate welfare, when US states and even communities auction off the commons for the sake of luring or retaining jobs, Dodd responded as though it were a trade question, then revised. He stated that this is what the race to the bottom is, only at home. He was willing to explore ways to address that without interfering with local control of policy.

He used trade to answer other questions but dodged the trade question!

Date: 10/7/07

Situation: Handshake Line - Johnson Co. (IA) Dems Fall BBQ

Question: Gov. Richardson was asked if he would renegotiate NAFTA.

Answer: Richardson stated that he would go back to insert the labor and environmental standards in the text of the agreements, but did not commit to further changes.

Date: June 2nd, 2007

Situation:    Public appearance at Greene Square Park, Cedar Rapids - Handshake Line.

Question:    An attendee asked Gov. Richardson :”Is it true that you support NAFTA? I’m concerned about fair trade.”

Answer:       He replied, “I am too. It’s true, I did vote for it, but that was because I was Clinton’s whip. I wouldn’t do it again.”

He gripped my hand tightly, and replied, “I am too. It’s true, I did vote for it, but that was because I was Clinton’s whip. I wouldn’t do it again.”