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President Obama speaks at a Democratic fundraiser at Sentinel Hotel, Thursday in Portland, Ore. On Friday, the president will visit Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore.(Photo: Bruce Ely, AP)
President Obama takes the stage before speaking at Nike headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. Friday. Obama visited the giant athletic apparel company to make his trade policy pitch as he struggles to win over Democrats for what could be the last major legislative push of his presidency.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)
President Obama dressed his campaign for free trade in the clothing of "middle class economics" Friday, appealing to his liberal base to support a Pacific trade deal he said would help American workers.
Speaking at the world headquarters of Nike Friday, Obama cast free trade in the same terms as his efforts to pass universal health care, adopt clean energy and raise the minimum wage. "Passing trade agreements is part of that agenda — if those trade agreements are the right kinds of trade agreements," he said.
"Like other issues we've waged slow, steady fights on over the last seven years, . this is also a question of the past versus the present," he said.
But Obama made his case for free trade at a company that many liberals — notably, presidential candidate Bernie Sanders — see as a symbol of failed trade policies. Nike, the world's largest athletic shoe manufacturer, imports shoes from contract factories in places like Vietnam, where the minimum wage is 56 cents an hour.
Obama said Vietnam, where 330,000 workers make Nike shoes, would have to increase the minimum wage, improve working conditions and even establish the right of workers to join a union. "It doesn't mean that suddenly working conditions in Vietnam will be like they are here at Nike, or here in Portland right away, but it moves us in the right direction," he said. "If you're a country that wants into this agreement, you have to meet higher standards. If you don't you're out."
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At first, Nike seemed like an unlikely venue for a speech touting the virtues of free trade. But hours before the speech, Nike announced it would hire 10,000 workers in the United States over the next decade if a Pacific trade agreement passes Congress.
Introducing Obama, Nike President Mark Parker said Nike's fast-growth success story "was made possible because of the power of trade."
"We are also proof that trade works, and we believe that companies should see that kind of success — all companies," Parker said.
Labor groups said that if Nike wants to hire American workers, it shouldn't be contingent on a trade deal. "We have heard similar promises from companies before, and very few have panned out. We hope this time is different," said Eric Hauser of the AFL-CIO. "Decades of experience have taught us that corporate-driven trade policy too often accelerates a global race to the bottom."
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Like President Clinton before him, Obama's free trade push has met resistance from within his own Democratic party. The White House has argued that the Trans-Pacific Partnership will have more labor and environmental protections than previous trade agreements. But he's also pushing for "fast-track" negotiating rules — known as trade promotion authority — that would make it impossible for Congress to insist on stronger provisions before an up-or-down vote on passage.
Obama acknowledged that intra-party debate Friday, saying, "Some of my dearest friends are wrong."
"They're my fellow travelers on minimum wage, and job training and clean energy. They're with me on every progressive issue, and then on this one, they're whupping on me," he said. But he said he has no political reason to turn his back on those groups.
"I've run my last election. The only reason I'm doing something is because I think it's best for American workers and the american economy."
Ever since the White House announced the Nike visit, critics of the proposed trade deal have questioned the appearances of using a company known for outsourcing to promote free trade.
"It is sad to see how detached from reality President Obama is when it comes to TPP," said Murshed Zaheed of Credo Action, a progressive activist group. "The symbolism of his speech is staggering — the Nike brand was built by outsourcing manufacturing to sweatshops in Asia."
Follow @gregorykorte on Twitter.
Demonstrators gather near the Sentinel Hotel where President Obama spoke at a Democratic fundraiser Thursday.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: Thomas Boyd, AP)
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