Jackson Free Press

(Aug. 14, 2003, press release from Musgrove campaign) (Jackson, MS) Haley Barbour is trying to deny his involvement with NAFTA and to minimize the scope of his work for the Republic of Mexico. Unfortunately for Barbour, his public record is very clear on these issues. Haley says in 2003: He did not lobby for NAFTA Fact: Haley Barbour himself said at the time that he helped pass NAFTA. Fact: Over 41,000 Mississippi jobs were lost due to NAFTA (Economic Policy Institute)

Haley has always boasted that his involvement, as RNC chair, was critical to NAFTA's passage, saying, "We support NAFTA because it's good policy. It isn't often that President Clinton supports a good policy that we can help him with." (USA Today, November 17, 1993) In fact, he called NAFTA a "real, bright light" of the administration. (Associated Press, January 20, 1994) In 1995, Barbour again reminded voters that, "As you know, Republicans supplied the votes for NAFTA." (Haley Barbour on Inside Politics, CNN, June 29, 1995) He has even gone so far as to take issue with fellow Republicans who criticized NAFTA. (Haley Barbour on Inside Politics, CNN, June 29, 1995 and AP, January 23, 1996)

Haley says in 2003: He only lobbied for Mexico on one small issue. Fact: Haley Barbour lobbied for Mexican interests on NAFTA, immigration and the War on Drugs.

As a lobbyist for foreign governments, Barbour and his firm are required to file as foreign agents with the United States Department of Justice. These registration forms clearly state that, as recently as 2001 and 2002, Barbour would lobby for Mexico on "NAFTA implementation." Barbour was paid $35,000 (or nearly 400,000 Mexican pesos!) a month for his services on behalf of Mexican interests.

Haley also lobbied to allow more Mexican job seekers into the United States. And he lobbied for Mexican interests in counter-narcotics certification. (United States Department of Justice, foreign agent registration) As a result, the United States has ended the annual program that made sure that Mexico was taking appropriate steps to stop the flow of illegal drugs into the U.S. (US Newswire, October 25, 2002)

Haley should have known to Just Say No to Mexico.

Haley says in 2003: That when he lobbied for Mexico on NAFTA implementation, it was good for farmers. Fact: Mississippi farmers are struggling because of the importation of Mexican vegetables.

The Barbour campaign recently tried to claim that working for Mexican truckers was actually of benefit to American farmers, but Mississippi Business Journal has said, "Vegetable growers: NAFTA is killing business." The article said that Mississippi farmers were being crippled by Mexico dumping winter vegetables into the U.S. market. (MBJ, September 11-17, 2000) When Barbour lobbied for Mexican truckers, did he ask himself how these Mexican vegetables were reaching the United States?

Keep on truckin', Haley. Right back to Washington, DC where you came from.

These items are not allegations – they are the public record of Haley Barbour's twenty-year career as a special interest lobbyist, foreign agent and Washington, DC insider.

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Previous Comments

ID

136062

Comment

what a dishonest shill. Haley Barbour doesn't want to admit that he made his firm millions by lobbying for a program that cost Mississippians jobs. he did and any other way he wants to shade it is a lie to our faces.

Author

Jason Pollan

Date

2003-08-20T03:18:00-06:00