EditorAccording to a Columbus Dispatch analysis, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown is ‘closer to President Donald Trump on trade’ than his Republican opponent. But, there’s a catch…
In a new ad by Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, the Democrat senator takes aim at protecting Ohio jobs through his opposition to so-called ‘free trade deals.’
However, it is as much of what Brown does not say as what he does say that drew some attention from the Columbus Dispacth
Watch the ad:
According to Columbus Dispatch writer, Jack Torry:
He [Brown] correctly points out he has been a consistent opponent of free-trade agreements negotiated by both Democratic and Republican presidents. He does not say it, but his Republican opponent, Rep. Jim Renacci of Wadsworth, urged President Barack Obama in 2011 to push Congress to approve free-trade pacts with South Korea, Panama and Columbia. In that sense, Brown is closer to President Donald Trump on trade than is Renacci, although Renacci is trying to edge in Trump’s direction.
However, according to Torry:
Brown does not mention in the commercial he opposed Trump’s new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum against Canada, but he boasts about voting against the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement with Canada and Mexico, which did lower tariffs.
In this case, it might be more appropriate to state that Brown was against free trade with Canada before he was for it.
Indeed, were it not for the tariffs agaInst Canada being the action of President Trump, instead of being against the tariffs, Brown might be for them as well.
Unless, of course, his only opposition to NAFTA back in 1994 was the fact that Mexico was part of the deal.
That, however, opens up a different (and more uncomfortable) can of worms for Sherrod Brown.
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