Finally….some bipartisanship among our elected officials…
Uniforms for U.S. Olympic athletes are American red, white and blue – but made in China. That has members of Congress fuming.
Republicans and Democrats railed Thursday about the U.S. Olympic Committee’s decision to dress the U.S. team in Chinese manufactured berets, blazers and pants while the American textile industry struggles economically with many U.S. workers desperate for jobs.
“I am so upset. I think the Olympic committee should be ashamed of themselves. I think they should be embarrassed. I think they should take all the uniforms, put them in a big pile and burn them and start all over again,” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., told reporters at a Capitol Hill news conference on taxes.
“If they have to wear nothing but a singlet that says USA on it, painted by hand, then that’s what they should wear,” he said, referring to an athletic jersey.
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told reporters at her weekly news conference that she’s proud of the nation’s Olympic athletes, but “they should be wearing uniforms that are made in America.”
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said simply of the USOC, “You’d think they’d know better.”
Personally, I think the decision to have the U.S. Olympic team’s uniforms for the opening and closing ceremonies made in China was incredibly stupid, and it’s a sad commentary on the state of our nation’s ability to produce goods for ourselves.
Thanks Zach. What a sad day.
Agreed.
Not only is it bad from a perception/PR standpoint, but it says something on a broader level about where we are as a nation. If we’re that reliant on goods produced by China, then we’re clearly headed in the wrong direction.
If politicians want to fix our economy, they should start by bringing jobs Americans can do back to America. While I support trade among the nations of the world, our country shouldn’t be as reliant on other countries to produce our clothing, TVs, etc. as it is.
Oh, so NOW they come out with the high minded rhetoric! Too bad they didn’t do something about it….20 years ago. Idiots.
I think it’s overblown. Our parochial differences need to disappear before we as a species can truly grow up.
The deficit that is killing us is our TRADE deficit.
“Buffett’s Import Certificates Plan Could Pilot the Economy to a Safe Landing”
http://seekingalpha.com/article/115278-buffett-s-import-certificates-plan-could-pilot-the-economy-to-a-safe-landing
“The Fable of Moral Arithmetic”
http://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2012/05/anonymous-the-fable-of-moral-arithmetic.html
doesen’t Mit Romney have a stake in the china garment industry?? and the tea party complians of Obama not creating jobs fast enough? Romney creates jobs, but not in jobs the U.S.
Let the legislator wearing all US manufactured garments cast the first stone!