The Hindu : International : Outsourcing cannot be stopped: Kerry

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Friday, Oct 15, 2004

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International

Outsourcing cannot be stopped: Kerry

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

WASHINGTON, OCT. 14. The U.S. President, George W Bush, and his Democratic challenger Senator, John Kerry, clashed on health, domestic and economic issues in the third and final debate in Tempe, Arizona, on Wednesday.

Amid all the issues, Mr. Kerry, on more than one occasion, referred to a rather contentious issue in this campaign trail that has indeed implications for countries like India and China — outsourcing. But he avoided a strident stand saying `all' outsourcing cannot be stopped. During the second debate, he said anyone promising to stop outsourcing would be `pandering.'

He said he would fight for American workers in fiscally sound way and would close down those tax loopholes in a "nano-second" that make the American worker subsidise his/her job loss. "Outsourcing is going to happen. I have acknowledged that in union halls across the country. I have had shop stewards stand up and say, `Will you promise me you are going to stop all this outsourcing?' And I have looked him in the eye and I have said no. I cannot do that."

In his closing statement, he said: " These are dangerous times. I believe I offer tested, strong leadership that can calm the waters of a troubled world. And I believe that we can together do things that are within the grasp of Americans ... We can create jobs that pay more than the jobs we are losing overseas."

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