In The Audacity of Hope Obama derides American demands that “developing countries eliminate trade barriers that protect them from competition, even as we steadfastly protect our own constituencies from exports that could help lift poor countries out of poverty.”   This did not prevent him from voting for the farm bill which protected American interests over the alleviation of global poverty.  The bill even bars the U.S. from providing food aid by purchasing crops from the developing countries we try to feed.  Bush vetoed the bill demanding this provision be changed.  Obama voted to override the veto.  (Freddoso)

Without rejecting free trade in principle, Obama has rejected it in almost every instance.  He has only voted for one free trade agreement, with the Sultanate of Oman, opposing agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea. 

Obama states: “government policies can boost workers’ wages without hurting the competitiveness of U.S. firms,” and he proposes“ a new tax on small businesses that do not provide health care to their employees,” ignoring the fact that many of them simply cannot afford to provide this benefit. 

He voted in 2003 to repeal tax credits for “educational and vocational” employee training, but voted “no” on the Central American Free trade agreement in order to “register a protest against what I considered to be the White House’s inattention to the losers from free trade.”   As if the government had the monopoly on providing worker training.