[bumped - BarbinMD]
Doesn't get more racist than this:
The group running this ad is funded by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and is reportedly putting in $400,000 for this ad. It ranks among the most despicable I've seen in politics, and is symptomatic of Lincoln's sleazy, dishonest campaign.
The truth:
LINCOLN CAMPAIGN: Lincoln's campaign has criticized Halter's ties to a company that it says outsourced American jobs to India. One of the latest ads says: "They call him Dollar Bill Halter, and here's why. One of his companies outsourced jobs to India because of lower personnel costs."
THE FACTS: The claims center on WebMethods Inc., a company where Halter once served on the board of directors. Halter left the WebMethods board in 2006.
Although the company said it saved costs by opening a Bangalore office, it's a stretch to say the firm shipped American jobs overseas. The company said in a 2006 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it had cut costs by increasing the proportion of its product development staff based in Bangalore, India. The company filings cited by Lincoln's campaign, however, do not refer to the loss of any American jobs in connection with opening the Bangalore office.
The filing makes no mention of American job losses because there were none. The company merely expanded its global operations by opening a Bangalore office. That's not outsourcing American jobs. That's adding extra jobs at another office.
The irony, of course, is that the Chamber of Commerce has been an avid supporter of outsourcing, making this racist ad an exercise in cynicism as well. Here's the Chamber's president lauding outsourcing:
The bottom line: outsourcing has made the manufacturing process more efficient and productive, which has helped consumers and our overall economy. Outsourcing allows manufacturers to buy components from a vast array of suppliers, lowering costs for the manufacturer who is able to pass on the savings to consumers.
Outsourcing has also made us work smarter and made workers able to take advantage of one of the United States greatest assets - the spirit of innovation. The changes in the manufacturing sector have resulted in some of our best workers improving their workforce skills and in many cases, transitioning to careers in high-technology fields. With the help of the Federal Trade Adjustment Assistance programs, many of these workers have been retrained and are now working in high-tech industries.
For all of these reasons, the Chamber strongly believes manufacturing and service companies alike should have the freedom and flexibility to source and trade across our country-and around the world. We are not in the business of telling companies that they should outsource, but we are fighting to preserve their right to do so. Flexibility is one of the American economy's greatest strengths, and we are working hard before governments and regulators everywhere to preserve it.
If the Chamber of Commerce truly believed that Halter was an outsourcers, they'd be backing him to the hilt. Instead, they know they won't have a friend in Halter, like they do with Lincoln, as they seek to preserve tax benefits to companies who ship jobs overseas.
I'm so sickened by this ad, that I threw another $100 at Bill Halter. Why don't you join me and let's get the total contributions up to $100,000 tonight? We can't allow this kind of racist politicking to remain unchallenged, and worthy of our cycle's first Hell to Pay effort.
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