Foreign money and China have become potent campaign issues in Election 2010. The Democrats have been accusing the Chamber of Commerce for trying to subvert the American democracy with hideous foreign money.
A US-China trade bill, fought for and signed by Bill Clinton with overwhelming bipartisan support(even Senator Barbara Boxer voted Yea), is now a lethal campaign weapon for the Democrats. The Democrats run an ad in Pennsylvania questions Republican Pat Toomey's loyalty to America because he supported the trade bill and worked for a Chinese-American boss in the then British colony Hong Kong in 1991. The ad--with China's red flag waving in the background--proclaims: "Job killer Pat Toomey. Maybe he ought to run for Senate–in China." Meanwhile, the Republicans run ads across the country as if the sole purpose of the stimulus package were to create jobs in China. An ad attacking Democratic Congressman Baron Hill asks: "Is Baron Hill running for Congress in Indiana or China?"
Anti-Chinese xenophobia has a long history in this country. It has been used by both parties for their own political expediences. Below the fold is the story of the 1998 California Senate campaign--Barbara Boxer vs. Matt Fong. It was all about foreign money and China. Sounds familiar?
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