Trade
Obama: Although generally a free-trader, Obama favors retooling the North American Free Trade Agreement and other free trade agreements that "undermine American businesses" in order to strengthen labor and environmental standards. He calls parts of these agreements unfair to American workers, saying they have left parents competing with their kids for minimum wage at fast-food restaurants and big-box retailers. Obama has also proposed a Patriot Employer Act which would provide tax incentives for companies to keep well-paid jobs in the U.S.
McCain: McCain is a die-hard free-trader, and would not seek to alter NAFTA. He has been widely criticized for but stood by his stance on trade when he helped pass a bill to eliminate the Defense Dept.'s "buy American" requirement for equipment.
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