|
Elaine Chao on Free Trade
Secretary of Labor (Pres. Bush Cabinet)
|
|
|
2001: Opposition to Chinese trade is xenophobic hysteria
In an April 23 cover story, the New Republic ran an inflammatory article about Chao and McConnell entitled "Sullied Heritage: The Decline of Principles Conservative Hostility to China." The venerable liberal monthly cast the piece as a case study of how
two conservative stalwarts--the Heritage Foundation and McConnell--had sold their respective political souls by moderating their formerly hawkish views for the sake of Chinese money that the Chao family had steered their way. Elaine's father, a shipping
magnate, has supposedly cultivated, and benefited from, a relationship with his former classmate Jiang Zemin, who rose to become China's leader. The piece made several serious suggestions of impropriety, but provided little factual support or outright
accusations of any wrongdoing. In a letter to the magazine, Chao's chief of staff at the Department of Labor, noted, "When you blow away the flimsy accusations propped up by these disclaimers, all that's left is xenophobic hysteria."
Source: Republican Leader, by John Dyche, p.153-4
, Sep 15, 2010
Page last updated: Jan 16, 2017