"Critics call the plan an outright attack on our sovereignty. Congress has been looking the other way."
The leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States have been working to create a so-called North American Union. And they've done so rather stealthily.
Aired September 29, 2006
Lou Dobbs Tonight (Transcript)
Cable News Network
Copyright 2006
DOBBS: The leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States have been working to create a so-called North American Union. And they've done so rather stealthily.
They're trying to speed the flow of both cargo and people, they say, across this nation's northern and southern borders.
Critics call the plan an outright attack on our sovereignty. Congress has been looking the other way. Christine Romans reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Plans for an integrated North American community by 2010, moving ahead swiftly and under the radar. Robert Pastor is an author of the Council on Foreign Relations document, seen as the project's road map.
ROBERT PASTOR, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: We need to deepen economic integration by moving towards a customs union, with a common external tariff. I think we need to enhance our security by beefing up both our borders and beefing up a continental boundary.
ROMANS: But critics fear an attack on American sovereignty, a super NAFTA with borders erased between three very different countries, with no public oversight. Texas Congressman Ron Paul is a rare voice of concern on Capitol Hill.
REP. RON PAUL (R), TEXAS: We're not supposed to give this to the executive branch, devising a quasi type of trees that the Congress seems not to have any control of. Then it turns out to be managed trade for big corporations and not benefit to our workers and to our people.
ROMANS: The House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have not held hearings on this and a high level conference this month in Bamf (ph) was closed to the press. Critics raise concerns about secrecy, but the plan has a website, SPP.gov, highlighting myths and facts. Without explaining how, it says the Canadian, Mexican, U.S. partnership does not attempt to modify our sovereignty or currency, nor undermines the U.S. constitution, but would create jobs by reducing transaction costs and unnecessary burdens for U.S. companies.
Robert Pastor says a more open public discussion would quiet what he calls conspiracy theorists.
PAUL: A north American union is impossible. None of the three governments or countries are interested in unifying into one country.
ROMANS: He says the goal is more cooperation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: But that doesn't quiet the concerns about this cooperation or what it's going to look like. Just yesterday Congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia introduced a resolution opposing a NAFTA superhighway and various elements of a North American Union, as the critics call it. And Robert Pastor, Lou, he says you're one of those critics, you're part of a conspiracy theory that just is not founded.
DOBBS: That I'm a conspiracy theorist? Well, I -- that's very flattering on the part of Mr. Pastor.
What he is is an out of control elitist, who hasn't been elected or in any way nominated by this government to do a darn thing that he's doing. And the fact that this administration and some of this country's largest corporations are pushing ahead with this, with some of Canada's leading elites and Mexico's -- there's not a single thing in this that even remotely has legitimacy and the fact that this Congress, thank goodness that Virgil Goode stepped up here, the fact that this Congress is not demanding an investigation into this right now is sickening.
This is elitism run rampant and it's just -- to me, it's just inexplicable why it's being tolerated. Pastor, what's his qualification?
ROMANS: He's studied North America and its institutions for 30 years.
DOBBS: Ah, good. And this is his conclusion after all that study at the Council of Foreign Relations? Thank you very much, Christine Romans.
That brings us to the subject of our poll tonight and Mr. Pastor, listen up because what we're going to do here is we're going to talk to somebody besides the head of a U.S. multinational or one of your little Bush administration friends or any of those other elitists in Canada or Mexico. Here we go.
Let's see what people have to say about your little idea. Do you believe there should be a federal investigation of U.S. government efforts to support a north American union? Yes or no. Please cast your vote at LouDobbs.com. We'll have the results later here in the broadcast.
[LATER IN THE BROADCAST]
DOBBS: Results of our poll overwhelming: 97 percent of you say there should be a federal investigation of U.S. government efforts to support that North American union. Our political panel of Ed Rollins, Michael Goodwin, Robert Zimmerman, all agreeing that an investigation should be under way.
Time now for your thoughts. Harry in Alaska wrote in to say: "Regarding the Bush administration wanting to combine Canada, Mexico and the United States, maybe we've already had a coup and they just haven't told us."
And Harley in Idaho: "It doesn't seem to make a difference who you vote for, Democrat or Republican. Both parties are trying to destroy the middle class in this country."
And Spring Lea in Colorado: "Lou, everyone keeps asking who will win in November. The way things are going, it won't matter who is elected. No one will win."
We love hearing from you. Send us your thoughts at loudobbs.com. Each of you whose email is read here receives a copy of Senator Byron Dorgan's new book, "Take This Job and Ship It."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
© 2006 CNN (Cable News Network): transcripts.cnn.com
Aired September 29, 2006
Lou Dobbs Tonight (Transcript)
Cable News Network
Copyright 2006
DOBBS: The leaders of Mexico, Canada and the United States have been working to create a so-called North American Union. And they've done so rather stealthily.
They're trying to speed the flow of both cargo and people, they say, across this nation's northern and southern borders.
Critics call the plan an outright attack on our sovereignty. Congress has been looking the other way. Christine Romans reports.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Plans for an integrated North American community by 2010, moving ahead swiftly and under the radar. Robert Pastor is an author of the Council on Foreign Relations document, seen as the project's road map.
ROBERT PASTOR, AMERICAN UNIVERSITY: We need to deepen economic integration by moving towards a customs union, with a common external tariff. I think we need to enhance our security by beefing up both our borders and beefing up a continental boundary.
ROMANS: But critics fear an attack on American sovereignty, a super NAFTA with borders erased between three very different countries, with no public oversight. Texas Congressman Ron Paul is a rare voice of concern on Capitol Hill.
REP. RON PAUL (R), TEXAS: We're not supposed to give this to the executive branch, devising a quasi type of trees that the Congress seems not to have any control of. Then it turns out to be managed trade for big corporations and not benefit to our workers and to our people.
ROMANS: The House International Relations Committee and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have not held hearings on this and a high level conference this month in Bamf (ph) was closed to the press. Critics raise concerns about secrecy, but the plan has a website, SPP.gov, highlighting myths and facts. Without explaining how, it says the Canadian, Mexican, U.S. partnership does not attempt to modify our sovereignty or currency, nor undermines the U.S. constitution, but would create jobs by reducing transaction costs and unnecessary burdens for U.S. companies.
Robert Pastor says a more open public discussion would quiet what he calls conspiracy theorists.
PAUL: A north American union is impossible. None of the three governments or countries are interested in unifying into one country.
ROMANS: He says the goal is more cooperation.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: But that doesn't quiet the concerns about this cooperation or what it's going to look like. Just yesterday Congressman Virgil Goode of Virginia introduced a resolution opposing a NAFTA superhighway and various elements of a North American Union, as the critics call it. And Robert Pastor, Lou, he says you're one of those critics, you're part of a conspiracy theory that just is not founded.
DOBBS: That I'm a conspiracy theorist? Well, I -- that's very flattering on the part of Mr. Pastor.
What he is is an out of control elitist, who hasn't been elected or in any way nominated by this government to do a darn thing that he's doing. And the fact that this administration and some of this country's largest corporations are pushing ahead with this, with some of Canada's leading elites and Mexico's -- there's not a single thing in this that even remotely has legitimacy and the fact that this Congress, thank goodness that Virgil Goode stepped up here, the fact that this Congress is not demanding an investigation into this right now is sickening.
This is elitism run rampant and it's just -- to me, it's just inexplicable why it's being tolerated. Pastor, what's his qualification?
ROMANS: He's studied North America and its institutions for 30 years.
DOBBS: Ah, good. And this is his conclusion after all that study at the Council of Foreign Relations? Thank you very much, Christine Romans.
That brings us to the subject of our poll tonight and Mr. Pastor, listen up because what we're going to do here is we're going to talk to somebody besides the head of a U.S. multinational or one of your little Bush administration friends or any of those other elitists in Canada or Mexico. Here we go.
Let's see what people have to say about your little idea. Do you believe there should be a federal investigation of U.S. government efforts to support a north American union? Yes or no. Please cast your vote at LouDobbs.com. We'll have the results later here in the broadcast.
[LATER IN THE BROADCAST]
DOBBS: Results of our poll overwhelming: 97 percent of you say there should be a federal investigation of U.S. government efforts to support that North American union. Our political panel of Ed Rollins, Michael Goodwin, Robert Zimmerman, all agreeing that an investigation should be under way.
Time now for your thoughts. Harry in Alaska wrote in to say: "Regarding the Bush administration wanting to combine Canada, Mexico and the United States, maybe we've already had a coup and they just haven't told us."
And Harley in Idaho: "It doesn't seem to make a difference who you vote for, Democrat or Republican. Both parties are trying to destroy the middle class in this country."
And Spring Lea in Colorado: "Lou, everyone keeps asking who will win in November. The way things are going, it won't matter who is elected. No one will win."
We love hearing from you. Send us your thoughts at loudobbs.com. Each of you whose email is read here receives a copy of Senator Byron Dorgan's new book, "Take This Job and Ship It."
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
© 2006 CNN (Cable News Network):
posted by Porkus Maximus Tex: at Friday, September 29, 2006
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