From JohnMcCain.com

In Case You Missed It: Cokie And Steven Roberts: "McCain Tells Truth About Trade"
"Even though eight of 10 Ohio voters said NAFTA cost the state jobs, McCain was courageous enough to tell a town-hall meeting in Rocky River: ... '[F]ree trade is the best thing that can happen to our nation. When we have practiced protectionism, it has had devastating consequences.' He's absolutely right. ... So far, on the trade issue, McCain is living up to his 'straight talk' reputation, while the Democrats are twisting the truth." -- Cokie Roberts and Steven Roberts

Excerpts From "McCain Tells Truth About Trade"

By Cokie Roberts and Steven Roberts
United Features Syndicate
March 7, 2008

Barack Obama lost the Democratic primary in Ohio, but there was another casualty during that campaign as well: the truth about trade.

Both Obama and Hillary Clinton blamed the North American Free Trade Agreement for the loss of more than 200,000 manufacturing jobs over the past 14 years. They even suggested scrapping the pact if Canada and Mexico don't agree to major revisions.

This might be good politics, but it's terrible policy. International commerce is a huge benefit to America, the world's largest exporting nation. Both Democrats know that, but they caved in to the close-minded, backward-looking voices in the labor movement who have turned trade into a five-letter curse word.

Contrast their pandering to the candor of John McCain, who repeated in Ohio the same message he used in Michigan: "Some of those manufacturing jobs are not coming back, and you know it and I know it."

Even though eight of 10 Ohio voters said NAFTA cost the state jobs, McCain was courageous enough to tell a town-hall meeting in Rocky River: "The economists that I know and trust and the history that I study ... says that free trade is the best thing that can happen to our nation. When we have practiced protectionism, it has had devastating consequences."  read more »