Where's Hillary? Clinton Camp Missing from Trade Policy Briefing Line-Up

DALLAS, March 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Why won't the Hillary Clinton campaign show up to talk about trade?

The upcoming briefing hosted by the Institute for Policy Innovation (IPI) entitled "Trade and the Race for the White House: Exploring the Candidates' Positions" has been heavily subscribed by U.S. and foreign government officials, industry representatives and major media outlets. But not by the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Despite repeated invitations, the Clinton campaign has not provided anyone to expound her positions on trade policy.

The forum, to be held this Thursday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. in the Murrow Room at the National Press Club, already has registered over 100 attendees, and is being covered by the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, XM Satellite Radio's POTUS 08, and more.

The John McCain campaign promptly agreed to send Dr. Doug Holtz-Eakin, senior policy advisor to the campaign and former head of the Congressional Budget Office. Just as promptly, the Barack Obama campaign agreed to supply Daniel K. Tarullo, senior advisor and former assistant to President Bill Clinton for International Economic Policy. But no response has come from the Clinton camp.

"The event will go on with or without someone from the Clinton campaign," said IPI President Tom Giovanetti.

"We're looking forward to learning the views of the McCain and Obama campaigns on issues such as the World Trade Organization, their strategy on free trade agreements, renegotiating NAFTA, and how the candidates propose to handle trade issues in their administration," said Giovanetti. "And do they, in general, intend to restart the U.S.'s stalled trade policies?"

"But we've also heard that the Clinton campaign may not really embrace the pitch they made to Ohio voters during the March 4 primary," said Giovanetti. "Perhaps they're simply unwilling to come and defend it."

To RSVP for the event, contact Erin Humiston at (972) 874-5139 or erin@ipi.org. And we're keeping a phone line open for the Hillary campaign as well.

The Institute for Policy Innovation is an independent, non-profit public policy organization based in Dallas, Texas.

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Source: Institute for Policy Innovation

CONTACT: Erin Humiston of the Institute for Policy Innovation,
+1-972-874-5139, erin@ipi.org

Web Site: http://www.ipi.org/

2008-03-25 09:44:07 0319594 PRNEWSWIRE