Rahm Emanuel: Protect Workers or Globalization Dies

I had an interesting chat the other day with Rahm Emanuel. The Illinois congressman came off as more of a free trader than either Obama or Clinton. I mean, which of those folks would say the following: "The answer to our challenges doesn't lie with China changing its currency. The good news is that all the solutions lie here at home." Emanuel outlined many of views in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, in which he called for a "new New Deal" to not only help America better compete with Rising Asia but also to make sure that workers continue to support open trade: "Either you give people some help and some security, or they will call a halt to [trade]." A recent visit to McCain headquarters convinced me that the Arizona maverick understands that as well. His aides think that reorganizing our current retraining and unemployment systems, while perhaps adding a bit more taxpayer dough, can help restore the American consensus on trade.