So I was knee deep in health care stuff yesterday when someone forwards me this gem of an email from Public Citizen:

...it was quite a shock this week to learn that Obama's U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Ron Kirk has on his agency's website a direct link, listed as 'trade data', to the Chamber's lobbying materials! This is outrageous. Sign our petition to President Obama's trade representative telling him the Chamber of Commerce's trade distortions should not be cited by this administration. Then, tell a friend. The USTR website lists official sources and then only the Chamber as authorities for trade data - no universities, no unions -- just the country's main corporate lobby!  And the Chamber's website is just wrong. It covers only the impact of exports on jobs. Totally missing from the Chamber's site is any mention of the harmful effects of the massive trade deficit that has accrued since its beloved NAFTA, WTO and similar trade deals went into effect...The Obama administration shouldn't be promoting the Chamber's misleading lobbying materials as 'trade data'. This can't stand.

The page they are taking offense to is this one at the USTR which links to our state-by-state breakdown of trade activity. Numbers such as these, featured on the homepage:

• In 2008, Colorado exported $7.7 billion in manufactured goods, which supported over 58,400 manufacturing jobs.
• In 2008, Colorado exported $1.4 billion in agricultural products, which supported over 16,200 agricultural jobs.
• 88% of the 4,459 Colorado companies that exported goods in 2007 were small and medium-sized enterprises with fewer than 500 employees

and

Colorado’s exports to free trade agreement partners have surged:

• North American Free Trade Agreement: 300% increase since 1993
• U.S.-Chile Free Trade Agreement: 146% increase since 2004
• U.S.-Morocco Free Trade Agreement: 290% increase since 2006

From the International Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce; U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Census Bureau; Bureau of Economic Analysis; Organization for International Investment; Coalition of Service Industries.

In short, a handy collection of numbers from official sources, which Public Citizen seems to have no problem with -- and and why wouldn't the USTR link to this material? TradeRoots is a "a national trade education program dedicated to raising grassroots support and public awareness about the importance of international trade to local communities."  Which seems to dovetail nicely with the USTR's mission of "opening markets throughout the world to create new opportunities and higher living standards for families, farmers, manufacturers, workers, consumers, and businesses."  The American people want jobs and a growing economy, two things trade provides.

In shorter, their complaint is lame.

And speaking of lame, they didn't do much searching of the Chamber's materials because we talk about NAFTA and similar trade deals quite a bit -- we talk about how awesome they are! It is Friday so I don't want to burden you too much, but here are a quick two for your weekend enjoyment Trade and the American Worker: A Primer and NAFTA at 15: Assessing its Benefits. We don't expect Public Citizen to like these links, but since they are into official sources I have this one from WhiteHouse.gov:

...we need to export more of our goods. Because the more products we make and sell to other countries, the more jobs we support right here in America. So tonight, we set a new goal: We will double our exports over the next five years, an increase that will support two million jobs in America. To help meet this goal, we're launching a National Export Initiative that will help farmers and small businesses increase their exports, and reform export controls consistent with national security. We have to seek new markets aggressively, just as our competitors are. If America sits on the sidelines while other nations sign trade deals, we will lose the chance to create jobs on our shores. But realizing those benefits also means enforcing those agreements so our trading partners play by the rules. And that's why we'll continue to shape a Doha trade agreement that opens global markets, and why we will strengthen our trade relations in Asia and with key partners like South Korea and Panama and Colombia.

We couldn't have said it better ourselves.