CNBC Press Releases

HARWOOD: ONE BACKGROUND QUESTION, GOVERNOR. WHY IS IT THAT YOU OPPOSED IN 1996 THE FLAT TAX, A LOT OF CONSERVATIVES THINK ULTIMATELY THAT THIS IS RIGHT WAY TO GO, HARD TO GET THERE BUT THE RIGHT CHOICE, WHY WERE YOU AGAINST IT IN.

ROMNEY: WELL, THERE WAS ONE ASPECT I THOUGHT WOULD BE TROUBLESOME, AND UNLIKELY TO BE ACCEPTED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL. BY BOTH PARTIES. AND THAT WAS THE VERY VERY, WEALTHY, THE PEOPLE WHO SIT BACK AND CLIP COUPONS, WHO HAVE VERY SUBSTANTIAL INVESTMENTS, WOULD PAY NO TAXES AT ALL. PEOPLE LIKE BILL GATES, AND STEVE FORBES FOR THAT MATTER, UNDER HIS PLAN WOULD PAY NO TAX AND I DON'T THINK THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE. EITHER POLITICALLY OR ANY OTHER WAY FOR THAT MATTER AND I THOUGHT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT POSITION FOR OUR PARTY TO ADOPTED.

ERIN: GOVERNOR ROMNEY WE ARE HERE WITH A SPECIAL SHOW, ACTUALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A -- THE CEO OF JOHN DEERE WITH YOU, BOB LANE ONE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN EXPORT SUCCESSERS IS IT A IN DEALING WITH THE AMERICAN HEARTLAND AND HE HAS A QUESTION FOR AS YOU WELL. GO AHEAD, BOB.

LANE: HELLO, GOVERNOR, NICE TALK TO YOU. I THINK --

ROMNEY: GOOD TO BE WITH YOU.

LANE: THANK YOU, I THINK I WAYS FAIRLY IMPORTANT TO YOU THESE DAYS AND YOU PROBABLY KNOW THAT JOHN DEERE HAS MAJOR INVESTMENTS, WE HAVE BEEN INVESTING HEAVILY IN WATERLOO AND DEBUICK AND DAVENPORT AND I HAVE SEPARATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND WITH ALL OF THESE JOBS THAT ARE BUILDING PRODUCT, TO SHIP AROUND THE WORLD. IN IOWA, I THINK YOU KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM. WHERE THE U.S. CAN BENEFIT, THE WORLDWIDE COUNTRIES WITH WHOM WE WORK CAN BENEFIT AND KIND OF A WIN-WIN DEAL BUT THERE IS A LOT OF ASSAULT ON THE TRADING SYSTEM TODAY. WHAT, IF YOU ARE ELECTED PRESIDENT, WOULD YOU DO TO HELP THE AMERICANS EMBRACE THE IMPORTANCE OF REALLY FREE TRADE THAT WOULD ALLOW TO US KEEP CREATING THESE JOBS IN IOWA, FOR EXAMPLE?

ROMNEY: WELL, FIRST OF ALL, CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR SUCCESS AS A CORPORATE LEADER AND AS A COMPANY. AND I DO SEE YOUR FACTORIES ACROSS IOWA AS I GO AND SEE A LOT OF GREEN TRACTORS EVERY WHERE I GO AND HAVE A JOHN DEERE COMPACT TRACTOR AT MY HOME AS WELL, SO --

LANE: WELL, THANK YOU.

ROMNEY: YOUR PRODUCTS ARE WELL-RECEIVED AND THERE IS NO QUESTION BUT THAT TRADE ENHANCES THE INCOMES OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE, IT HAS BEEN CALCULATED APPROXIMATELY $9,000 OF ADDITIONAL INCOME IS EARNED BY AMERICAN FAMILIES BY VIRTUE OF THE FACT WE HAVE TRADE AROUND THE WORLD. SO WE DON'T WANT TO STOP TRADE. WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE GROWTH OF TRADE, AT THE SAME TIME WANT TO MAKE SURE COUNTRIES LIKE CHINA ABIDE BY THE KIND OF RULES THAT ARE FAIR AND EQUITABLE ACROSS THE WORLD. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO HAVE THEIR CURRENCY PEGGED ON A BASIS THAT IS NOT COMPETITIVE WITH WHAT WOULD HAPPEN ON A -- FREE-FLOATING BASIS. AND LIKEWISE WE WANT TO BE SURE THEY PROTECT OUR INTELLECTUAL PROMPT RIGHTS AND HAVE SAFETY STANDARDS THAT A-- PROPERTY RIGHTS AND SAFETY STANDARDS THAT ASSURE THEIR PRODUCTS CAN BE BROUGHT INTO THE COUNTRY WITHOUT WORRY TO OUR HEALTH AND WELL BEING AND THOSE WILL HAVE TO BE DONE AND THE AMERICAN PEOPLE RECOGNIZE AS LONG AS THOSE ELEMENTS ARE PUT IN PLACE TRADE IS A GREAT SOURCE OF VITALITY FOR US AND WE WILL NOT RETREAT TO PUTTING BARRIERS UP AND THAT WOULD DO TO US WHAT IT DID TO THE SOVIET UNION AND THAT IS CAUSE ECONOMIC -- YOU KNOW, WEAKNESS.

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