to know what you are talking about.

From the January 4th OpinionJournal Political Diary

John Edwards Needs a Maytag Repair Man

John Edwards made a curious choice for a companion on stage in Iowa last night. The former senator from North Carolina placed second in the caucuses and took the stage to deliver the message that his campaign will carry on. He was joined by Doug Bishop, a former Maytag employee. “Doug and his family worked at the Maytag plant in Newton — Newton, Iowa — for generations. For generations, they worked, they sacrificed, they did everything you’re supposed to do in America,” Mr. Edwards said. “And then recently, this plant closed. And the jobs went overseas. Why? The reason is because corporate greed has got a stranglehold on America.”

There’s just one problem. Maytag’s jobs didn’t go overseas. They went to Ohio. Two years ago, Maytag was bought by Whirlpool, partly to bulk up for competition with Chinese exporters, and Whirlpool soon announced plans to consolidate its newly acquired manufacturing plants and move 1,000 jobs to the Buckeye State. The move wasn’t a case of a “greedy” company relocating jobs to China, but an example of one state out-competing another for manufacturing jobs. It may still be an example of two Americas, but not the one Mr. Edwards claims it to be.

OpinionJournal’s Political Diary is available for $3.95 month from the WSJ. It is delivered to you via e-mail 5 days a week. I highly recommend it.- HKO

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