President assures students he's against exporting jobs

HARRISBURG, Pa. - President Bush on Thursday sought to quell a ruckus over remarks by one of his top economic advisers, assuring a crowd that he was concerned about the loss of American jobs to other countries, an increasingly potent issue in the 2004 campaign.

"There are people looking for work because jobs have gone overseas," Bush told a gymnasium full of supporters and students at Central Dauphin High School. "And we need to act in this country. We need to act to make sure there are more jobs at home and people are more likely to retain a job."

On Monday, N. Gregory Mankiw, chairman of the president's Council of Economic Advisers, told reporters that "outsourcing" - the practice by companies of taking work done by Americans and moving it to low-wage countries abroad - was "probably a plus for the economy in the long run" because it reflected an expansion of free trade benefiting all nations, including the United States.

In an election year when Democrats are regularly attacking Bush for the loss of millions of jobs during his presidency, Mankiw's initial remarks have been criticized by members of both parties as insensitive and politically tone-deaf.

Bush did not mention Mankiw during his hour-and-a-half visit, his 25th to Pennsylvania, which he lost in the 2000 election and wants to win this year.

But in a state that has lost about 84,000 jobs during his presidency, he pushed his job-training and education programs, and said one solution to jobs moving overseas was to train Americans for higher-paying work at home.

"It used to be, you know, crank somebody out of high school, and if they could run a backhoe, that's going to be fine," Bush said.

"And there's nothing wrong with backhoe drivers - we're going to need them. But we're also going to need computer programmers, or people working in the health sciences."

Wesley Clark will endorse presidential contender John Kerry, a high-profile boost for the front-runner as he looks to wrap up the party's nomination, according to Democratic officials.

With next week's Wisconsin primary looming, they say, Clark plans to join Kerry at a campaign stop in Madison, Wis., today to make a formal endorsement. Clark spokesman Matt Bennett would not confirm this and would only say, "Gen. Clark is looking forward to going to Wisconsin to be with Sen. Kerry."

The backing of Clark, who registered in the low double digits in earlier Wisconsin polls, could increase Kerry's advantage in a state with 72 pledged delegates at stake.

Sen. John Edwards is the overwhelming favorite to be John Kerry's running mate, according to a National Journal poll of Democratic insiders.

The poll assumes Kerry will win the nomination.

Rep. Dick Gephardt came in second, followed by New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson and Florida Sen. Bob Graham.

The Democratic consultants and campaign officials who chose Graham cited Florida's key role in the presidential election, but some said he may have hurt his chances with his unsuccessful presidential campaign. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson came in 12th.

- Times staff writer Bill Adair contributed to this report.

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