Textile execs cutting threads to GOP

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"There's a lot of Republicans up here who would struggle to vote for a Democrat, but in the textile industry there's a number of us who are finding it much easier this election," said Carl Lehner, chief executive officer of Leigh Fibers in Spartanburg.

Industry leaders embraced Democrat Inez Tenenbaum after U.S. Rep. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., defeated their favored candidate, former Gov. David Beasley, in the GOP primary. The winner will replace retiring Sen. Ernest "Fritz" Hollings, D-S.C.

Many textile executives vowed to support DeMint's opponent — Republican or Democrat — after the congressman voted two years ago to give the president added power to negotiate trade agreements.

"Inez is far more supportive of our industry than Jim DeMint is," Lehner said. "He has consistently voted with President Bush on free trade issues, which generally work against the interest of the textile industry."

In the Carolinas, textile mills used to be the backbone of many communities' economies. As those factories are shuttered, many people in often rural areas are left without jobs.

The fate of the textile industry has been less of an issue in the North Carolina Senate race between Democrat Erskine Bowles and Republican Richard Burr, but it's still important.

Bowles, a Charlotte investment banker and President Clinton's former chief of staff, has received more than $100,000 from the textile industry. His wife, Crandall, leads Springs Industries, a bedding and drapery manufacturer near the state line in Rock Hill, S.C.

Democrats Tenenbaum and Bowles each oppose the Central American Free Trade Agreement, while DeMint supports it. Burr, the North Carolina congressman, has said the agreement "doesn't cut it."

The agreement must be ratified by Congress, which means whoever wins the November elections likely will get to vote on the deal.

Tenenbaum, the state's education superintendent, promises it's not too late to save the battered industry and blames DeMint's votes during his three terms in Congress for the loss of thousands of South Carolina textile jobs.

DeMint is unapologetic about his support of free trade, saying it's the only way to create jobs that keep the state competitive in the global marketplace.

"What we're doing now is not free trade at all," said Jock Nash, a Washington lobbyist and lawyer for textile magnate Roger Milliken of Spartanburg. "When a corporation leaves America and goes to China to make their stuff and sells it back here, that's not trade. You're seeing the deconstruction of our manufacturing base."

Milliken poured money into Beasley's campaign, but has so far been silent in the DeMint-Tenenbaum race.

Robert Edsall, who owns a Spartanburg-based textile marketing company, said industry leaders raised about $35,000 for Tenenbaum at a $500-a-plate luncheon last month.

The American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition has put up billboards across South Carolina and pushed to get every textile, apparel and fiber employee registered to vote.

Lehner hopes to convince his employees and their peers across the Republican-leaning state that it's OK to vote for a Democrat.

He has set up Internet access for his 200 employees to register to vote online or pick up a registration form.

"I've also given talks to our employees indicating to them that trade policies make a difference, who determines trade policies make a difference and that some candidates have been more supportive of our industry than others," Lehner said.

University of Virginia political scientist Larry Sabato questions how effective the textile vote, formerly a solid GOP voting bloc, will be this year.

"They have moved to Democrats almost out of desperation, things are so bad," he said. "It's important, but it's not as important as it once was because this is a shrunken force."

Lehner, who has contributed thousands of dollars to Republicans in the past, said it's the first time in 20 years with the company that he's gotten involved in politics with his employees.

"With quotas coming off in January, it's pretty important that people pay attention to this election," said Lehner, who has 100 fewer employees than a decade ago. Global quotas on textiles are set to expire on Jan. 1, and U.S. companies are bracing for a flood of cheaply made Chinese apparel.

Tenenbaum has accused DeMint of being a Washington insider who's failed to enforce trade policies, especially with China. She also has called for a moratorium on new trade policies until their long-term effects can be studied.

South Carolina's economy has perked up recently, but the textile industry will never return to what it once was.

"Unless the Democratic candidates really believe that they are going to roll back existing free trade commitments, that's not going to change," said Roland Stephen, associate professor of political economy at North Carolina State University.

He said candidates should talk about giving tools to businesses and to workers to adjust to the global market.

Textile leaders say they welcome trade on a fair playing field. They have lobbied lawmakers to close all import loopholes, keep tariffs and duties at their current levels, use only U.S. companies for defense and security contracts and strictly enforce safeguards against growing imports from China.

DeMint has tried to tame the trade issue, regularly pointing out that jobs in the state were lost to the recession and increased business efficiency. He says free trade helped South Carolina's exports grow by 22 percent in 2003.

He points to the BMW plant near Greer, S.C., as the positive side of global trade. About 4,700 employees turn out luxury automobiles, more than half of which are exported for sale.

DeMint says he just wants America to be competitive.

"We do that by opening markets and enforcing the trade agreements that we have and providing new opportunities for our exporters here," said his campaign spokeswoman, Kara Borie.

Economists and experts say free trade is good for the country as a whole but may have negative effects.

"It's in our best interest to have developing countries develop," Stephen said. However, "it is true that this transition is a painful one."