Shortly after Ron Johnson said that he wanted the U.S. business environment to be more like China, his campaign quickly went into their typical Monty Python Argument Sketch mode, saying "we unequivocally reject any notion that Ron Johnson ever said or implied that communist China is better for business."
But the reality is that Johnson has said similar statements and much more directly on the campaign trail. For example, he told Steve Walters in a Wisconsin Eye interview:
I respect business, I respect the free market system. The free market system, its a marvelous thing, its a wonderful thing: It ensures the lowest possible price, the highest level of quality, and the highest level of customer service. That's what it does. It is what has allowed the U.S. to have five percent of the world's population and produce 25% of the world's goods. It works. We need people in Washington that believe that and can help us move toward a growth, opportunity, prosperity agenda-- that's what we've gotta do. We've got to grow this economy.
If we can benchmark the business climate-environment of America with the rest of the world, and, quite honestly, as a state issue, Wisconsin with the rest of the states throughout the U.S., we can do this. I really am very confident.
The fair question, then, is what would Johnson's "benchmarks" look like here in Wisconsin? Considering our largest jobs predator is China, that means "benchmarks" like getting paid a dollar a day and working in a sweat shop.
That sounds great, Ron.