President Obama Leads By Example

       The historic inauguration of President Barack Obama brought a lot of media attention to some very trivial issues:  Why did Michelle Obama cut her hair?  Did Beyoncé lip-sync the Star-Spangled Banner?  Never mind that, our first African American President and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, was sworn into office for his second term on the day we celebrate Nobel Peace Prize recipient Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. Inquiring minds want to know, did Kelly Clarkson lip-sync too?

President Obama reinforced his commitment to addressing unfair trade in his inaugural speech, explaining that ‘a free market only thrives when there are rules to ensure competition and fair play.’ With his pledge to create one million new manufacturing jobs by the end of 2016, you need only look to his inaugural threads to add to the jobs meter.   For his 2013 inauguration, the President chose a suit from Brooks Brothers, a company started in New York City 195 years ago. In his 2009 inauguration, the President sought out a home town favorite, Chicago-based Hart Schaffner Marx, a company in the suit business for 125 years.

For the 500,000 workers remaining in the US textile Industry, the inauguration brought a glimmer of hope.   For an industry that’s lost three million textile mill and apparel manufacturing jobs, when our leaders believe in our products enough to wear them on inauguration day; First Lady Michelle Obama’s bangs are the farthest from our minds. OUR inquiring minds want to know; is our President leading by example to Keep it Made in America?  Indeed he is.

Rachel Bennett Steury, AAM Field Coordinator  www.americanmanufacturing.org