In his 1984 presidential bid, Mondale cheered labor allies with get-tough policies on Japanese imports. Otherwise, he warned, “Our children will be serving McDonald’s hamburgers and sweeping up around Japanese computers.” More recently he has represented U.S. business clients in Japan.
“A $50 billion trade deficit is unsustainable,” he told NEWSWEEK. “I think even the Japanese government knows that.” One top House Democrat says some Japanese leaders are beginning to realize Mondale is going to be a tough negotiator: “Behind their smiles there’s a certain nervousness.”
