By Natalie Morales
Enquirer staff writer

ASHLAND - Nick Clooney, the Augusta candidate for Kentucky's Fourth Congressional District, took his ideas about fair trade to the press Thursday with a conference call to area reporters.

Clooney said he spent the past few months making rounds in the district's 24 Kentucky counties to find out what residents are most concerned about and what needs they have that are not being met.

"I'm going to find out things that fit with people in the Fourth District," he said.

Clooney said top concerns of many he spoke with included the loss of American jobs because of outsourcing and poorly structured and enforced trade agreements.

Clooney proposed five points that he says promote fair trade:

• Enforce current trade deals.

• Eliminate tax laws that encourage U.S. companies to outsource jobs.

• Reward U.S. companies that keep jobs within the country.

• Stop China's abusive trade relationship with the United States.

• Crack down on counterfeiting of U.S. products.

He provided no further details Thursday.

The proposal was not specific and made points most people can agree on, said Justin Brasell, campaign spokesman for Republican Geoff Davis, Clooney's opponent.

"All of these ideals are ones we would support, but they're all very vague," he said.

Clooney said he noticed an increase in employment opportunities beginning in April and May but also noticed an increase in uninsured employees. He said promoting more manufacturing jobs would help lessen the problem.

"It seems obvious that the jobs we're getting back are not the jobs that are helping anybody move up into the middle class," Clooney said.

Davis, of Boone County, is the only candidate who has worked as a manufacturer, Brasell said.

"People want more than just words," he said. "They want experience."

E-mail nmorales@enquirer.com