A recent poll reveals that a large majority of Americans think the U.S. should strengthen domestic manufacturing and develop a national manufacturing policy. Conducted in April by The Mellman Group for the Alliance for American Manufacturing, the poll surveyed likely voters in the 2010 general election from all ends of the political spectrum, including those who identified as Republican, Democrat, Tea Party and Independent.

According to the Mellman report, the 1000 people polled want Washington to focus on manufacturing, saying it's crucial to the nation's economic strength. They also expressed the feeling that working people who make things are being forgotten.

In his post "U.S. Politicians Deny the Obvious Injury; U.S. Manufacturing Bleeds" on the United Steelworkers blog, USW International President Leo W. Gerard quotes a Los Angeles woman who told pollsters:

“When you consume more than you produce, you become dependent, and we are consuming more from other countries than producing our own. . .truly we have become weak and in order to strengthen the economy, I think we need to produce more.”

Gerard writes that "this relentless loss of manufacturing capability enfeebles America."

Well put.

Cross-posted on my blog