American people oppose Obamatrade – Repub leadership should take note
Future livelihood and the sovereignty of your country at stake
Fodder for common ground with your staunch labor union acquaintances
Much has been written about the strange alliance of opposition to reauthorizing Trade Authority(fast track) powers (TPA) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) a.k.a. collectively, Obamatrade. It is an alliance of TEA Party conservatives and generally speaking, labor unions and other liberal groups.
One irony for us is that certain liberals oppose TPP because they fear it will somehow work against their one world environmental Marxism (that element actually cares little about raising people out of poverty ). We oppose it in part because we fear it will help install their green Marxism.
Labor unions oppose it in the belief they were burned by NAFTA and Obamatrade has the potential to be that on steroids. We generally support free trade as economically sound but we have no interest in promoting mercantilism and crony capitalism which we believe TPP, enabled by TPA (fast track), will probably encompass. The approval procedures put in place regarding TPP, if fast track is reauthorized — no amendments — secrecy from the public on matters of extreme importance to their livelihood — and likely our county’s culture and sovereignty — are unconscionable in a serious republic. Allowing scrutiny and amendments would help insure that crap doesn’t get put in there in the first place out of sheer public embarrassment.
TPA would not be as harmful in effect, however unprincipled, if what it was being rushed to implement was indeed not as encompassing as TPP, which is so broad as to be a treaty among nations and therefor invokes the Constitution’s requirement of two thirds support in the Senate.
Democrats in Congress generally oppose TPP and Republicans including many good conservatives who should be more circumspect generally support this Obama favored initiative. Should it pass, both TPA and TPP are scheduled for a vote this Friday, it will be Republicans primarily who give Obama a power grabbing legislative achievement contra more long-term Republican interests than you can shake a stick at. Approval has every potential for taking the 2016 general election from being one for Republicans to lose (with the right candidate) to enhancing the prospects of a Hillary, an O’Malley, or a Sanders, or any Democrat who opposes it.
The 2016 general election will be set including the presidential winner, in little over a year. There will be no economic relief for the masses prior to 2016 that can be associated with TPP. Democrats will play this vote unabashedly. Obama’s name will be scratched from any association. It will be all about Republicans and evil corporations conspiring to move jobs off shore and ruin the middle class. Truth will not matter. Given recent polling about this, the political tone deafness and bad timing of Republican leadership is astonishing beyond their hard to surpass capabilities.
Why would Republican leadership be part of pushing this now? Do they think they have the cover of Obama on this? It is the other way around. Republicans demoralize much of their base (see recent polling) by association. Does Republican leadership think they cannot achieve the presidency in 2016 and that this is more important than the presidency? Because if they thought they would get the White House would they not be inclined to wait for a President who negotiates a good faith deal without all the predictable nonsense Obama would impart, a President who will not inject executive orders and interpretations into the implementation?
Do they think that they will get the credit for any alleged good outcome and Obama will be forgotten? Again that cannot come to pass prior to 2016 election. They must think that they can blame Obama for any bad outcome, but again that will not be effective prior to the 2016 election. The best hedge is to say, no this President is untrustworthy, we will prepare a simpler actual trade proposal that is out in the open, that protects American interests and enhances trade, that protects American sovereignty, that protects the Constitution . . . and a Republican President can sign it and implement it.
Conservatives (and others) that are serious detractors, in opposition to or undecided on TPA or TPP (to be updated)
The American People (see here and latest here )
Congressional opposition is led by Senator Jeff Sessions
Republican Presidential candidates and hopefuls opposing TPA or TPP or both:
Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson, Donald Trump, Carla Fiorina. Chris Christie and Rand Paul — both no on TPA, unclear on TPP . Rick Perry, after initially voicing support for TPA and TPP now says he is reluctant to give Obama such authority
Jenny Beth Martin of Tea Party Patriots and Judson Phillips of Tea Party Nation
Americans for Limited Government; American Family Association; Eagle Forum
Mark Levin; Dick Morris; Rush Limbaugh?; Dinesh D’Souza; Pat Buchanan; Gary Bauer
Richard Vigourie; Lou Dobbs, Jim Cramer, Ed Rollins: Frank Gaffney; Allen West; Ron Paul
Most eruditely, Veritaspac.com
Additional commentary later. This post was revised from the original on 6-11
