How "The Mouse" Sees TPP (source)by Gaius PubliusA what-to-expect note on TPP. There will be several battles; the first is coming in the Senate Finance Committee, likely in April, with a vote on "Fast Track" enabling legislation. ("Enabling" legislation means Fast Track enables TPP by disabling Congress's ability to debate and amend it.) If Fast Track passes out of committee, it will go to the Senate floor.
Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)by Gaius PubliusAre progressives willing to attack Ron Wyden on TPP? The question isn't mine — it's from the National Journal (my emphasis throughout):
Obama’s Presidential Library as envisaged by the Chicago firm HOK (view 1). Like Star Fleet Academy, but with corporate funding.by Gaius Publius The TPP wars are heating up on the corporate side. As the piece linked below states:
by Gaius Publius The TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) "trade" agreement issue is heating up, and if you follow this subject you may have seen seen our coverage — especially the attempt to divide the left by falsely painting TPP as "progressive": Obama Campaign Alumni–Led “270 Strategies” Form Astroturf Group to Promote TPPMore on “270 Strategies” — Paid to Play the Insider GameThat cynical messaging, by the way,
Without "Fast Track" Legislation, TPP can't pass.by Gaius PubliusI've been writing, along with many others, in opposition to NAFTA-style "free trade" agreements in general and the upcoming TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) in specific.
In 2002, when young Omar Khan got a job as an intern in Nancy Pelosi's congressional office, NAFTA had already been passed and signed into law by Bill Clinton. An initiative of Big Business, Wall Street and the Republican Party, George H.W. Bush, who negotiated it, had been unable to get Congress to fast track and pass it before he was defeated by Bill Clinton-- who promptly assured Bush, Big Business and Wall Street he would get it passed-- which he did.
by Gaius PubliusI want to tie three small pieces into one package. The first piece, Bill Clinton and NAFTA. The second piece, Barack Obama and TPP. The third piece, Hillary Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative and its neoliberal "free trade" activism. Despite "Predictions" NAFTA Exported Millions of American JobsLet's start with NAFTA, which everyone now knows was a jobs and trade-deficit disaster, and a billionaire pot of gold.
Obama, Boehner and McConnell and actually eager to work together to pass something-- the Big Business/Wall Street free trade agreement progressives are opposing. The TPP, the Trans-Pacific Trade agreement will come up early this year-- as soon as Boehner feels sure he's lines up enough votes between Republicans who hate working families and conservative Democrats who are just Republicans anyway.
