tpp

Welcome to ModestoThe first Blue America truck of 2015 is on the road. Our driver is using the Golden State Highway (Route 99) as the backbone of a trip up and down two Central Valley districts-- CA-10, represented by Republican Jeff Denham, and CA-16, represented by Blue Dog Jim Costa.

The famous "Yes We Can" theme, just before its conversion to "No I Won't." Why is this painful to watch? Six years of broken promises and a party-wide TPP cave by its leaders have rebranded Democrats for a generation. by Gaius PubliusTPP and Fast Track may be closing down the show and heading home. We may (or may not) know its fate very soon.

Recently there have been several roll calls on various aspects of the controversial TPP. Big Business and Wall Street are demanding passage and both Obama and Boehner/McConnell are eager to acquiesce. Almost all the Democrats voted against all the bills-- with corporate whores Steny Hoyer and Steve Israel leading dissident conservatives across the aisle to vote with the GOP.

“Let the jury consider their verdict,” the King said, for about the twentieth time that day.
“No, no!” said the Queen. “Sentence first–verdict afterwards.”
“Stuff and nonsense!” said Alice loudly. “The idea of having the sentence first!”
“Hold your tongue!” said the Queen, turning purple.
“I won’t!” said Alice.
“Off with her head!” the Queen shouted at the top of her voice.
— Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll

`Let the jury consider their verdict,’ the King said, for about the twentieth time that day. `No, no!’ said the Queen. `Sentence first–verdict afterwards.’ `Stuff and nonsense!’ said Alice loudly. `The idea of having the sentence first!’ `Hold your tongue!’ said the Queen, turning purple. `I won’t!’ said Alice. `Off with her head!’ the Queen […]

Route 99, the Golden State Highway, splits off from the 5 Freeway just south of Bakersfield in southern California and stretches north to include a straight path through the Central Valley-- including all of CA-16 and all of CA-10, way into the north where it merges with the 5 again at Red Bluff.

Van Hollen doesn't like having his feet held to the fireYesterday, Congressman Chris Van Hollen broke with his New Dem allies and his own legislative record by joining with the vast majority of Democrats to oppose Fast Track authority for the Trans Pacific Partnership agreement (TPP).

Senators asking big spenders at Monsanto to pony upby Gaius PubliusWhile we're waiting for the Fast Track drama to deliver its next non-final event, I thought I'd offer some background. The big money behind the scenes is paying a lot to get this bill past the goal line (but as you'll see, not a whole lot).The Guardian offers this report (my emphasis):

Blue Dog Jim Costa voted with the GOP to pay for TPP with cuts to MedicareBig Business/Wall Street-oriented conservatives in California from both parties voted to fast-track the job-killing TPP last week. All of California's Republicans and most of the state's Blue Dogs and New Dems voted badly on the package of bills. So did a couple of normal Democrats-- Sam Farr, Anna Eshoo and Karen Bass. Most California congressmembers voted against the trade deal.

No one should have expected anything good coming from conservative New Dem Kathleen Rice when she joined the Republicans and other conservative Democrats to try to pass Fast Track authorization. John MacArthur, writing Friday for Harper's, said, "Rice last week reversed her opposition to fast-track the TPP.