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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsBloomberg: Why Is Obama Caving on Tobacco?
(Note: I am no fan of Mayor Bloomberg, but he is absolutely right to call out the President on this issue. I only wish he explored the ramifications of the TPP for other laws and regulations in areas other than tobacco as well)[font size=2 color=gray]By MICHAEL R. BLOOMBERG
Published: August 22, 2013[/font]
LAST year I endorsed President Obama for re-election largely because of his commitment to putting science and public health before politics. But now the Obama administration appears to be on the verge of bowing to pressure from a powerful special-interest group, the tobacco industry, in a move that would be a colossal public health mistake and potentially contribute to the deaths of tens of millions of people around the world.
Although the presidents signature domestic issue has been health-care reform, his legacy on public health will be severely tarnished at a terrible cost to the poor in the developing world unless his administration reverses course on this issue.
Today in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei, representatives from the United States and 11 other nations begin the latest round of negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a multinational trade agreement. The pact is intended to lower tariffs and other barriers to commerce, a vitally important economic goal. But if it is achieved at the expense of peoples health, the United States and countries around the world will be worse off for it.
The early drafts of the agreement included a safe harbor provision protecting nations that have adopted regulations on tobacco like package warnings and advertising and marketing restrictions because of the unique status of tobacco products from a health and regulatory perspective. This provision would have prevented the tobacco industry from interfering with governments sovereign right to protect public health through tobacco control laws.
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Warren DeMontague
(80,708 posts)markpkessinger
(8,381 posts)PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)Is Obama wimpy President with no backbone who caves on everything? Or is he a power-hungry authoritarian dictator hell bent on spying and imposing his will on absolutely everybody?
markpkessinger
(8,381 posts)markpkessinger
(8,381 posts). . . so you're setting up a straw man here. My chief concern with respect to his expansion of executive power has more to do with what some future president might do with that power.
PowerToThePeople
(9,610 posts)information that is valuable for a true democracy to function properly.
He even went so far as to claim persons guilty before trails had occurred.
Enrique
(27,461 posts)markpkessinger
(8,381 posts). . . or maybe it's Glenn Greenwald's fault!
Aerows
(39,961 posts)Right Wing Libertarian?
I'm just trying to stay on the cutting edge of classification of anyone who criticizes President Obama.
Oh, wait, he's a Professional Leftist?
Hmm... That can't be right.
He's a Progressive! That must be it!
Response to markpkessinger (Original post)
markpkessinger This message was self-deleted by its author.