White House Launches Frantic Campaign To Save Trade Deal

[Purveyor]

Source: Politico

By EDWARD-ISAAC DOVERE 6/11/15 4:45 PM EDT Updated 6/11/15 7:36 PM EDT

President Barack Obama and his aides launched a full-court press to save his trade package on Thursday, as House Democrats’ internal struggles pushed Obama’s top legislative priority perilously close to defeat.

As Obama made phone calls to reluctant Democrats from the White House, Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew and Labor Secretary Tom Perez went face-to-face with trade opponents including AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka in a testy closed meiting on Capitol Hill.

It is unclear whether the White House was making any progress.

Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) asked McDonough whether the president could use his leverage with Republicans — who “desperately want” the legislation to pass — to push for changes that would make the bill more palatable for Democrats.

“McDonough just blew that off,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) “So I got up and said, ‘You’re telling us we’ve got to facilitate your deal on this TAA — which is not a very good package — and the president can’t do anything. And I said, ‘That’s bullshit.’ And it is. It’s bullshit.”



Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/06/house-democrats-vote-trade-bill-unfair-fast-track-barack-obama-118892.html

[paleotn]

1. Kill it! (nt)

[PoliticAverse]

2. "Republicans — who “desperately want” the legislation to pass". n/t

[PSPS]

10. Yes, Republicans including Obama.

[Jack Rabbit]

3. Any democrat who votes for those trade deals should be primaried

Any Republican who votes for any of them should merely be tarred and feathered.

[Elmer S. E. Dump]

11. You forgot: and set on fire!

Just in case:

[George II]

4. Is this "latest breaking news" or opinion?

[Purveyor]

9. The last two clipped paragraphs make LBN imo. eom

[frylock]

5. DeFazio bringing the wood!

[riderinthestorm]

6. White House launches frantic campaign to save the public option for health care

Oops...

.... Caught dreaming.

Carry on

[edgineered]

7. Now is the moment for fence sitters to state where they stand!

We can accept that some people are for it. We can accept that some people are against it.

We cannot accept leaders without a position.

[Ed Suspicious]

8. Leverage? What leverage? Have they not been here for the last 6 years? Not that I care anymore.

Any potential leverage used is a move in the wrong direction when it comes to this clusterfuck.

"Rep. Sandy Levin (D-Mich.) asked McDonough whether the president could use his leverage with Republicans — who “desperately want” the legislation to pass — to push for changes that would make the bill more palatable for Democrats."

[Feron]

12. Call/Email your congresscritter..

Mine (Scalise) is voting for it, but I called anyway to register my opposition.

Make sure to say that you will NOT vote for anyone who votes for this bill. Because I sure as hell won't. And that would still apply if he were a Dem. I'm sick of these assholes.

You know it's bad when Jeff Sessions is a voice of reason and sanity.

Funny how both sides can agree when it's fucking over the rest of us.