Lame Duck TPP Push Hands Trump A Powerful Issue Against Clinton

[eridani]

But not against Sanders

http://www.commondreams.org/views/2016/05/31/lame-duck-tpp-push-hands-trump-powerful-issue-against-clinton

Secretary Clinton has a credibility problem on trade. She said she opposes passage of TPP, but has a problem with people believing that she means it. It doesn’t help that she has said that she will not lobby members of Congress to vote against it.

Clinton is also (unfairly) seen by many as sharing her husband Bill Clinton’s political views, including his successful efforts to push the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which has become a shorthand term describing all of the “free trade” agreements and the damage they have done to American wages. By taking credit for the good things that occurred during the Bill Clinton administration, she is open to blame for the bad things, like NAFTA.

The comments when Truthout republished the CAF post, “Clinton Commits: No Trans-Pacific Partnership,” reflect what is seen in any online discussion of Clinton’s statement of opposition to TPP. Following is a small sample (of the printable comments):

I DO NOT BELIEVE her. Obama said he would ‘renegotiate NAFTA’ and now he pushes TPP and [TTIP, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership], alias NAFTA on steroids. He said this to get elected and lied. She is no better but I am wiser.

Another campaign promise waiting to be broken. How anyone can believe her at this point is beyond me.

She was strongly against same-sex marriage before and then she said she was for same-sex marriage all the time. Just wait till she gets into the office, she will say she is always for TPP and free trade and lie right in your face. That’s what Hillary is, a chameleon.

This leaves a huge opening for Trump. As President Obama pushes Congress to bring up and pass TPP in the postelection “lame-duck” session, Trump can say that Clinton, should she become the nominee, is “only saying” she is against it “to get votes.” You can just hear him saying, “Look, her President is pushing hard for it and she isn’t telling him not to.”

President Obama is not doing Sec. Clinton, should she become the Democratic nominee – or any other Democrats running for office – any favors by continuing to push for passage of the TPP.

[JRLeft]

1. She should come out in full force against it. Out in the open and behind scenes.

[rhett o rick]

2. Now to be fair, she said she didn't like the wording. This is typical Hillary rhetoric

that means literally nothing. So if they change a few words then will she like it?

[AzDar]

3. How can anyone believe ANYTHING she says?

[strategery blunder]

4. I warned about this in my WA state caucus speech on 26 March

Come November, I will vote against Trump...but I'll also be saying "Don't blame me, I caucused AND voted for Bernie in the primary to try to stop this train wreck" for the next four years.

[pampango]

5. The last I heard Obama was pushing for an early vote but republicans want to wait until

after the election because their base (and Trump) oppose it so strongly.

President Obama pushes Congress to bring up and pass TPP in the postelection “lame-duck” session ...

Obama said he would ‘renegotiate NAFTA’ and now he pushes TPP ...

Bernie promises to 'renegotiate' NAFTA, the WTO and other agreements. Trump promises to 'rip them up'. 'Renegotiating' is not a bad thing especially since we already have trade agreements with most of the TPP countries.

I do trust Bernie's 'renegotiation' promise more than I do Hillary's. And I trust both of them more than I trust Donald's 'promises' to do anything.

Such a platform plank can make it clear that “free trade,” when used as a vehicle to move jobs and production out of the country and drive down American wages, is not something that the Democratic Party will tolerate. Instead the plank can call for a new approach to trade that brings labor, environmental, consumer, human rights, LGBT, health, democracy and other “stakeholder” groups to the negotiating table along with business interests, seeking an approach to trade that lifts stakeholders on all sides of trade borders.

That would be a fantastic plank for the Democratic Party. Aim high.

As FDR said:

International cooperation on which enduring peace must be based is not a one-way street. Nations like individuals do not always see alike or think alike, and international cooperation and progress are not helped by any Nation assuming that it has a monopoly of wisdom or of virtue.

Perfectionism, no less than isolationism or imperialism or power politics, may obstruct the paths to international peace. Let us not forget that the retreat to isolationism a quarter of a century ago was started not by a direct attack against international cooperation but against the alleged imperfections of the peace.

http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=16595