Martin O'Malley Seizes on Hillary Clinton's Vulnerability on Trans-Pacific Partnership

[Purveyor]

Martin O'Malley may have found his opening against Hillary Clinton.

On Tuesday, the former Maryland governor and possible 2016 presidential candidate's political action committee released a new video that, while never mentioning Clinton by name, drew a sharp distinction between O'Malley and the former secretary of state on the subject of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

"We need to stop entering into bad trade deals," O'Malley says in the video. "I'm for trade, and I'm for good trade deals, but I'm against bad trade deals like the Trans-Pacific Partnership. We need to focus on making our economy more sustainable, more circular, and making ourselves strong here at home."

It's no mystery why the TPP, as it is commonly known, is the ad's subject. Hillary Clinton has been under pressure from progressives to pull her support for the emerging trade deal, which she helped to negotiate as secretary of state and championed as recently as November 2012, when she declared in a speech in Australia, “we need to keep upping our game both bilaterally and with partners across the region through agreements like the Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP. ... This TPP sets the gold standard in trade agreements to open free, transparent, fair trade, the kind of environment that has the rule of law and a level playing field. And when negotiated, this agreement will cover 40 percent of the world's total trade and build in strong protections for workers and the environment.”

Since then, however, opposition from labor unions and the liberal wing of the party, has put Clinton in a bind. With Congress last week passing fast-track authorization for the president on deals like the TPP, the outcry from the left has grown louder with every passing day.

more...

http://www.bloomberg.com/politics/articles/2015-04-21/martin-o-malley-seizes-on-hillary-clinton-s-vulnerability-on-trans-pacific-partnership

[libdem4life]

1. And it's a gaping hole getting bigger every day. She needs at least the Center Left, and I'm not

thinking they are liking it. I will be glad when Bernie and Martin get into campaigning. It's going to be interesting, because it may force Obama to disclose what it is he seems to want not to disclose. It's a Democratic fight, to be sure. The Republicans are unanimously for it. What does they infer?

When an employee of the White House is making $12 an hour...another thread somewhere...that story needs to get out. It says it all. Of course it is more than minimum wage, but that salary might must pay for his apartment in DC. Utilities if he's lucky.

[FSogol]

2. Should read: an "employee of the Capitol", not employee of the WH. n/t

[libdem4life]

3. Oops...thanks for the correction. Memory glitch.

Just as bad, though

[davidpdx]

8. I hope you are right about it forcing Obama to disclose what is in the TPP

Don't forget that Warren gets some of the credit too for calling him out on the TPP.

[libdem4life]

10. Absolutely, she lead the charge. But she's not running, so was just talking about

Dem candidates. But she'll be very important with her exclusive Bully Pulpit. When she talks, people listen, even if they don't agree.

[elleng]

4. Thanks. And he sent this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026548689

[Thrill]

5. I like him but I really question

if he'll be tough enough to fight back when the Republicans get real nasty and ugly.

[elleng]

7. Why wouldn't he be tough enough?

Baltimore mayor and Maryland governor not soft jobs. He's smart, articulate, and knows the issues.

[antigop]

6. OMG! Bloomberg actually reports that HRC helped negotiate the TPP! nt

[davidpdx]

9. I'm definitely willing to look at O'Malley

I have a feeling everyone has lined up behind Hillary and the primary is going to be Kabuki theater. I'll cross my fingers for both Sanders and O'Malley to jump in.