Pelosi had the trade deal press conference without filling in labor voices in the caucus.

[madfloridian]

Looks like the free traders were the ones who got access and got included in the discussions. Pelosi had the press conference before filling in many of her party members.

Agreements Reached on Trade Deals

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, flanked by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab, said the agreement signaled "a giant step forward" in advancing U.S. economic interests without sacrificing American workers and the environment.

The new policy will apply immediately to pending free trade agreements with Peru and Panama. It will also become a part of trade accords with South Korea and Colombia, although lawmakers said other issues, such as violence in Colombia, must be dealt with before Congress can consider those agreements.

...But a half-dozen House Democrats with strong labor ties, watching the news conference from the back of the room, later expressed strong dissatisfaction with the process. The strongest voices for workers and the environment were not included" in the negotiations and were not informed of the deal, said Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio.

..."I'm very disappointed that Speaker Pelosi held a press conference before meeting with the caucus," said Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine. "In a democratic process Democrats ought to know."

MyDD has a couple of posts up today covering this issue.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/5/10/204049/602

Update <2007-5-10 20:50:58 by Matt Stoller>:: Here's the key deal-breaker from Donahue: "However, we are encouraged by assurances that the labor provisions cannot be read to require compliance with ILO Conventions."

The whole point of this deal is that it includes ILO standards. Baucus and Rangel look like fools.

And another post by Matt:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/5/10/20281/6889

Well this is interesting. On the day of a massive series of votes on Iraq and the day after a DoD Authorization mark-up in which habeas was struck, there's a huge press conference announcing a bipartisan free trade deal with increased labor and environmental standards. Labor is flipping out, apparently unsure of what to do. I've made three or four calls and the details are somewhat murky. One person I spoke with was Peter Chandler of Congressman Mike Michaud's office. Michaud signed a letter that someone else slipped to me from six Democrats (the others are Allen, Ryan, Kildee, Hare, Linda Sanchez) asking for an internal caucus discussion of an impending deal. Forty minutes after they sent this letter came the press conference.

...." Peter told me that no one except the people in the room had seen the language, so the caucus at large is not ok with it yet.He's suspicious because a big announcement is made suddenly with the Republican leadership on Ways and Means, and Democratic caucus members have very little information about it.

Apparently, though others were in the room in the back...they were not part of nor were they aware of the presentation. Here's who was announcing it.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi
Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.
U.S. Trade Representative Susan C. Schwab
Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus
House Ways & Means Chairman Charles B. Rangel
House Ways & Means Ranking Member Jim McCrery
New Democrat Coalition Leadership:
Rep. Ellen Tauscher, Chair, New Democrat Coalition
Rep. Adam Smith. Vice-Chair, New Democrat Coalition
Rep. Ron Kind, Vice-Chair, New Democrat Coaltion
Rep. Artur Davis, Vice-Chair, New Democrat Coalition
Rep. Joe Crowley, Vice-Chair and Whip, New Democrat Coaltion

That is not how our party should be slipping through trade bills.

We felt like labor was being shut out when Robert Rubin was given free rein to advise the freshmen congress people.

Robert Rubin gets the floor to himself to talk to new Congress folks.

[madfloridian]

1. If it has language favorable to labor, why not tell the rest of the caucus what's in it.

"Peter told me that no one except the people in the room had seen the language, so the caucus at large is not ok with it yet.He's suspicious because a big announcement is made suddenly with the Republican leadership on Ways and Means, and Democratic caucus members have very little information about it."

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/5/10/20281/6889

[madfloridian]

2. Not dealing with labor friendly caucus members..not good.

:kick:

[mhatrw]

3. What a completely crock!

Read all about it: http://davidsirota.com/

[lovuian]

4. It appears the Democrats have forgotten who they are

they are for the WORKER not corporations

labor was shut out

[madfloridian]

5. Rubin has too much influence.

He always did, and he does now.

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

6. K&R. nt

[CRH]

7. Why do new Democrats aka republicrats fear open government? ...

Why are NDC, DLC, Bluedogs, afraid of open debate and transparent government?

It will be very interesting when labor has a chance to comment on the language and real effect of this new 'fair trade policy'. Whenever I see government by stealth, I immediately wonder what is being hidden behind the veil of shenanigans. If it is the best thing since sliced bread, why hide within the manipulation of process.

[madfloridian]

8. Very good question.

Why were so many not included in the process?

[bread_and_roses]

9. Teamsters, and Domestic Manufacturers making statements against,

this deal. Can be read over at
http://blog.workingassets.com/sirota/
(all quotes below from Sirotablog)

Teamsters Hoffa:

"To my great disappointment, Democratic leaders in Congress joined with the Bush administration yesterday to announce a trade 'deal' that sells out American workers. I am baffled as to why there is such eagerness to give this president - who is unwilling to enforce current labor and trade laws -- a victory by continuing to pass more NAFTA/CAFTA-like trade models that send good-paying jobs overseas. The deal, which is wrongly dubbed 'A New Trade Policy For America,' does nothing to protect American jobs or help create more jobs at home. The race to the bottom will only continue. Therefore, this 'deal' is NO DEAL for the Teamsters or American workers, and we will fight like hell to oppose this shortsighted agreement. There are many members of Congress who know the reality of having their communities destroyed and broken as a result of bad trade and globalization policies. So I question why there was so much urgency to have a "deal," especially without the support and backing of all of organized labor and the workers we represent."

One does indeed wonder.

Midsize Domestic Manufacturers also condemning, calling the deal "a simple sell-out of US worker and producer interests."

Sherrod Brown is rather fulsome in praise then says he's "concerned" about enforcability. However, from his quote, doesn't sound like he's even read it yet. Sounds as if he's maybe going by these press releases:

UPDATE: The U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee is now blasting out emails to Capitol Hill of press releases praising the deal from the National Association of Manufacturers, the Financial Services Forum, Microsoft and the Emergency Committee on Trade - the corporate front group pushing this deal.

And how often is a deal that K-Street celebrates good for American workers? And if it's a "deal" then what are the Dems laying on the table?

The whole thing seems pretty smelly, so far.

[madfloridian]

12. I will go and read all of that at Working Assets.

I am extremely disappointed with our party right now.

Thanks for the link. I usually get all of Sirota's mails, but I did not get any today. Come to think about it, I did not get much mail at all today.

[KoKo]

16. Could it be a "trade off" Pelosi made to get Bush to accept Iraqi "Benchmarks?"

Word out in MSCorporate Media is that Bush..."might accept benchmarks."

Is this the compromise made to get us out of Iraq? Made on the backs of American Workers? :shrug:

[madfloridian]

18. I wondered at the timing.

It just came out of nowhere.

[bonito]

21. Kick n/t

[MzNov]

10. More free trade. Just what we need. Please dont' tell Thom Hartmann anyone.

He's not gonna like this........

[Rainscents]

11. I am sick and tired of this shit!

I am ready to vote for Ron Paul. Dem's has sold us out again.

[Warren Stupidity]

24. Ron Paul? You think the Libertarian Party is worker friendly?

If you are angry about this fair trade screwage and think that Ron Pauls right-libertarianism is the answer you need to think again.

[KoKo]

13. They are looking for a Hillary/Bill Presidency..and preparing

to work with them.

[Mend]

19. when Hillary was doing her health care program in secret for four months,

not a single M.D. was invited to participate. Try accepting that if you are the providers and you don't get a say in the provisions.

[KoKo]

14. dupe glitch.

[madfloridian]

15. Rubin's hand in the party...a WP article on the Hamilton Project.

From 2006, Harold Myerson's post about the Hamiltonian Democrats. It was about the time of the announcement of the Hamilton Project.

Hamiltonian Democrats

It's come to this: The chief project to restate Democratic economics for our time was unveiled a couple of weeks ago, and it's named after the father of American conservatism, Alexander Hamilton.

Necessarily, the authors of the Hamilton Project preface their declaration with an attempt, not altogether successful, to reclaim Hamilton from the right. The nation's first secretary of the Treasury, they note, "stood for sound fiscal policy, believed that broad-based opportunity for advancement would drive American economic growth, and recognized that 'prudent aids and encouragements on the part of government' are necessary to enhance and guide market forces."

...." Hamilton also feared the common people, dismissed their capacity for self-government and supported rule by elites instead.

That might be enough to deter most Democrats from naming their firstborn economic revitalization scheme after him, but the authors of the Hamilton Project are made of sterner stuff. They include Peter Orszag, an estimable Brookings Institution economist; investment banker Roger Altman, formerly of the Clinton Treasury department; and, chiefly, former Treasury secretary and current Citigroup executive committee Chairman Robert Rubin, whose iconic status within the Democratic mainstream has waxed as the median incomes of Americans under the Bush presidency have waned. Rubin has also become a seal of good housekeeping for Democratic candidates seeking money from Wall Street. When Bob Rubin talks, Democratic pols don't just listen; they scramble for front-row seats and make a show of taking notes.

I am not being critical of all his views. I am being critical because he is getting such exclusive access to our Democrats. Thus the bill that was passed pretty much in secret yesterday.

I wrote a post about Robert Rubin was getting such access to advise the freshmen Democrats.. Pelosi invited only him and not union or labor representatives on any big scale.

Robert Rubin gets the floor to himself to talk to new Congress folks.

So why does Pelosi begin the education of her freshman members with a seminar on Rubinomics? Robert Rubin, the Citigroup executive and former Treasury secretary, will appear solo next week before the party caucus to explain the economy. Pelosi has scheduled another caucus briefing on Iraq, but that includes five expert voices of varying viewpoints. Rubin gets the stage to himself.

When labor officials heard about this, they asked to be included since they have very different ideas about what Democrats need to do in behalf of struggling workers and middle-class families. Pelosi decided against it. This session, her spokesman explains, is only about "fiscal responsibility," not globalization and trade not the deterioration of wages and disappearing jobs. Yet those subjects are sure to come up for discussion. Rubin gets to preach his "free trade" dogma with no one present to rebut his facts and theories.

From The Nation:
Same Old Same Old

Here's the union view of Rubin, from a Yahoo article with a dead link now....but I saved part of it. From November last year:

AFL-CIO leaders, contending Democrats won the midterm elections because of voter concern about job security and stagnant wages, say it's time to set aside the free-trade policies touted by Rubin.

`We need to review the Rubin agenda that's led to millions of lost jobs and declining standard of living for the middle class,'' said United Steelworkers President Leo Girard. ``It's an agenda that has been very good for Citigroup and the financial community because they've been able to finance the relocation of jobs and refinance the trade deficits.''
http://news.yahoo.com/s/bloomberg/20061122/pl_bloomberg/anm1h6ktw73e

Looks like labor might have lost a lot yesterday.

[Amonester]

17. How about creating a new party, and call it...

The "We The People" Party?

(Or "The People's Party" for short, or any other "attractive" name, a party that belongs to "We The People" instead of Big Business & Co.)

[bvar22]

20. In 2006, Pelosi parlayed her seat in the House of Reps....

In 2006, Pelosi parlayed her seat in the House of Reps into a seat at the Rich White Man's table. She took that seat and has never looked back.

I used to love Nancy Pelosi before she got the dollar signs in her eyes that came with her extreme facelift. She has gone to the darkside.
Goodbye, Nancy.


The Democratic Party is a BIG TENT, but there is NO ROOM for those
who advance the agenda of THE RICH (Corporate Owners) at the EXPENSE of LABOR and the POOR.

[madfloridian]

22. Here's who supported it. DLC says 1st step to fast track for Bush.

SUPPORT FOR THE DEAL- DEM LEADERSHIP TRUMPETS K STREET'S SUPPORT

REUTERS - BIG BUSINESS OVERJOYED: Reuters reports that most of the corporate lobbying community in Washington, D.C. is praising the deal.

DLC APPLAUDS DEAL AS FIRST STEP TO GIVING BUSH FAST TRACK: The Democratic Leadership Council - the corporate-funded group that has long supported NAFTA and other similar pacts - issued a statement praising the deal, and saying it is "good news" that the agreement is a step towards Democrats passing President Bush's request for reauthorization of "fast track" trade authority.

SENATE DEM POLICY COMMITTEE PASSES OUT K STREET PRESS RELEASES: The U.S. Senate Democratic Policy Committee blasted out a triumphant email alert to Capitol Hill staff touting press releases praising the secret Democratic-Bush trade deal from the National Association of Manufacturers, the Financial Services Forum, Microsoft and the Emergency Committee on Trade - the corporate front group pushing this deal.

http://www.workingassetsblog.com:80/2007/05/k_street_vs_middle_america_bat.html

At the link are those who are opposing it, a much longer list.

[dmr]

23. This shit you come to expect from the other side-

but an honest Democrat knows they are representing communities of everyday, run-of-the-mill, average Americans, not corporations or lobbyists or special interest groups. They must have learned from the 2006 election (I'm convinced our voice would have been, by far, louder had there not been voter fraud & poll manipulations) that we will hold their feet to the fire if their actions and deeds serve interests other than 'we the people'.

When someone(s) rush to do things behind closed doors, not include alternative views, especially during a learning session, and 'special interests' voices pleasure with the proceedings, then that tells me the outcome will not be in the average American's best interest.

I'm not in a political good mood. I've nothing but contempt for the current administration and I've had it with the K-Street status quo. So, these 'Dems' best be careful, lest they be out of a job come their next election cycle; we will hire someone to effectively represent us. And, I suspect, I'm not far from alone on these thoughts.

[chimpymustgo]

25. This is beyond discouraging. We are really screwn.

Welcome to Fascist Amerikka.

[KoKo]

26. kick....

[Lost4words]

27. just like I knew on 12/12/2000 we have no opposition party!

didnt then , dont now. dont put your faith in the democratic party if you dont want to be dissapointed.

8643

[bbgrunt]

28. this is so disgusting it makes me want to vote for Nader.

[madfloridian]

29. Here's the DLC's praise for it.

They seem quite aware of all of it, yet only a few Democrats knew about it. Something is wrong with that picture.

http://dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=131&subid=207&contentid=254299

Summary...it is a good thing

"It's clear this deal was led by Reps. Rangel and Sander Levin (D-MI), with strong support from Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who appeared side-by-side with Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and U.S. Trade Representative Susan Schwab at the press conference announcing it, and Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the chief trade strategist for Senate Democrats. It has won enthusiastic support from internationalist Democrats in Congress. Rep. Greg Meeks (D-NY), who chairs the DLC's newly launched Global Economy Project, called the accord "a monumental accomplishment," and said that "Chairman Rangel's leadership paves the way for bipartisan cooperation on trade and greater access to new markets for American goods and services." New Democrat Coalition leaders agreed, with Rep. Joe Crowley (D-NY) calling it "a major breakthrough that reflects our commitment to the American worker, environmental concerns, and our economic ability to compete globally," and Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) terming it "exactly the kind of forward-thinking trade policy we need."

And here is all we need to know....

"The deal is just, of course, a starting point for a revival of bipartisan trade policy -- and trade policy in turn is only one element of the larger set of financial, competitiveness and adjustment policies we need to remain the world's leading economy in the decades ahead. The DLC will be active in this debate, through the Global Economy Project, which over this year will be reviewing the broad spectrum of policies the United States will need for the 2010s."

But they don't need to fill in the rest of the Democratic caucus about it beforehand?

[OzarkDem]

30. We need a new leader

I've just about run out of patience with her. Reid, too.

[madfloridian]

31. Why is it kept secret from Dem caucus, yet the DLC knows what's in it?

How come the DKC knows what's in it yet it is being kept secret from Democrats in the caucus??

"Reverberations continue to intensify after Thursday's press conference announcing a secret "free" trade deal. I have compiled the major news of the day, including new revelations about who is supporting the deal and who is opposing it, though remember - it is difficult to make any definitive conclusions because Democratic leaders and the White House continue to keep the details of the deal completely secret. That said, a look at who is supporting the deal and who is opposing it provides some key insights into what this deal is really all about. Already, the New York Times has reported that at least half of all House Democrats may immediately oppose the deal because it seems to fly in the face of the Election 2006 mandate against lobbyist-written trade policy. A day after the announcement, the battle lines are being drawn."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/5/10/102451/354

Ok, here's the deal as I see it. The DLC is praising this deal to the skies, while as I posted above, too many in the caucus have no clue about what is in it..it is being kept secret from them.

http://dlc.org/ndol_ci.cfm?kaid=131&subid=207&contentid=254299

Guess we know who the big important folks are. :think:

[madfloridian]

32. MyDD calls for opening up the trade deal.

http://www.mydd.com/story/2007/5/12/115034/314

"Here's what concerns me. There was a big press conference on Thursday designed to create a certain type of message around the trade pact. The Democrats won labor and environmental standards, but corporate America is happy as well. You can see the reporting coming out with this messaging. The problem is that the details of the deal are still secret. I have talked to Congressman Michaud's office, to the USBIC, and to various trade groups, and none of them have seen the specifics of the deal.

This is extremely problematic and dishonest of the people negotiating and announcing the details. Pelosi, Rangel, Baucus, Bush, and the New Democrats knew that they could generate a huge raft of headlines on the trade deal without actually revealing the meat of the deal, so they did so. This is pretty much how the war in Iraq was sold, how the Bankruptcy bill was sold, and how NAFTA was sold.

In fact, we have only three pieces of real information about the deal. One, we know that it was negotiated by New Democrats, Pelosi, Baucus, and Bush, and that labor unions and fair traders were excluded. And two, we know that the announcement was made to generate headlines without giving us the details to actually know whether the proponents of the deal were telling the truth.

And we know the deal is still secret. The question is, why?"