White House Reveals Desperate Lack of Support for TPP

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/2015/04/08/white-house-reveals-desperate-lack-of-support-for-tpp/

The White House is having a hard time generating any momentum for fast-track trade authority for the TPP and other agreements. The Obama administration pushed to stop the Seattle City Council from opposing fast-track legislation and the TPP, but instead got a unanimous vote against them from a major port city that trades with Asia.

One of the key issues that has fostered opposition to the TPP is the impact of the agreement on the environment. In order to counter the reality of broad environmental opposition, the White House published an article seeking to spin reality. The White House carefully selected environmental groups that are heavily corporate-funded and then cherry-picked quotes inaccurately portraying their position. In fact, all the groups quoted by the White House have said they have not endorsed the TPP and are waiting to see what the agreement says.

In response to the White House effort Karthik Ganapathy, a spokesman for 350.org said: “So many groups and organizations who care about climate change have repeatedly bashed this corporate giveaway — and suggesting otherwise is nothing short of misleading cynicism.” And, Jake Schmidt, director of the Natural Resources Defense Council’s international program said: “The White House took some of their statements and spun them out. There are a large number of environmental groups that came out pretty clearly and said … ‘What we’ve seen on TPP doesn’t look good.’”

One of the key issues fostering opposition to the TPP is the impact of the agreement on the environment. In order to counter the reality of broad environmental opposition, the White House Blog published an article on March 31 seeking to spin reality. The White House carefully selected quotes from environmental groups that are heavily corporate-funded, then it cherry-picked quotes inaccurately portraying the positions of these groups.

[neverforget]

1. the only support that matters is in Congress and those that own

them: corporations.

[Octafish]

2. NAFTA on Steroids has no friends, except the wealthy.

That is why some Democrats aren't.

[navarth]

59. +1. As usual,

I find myself in agreement with the noble Octafish. My best regards to you, sir.

[hifiguy]

3. What a surprise. People actually oppose giving

literally everything away to Big Busine$$. I am shocked, I tell you.

The last week encapsulates what is so infuriating about Obama. A landmark engagement and agreement with Iran that makes the world a safer place, then he turns around and tries to shove this corporate power-grab down the throats of the American people.

[red dog 1]

13. + 1

Excellent!

[sabrina 1]

31. They do often underestimate the intelligence of the people. I guess the tactic is, give then one

thing, then they will be softened up for the big betrayal.

Someone needs to tell them to stop listening to political 'experts'. I've met a few of these so-called 'experts' and have never met anyone so removed from real people in my life.

Maybe they should get in touch with actual PEOPLE, not highly paid 'consultants' whose only goal is to get what whoever is paying them for THEM.

The whole system is so corrupted by money, and Think Tanks and Security Contractors, I don't know why we think that Congress, even if it wanted to, has any power left to stand up for the people.

[Populist_Prole]

65. You nailed it exactly

[on point]

33. + 1 ^^^^. Somehow the corps and their servants just don't get we ain't buying anymore

[lark]

73. Exactly!

Well and succinctly said!

[pa28]

4. Sierra Club: Obama’s record on environment and trade worse than George W. Bush

https://www.popularresistance.org/environmental-tpp-chapter-leaked-weaker-than-previous-agreements/

“If the environment chapter is finalized as written in this leaked document, President Obama’s environmental trade record would be worse than George W. Bush’s. This draft chapter falls flat on every single one of our issues – oceans, fish, wildlife, and forest protections – and in fact, rolls back on the progress made in past free trade pacts.”

The administration is trying to sell this deal by claiming it will include strong, enforceable environmental protections. The leaked environment chapter says it's simply not true.

[MisterP]

14. the Cheerleaders won't like that: soon we'll get a First Page thread about how us lefties

are recklessly saying Obama's worse than Bush on drilling and free trade, and that all we have to back us up is mere FACTS

then they'll object to being called Cheerleaders, because the chanting and pompoms don't mean what you liburls think they mean

[A Simple Game]

22. Sorry MisterP, it just doesn't sound right when you say it.

Somehow they make "liburls" sound dirtier than you do.

[MisterP]

28. hmm, howzabout "Commie purge of party is imminent. We will NOT stand by and let the well-heeled

abstentionists undo the legacy of FDR! Nader did 9-11 and Lebanon! he also made me stub my toe! after Perot condemned NAFTA, NAFTA was passed: therefore it was all his fault!"

[A Simple Game]

30. Naaa, give it up, apparently you just don't have enough bile in you to get it right. n/t

[MisterP]

34. hey, I ripped all that off from a certain regime that "disappeared" 200!

[Skittles]

5. as if they give a crap what the people want

[olddots]

6. its like an inheritance

they don't show how grateful they are for keeping the loot , the scum behind this will spend the money elsewhere .

[Scuba]

7. Shameful behavior by the White House and President Obama. The TPP should be killed.

[BeanMusical]

43. Yes, shameful indeed.

[WillTwain]

62. One of history's greatest Trojan horses.

Hollywood is calling. How he continues to fool admirers if phenomenal. Of course, he could declare he is the devil to some and they would follow him to hades.

[babylonsister]

8. Good! nt

[Vincardog]

9. The only way PBO can win on this is to WITHDRAW this piece of shit.

[nationalize the fed]

10. Obama says it is a good thing

It seems he doesn't talk alot about it in public anyway-
except to call skeptics ignorant "Conspiracy Theorists".

Why is that?

The White House carefully selected quotes from environmental groups that are heavily corporate-funded, then it cherry-picked quotes inaccurately portraying the positions of these groups.

If Bush or McCain did that it would be all over these boards. But Obama gets a pass.

Why is that?

[Enthusiast]

20. He isn't getting a pass from me. I'm still pissed off about him encouraging congress

to extend the Bush tax cuts back in 2009. Among other things.

[appalachiablue]

25. Last year Susan Rice, here behind POTUS gave a lecture to a policy group on the TPP shown on

CSPAN. Sounded like the agreement would do everything from balance power in the Pacific area with the Chinese to improving the environment and the lives of mothers and children.

[sabrina 1]

32. He's not getting a pass from most Liberal Dems. We are capable of giving him credit when he does

something right and equally capable of opposing him when he is doing something wrong.

I know there are a few people who are blind to anything their party does, but they are not the majority.

The bottom line is, without the Left, Democrats cannot win anything, no matter how much disdain the current party leadership and the few who just want to 'win', whatever that means, have for the Left.

And the TPP is a step too far even for those willing to hold their noses in the past.

I hope that message is getting through loud and clear.

[PatrickforO]

39. It is encouraging to see people like Elizabeth Warren bringing back the populist message.

Populist causes like strengthening Social Security and Medicare, tightening financial regulation, fixing the corporate tax code so we can get the $2 trillion + that's being held untaxed offshore by big corporations taxed so these 'people' pay their fair share - that will win elections.

Expanding postsecondary training opportunities, and making them affordable so they are back in the reach of everyday Americans - THAT will win elections.

Distancing self from Obama and trying to be a Republican-lite - not so much.

[PatrickforO]

40. He's not getting a pass from me. I'm actively calling my Senators and Representative, as well as the

White House against this horrible lemon.

[BeanMusical]

46. Some would give him a pass if he killed a puppy on live TV.

Pathetic.

[Populist_Prole]

11. Awwwww...poor corporatists can't get a break

[L0oniX]

26. Hillary will fix it.

[Omaha Steve]

12. There are many DUers still in favor of TPP

Something like IF it is good enough according to the POTUS, it is good enpough for me.

K&R!

[MannyGoldstein]

23. Or they'll reserve judgement until they see the final bill

Or until it's passed.

[upaloopa]

27. Like offering to let yourself get screwed just

to see if it really is that bad.

[PatrickforO]

41. Yeah, let's just say NO to getting screwed by another free trade deal.

[BeanMusical]

47. "until they see the final bill"

Which won't happen (without leaks) until 4 years after it's enacted.

[Rex]

15. Will he get to do any changing of it when it finally reaches his desk? Any policy changes?

Out of curiosity since I think he has another reason for fast tracking it.

[MoonRiver]

16. Good. I hope he's paying attention.

[bvar22]

17. Thank You, Whistle Blowers, Activists, and Investigative reporters.

If we had waited until it was published on whitehouse.gov,
it would have been a done deal.

Lets not celebrate too soon.
Just because the TPP has little support among the citizens,
doesn't mean that it will just Go Away.


These greedy Sociopaths NEVER STOP.
They are like Terminators.
Its ALL they do.
They will keep coming back and forcing the issue as long as they can make a dollar.

[840high]

37. +10

[Enthusiast]

18. Mr. President, we might be some dumb but we ain't plumb dumb.

Why would we want to hand more power to corporations that already lord it over us?

Mr. President, why would you think we would fall for this bullshit? Which one of your advisers told you to push this on us? You know how we feel about NAFTA, how we hate it. You even offered to renegotiate NAFTA because it was sooo bad.

Mr. President, you are a mystery.

[ronnie624]

42. No one who isn't vetted by the millionaire class, gets into the White House. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

44. Or these days,

it's more like the billionaire class.

[ronnie624]

45. Yup.

Those who have any real say about how our civilization conducts its affairs, are becoming fewer and fewer in number.

[Enthusiast]

49. We need to work on that.

[Plucketeer]

61. +10

[red dog 1]

19. K&R...Thanks for posting

http://www.exposethetpp.org/

[GoneFishin]

21. Doesn't reassure me at all. They'll pass fast-track in the middle of the night or some

goddamned thing, and they'll have plenty of Republicans and corporatist Democrats to slide it through the first chance they get.

[Dont call me Shirley]

24. Call WH, Sens and Reps to oppose TPP.

Every call you make to your Reps, Sens and WH is worth 4,000 constituents voices, so call.

Whitehouse Comments: 202-456-1111

United States Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121

[silvershadow]

29. I see they are still using terminology to make it seem like the opposition is to fast track.

The opposition is to the whole damn deal. Give it up. The evidence is in. Our trade deals do not benefit average Americans.

[Jim Lane]

36. I disagree. Tactically, opposing fast track is the place to start.

Some Congresscritters who are nervous about coming right out and opposing the substance might feel OK about opposing fast track. "I'm not necessarily against the deal, I just want to make sure we give it adequate study" is a position that they might figure they can sell to constituents who don't want to pay attention to the complexities of the substance of the deal.

If we beat fast track, that will be a significant step toward voting down the TPP and the TPIP.

[Populist_Prole]

69. IMO, you both are right

The deal IS bad and should be fought at every turn, but fast track is the grease that makes it to slippery to strangle.

But I've heard and read corporatist pro-TPP shills state quite plainly that if they didn't get fast track, they'd likely never get the TPP passed. They know popular sentiment would pick it apart to the degree it wouldn't be enough of a corporate gravy train to be worth the trouble of crafting it.

[KoKo]

35. K&R!

[PatrickforO]

38. We have to work together to save Obama from making this major neoliberal mistake

Because it will RUIN his legacy which has so far been quite positive. We have the ACA domestically, as well as the stimulus, which WORKED. And in foreign policy we have the major nuclear agreement with Iran. Those things are awesome!

But why in the heck does he want to fritter all that away with a neoliberal lemon like TPP???

TPP is WORSE BY FAR than NAFTA. The provisions that allow multinational companies to fight local environmental regulation through international tribunal is basically giving away the power of our nation to a bunch of corporate greed heads who have only the most myopic view of profit, profit, profit, and don't care one whit about this earth or our quality of life.

You think NAFTA was bad? The US lost over 8 million jobs - good ones that were replaced by lower paying jobs. TPP will be twice as bad as that, because it will literally drive the final nail in the coffin of the American middle class.

Obama, please don't do it! Congress, please don't ratify it! People, steadfastly oppose it!

DON'T allow this to happen.

[nikto]

50. Beware...

[orpupilofnature57]

51. Well we haven't heard TPP without the term " Fast Track " and

when Mitch the seed spitter and the President agree, it's cause for pause .

[woo me with science]

52. K&R

[Katashi_itto]

53. SOMALIA FUCK YEAH....! I MEAN AMERICA FUCK YEAH!

We must achieve our destiny of being less developed than Somalia!

VOTE HILLARY!
So we can starve boldly with American Exceptionalism!


(All the Republicans will do is kill us all quickly in a Nuke war of their choice)

[CentralMass]

54. Enough congressional palms have oropably already been greased

[riqster]

55. Kill the TPP.

And then bury it at a crossroads with garlic in its mouth and a stake through its heart.

[hughee99]

56. Looks like it will soon be time for a "crisis".

One that can only be fixed by passing the TPP without reading it first.

[navarth]

58. this!!!

[randome]

57. I suppose there's no evidence the WH pushed to stop the Seattle City council, is there?

And what is this about rolling back environmental gains? Anything specific? I'm open to looking at this differently.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]Treat your body like a machine. Your mind like a castle.[/center][/font][hr]

[AzDar]

60. K & R

[raindaddy]

63. Rahm Emanual challenged from the left...

and now a grassroots effort to stop the ultra rich from undermining local, state and federal laws in their never ending search for more profits and power.

Looks like the people are beginning to get in between Third Way Democrats and the banks and corporations that support them!

[rhett o rick]

71. The Populist Movement has many forms and is alive and well even though the Corp-Media

are ignoring it. "There was an accident on the 405 and this afternoon we will have weather."

[tomsaiditagain]

64. Money money money

MONEY!

[raouldukelives]

66. There are people that oppose it and then there are people invested in Wall St.

I'm afraid the investors will win, again. All one can do is resist. It is better to suffer wrong than to do wrong.

[WillyT]

67. K & R !!!

[Aerows]

68. I'm pretty sure

that the supporters of TPP are cadavers, the dead cast of Game of Thrones, and the garden of no roses.

[cascadiance]

70. Hope this helps Ron Wyden see the light on Fast Track "negotiations", and the need to say NO!

He's getting a lot of pressure on that now too here in Portland from many activists opposed to it.

http://www.pressreader.com/belgium/the-wall-street-journal-europe/20150409/281633893755561/TextView

It's interesting that I noticed that Wyden's people here say that he can't attend a rally against TPP and Fast Track today, but is traveling to southern Oregon with Pete DeFazio and Jeff Merkley.

...
A Wyden spokesman said the senator won’t be at the anti-TPA event because he will be traveling to the southern part of the state that evening to participate in an Oregon tourism event with Rep. Peter DeFazio and Sen. Jeff Merkley early Friday afternoon. Wyden also has town hall meetings on Friday and Saturday.
...

http://pushback.us/wyden-turns-down-anti-tpa-event-invitation-ag-groups-want-wto-subsidy-commitments-professors-offer-isds-defense/

This other article indicates that Merkley and DeFazio are solid no's on Fast Track and the TPP, and rumor has it that DeFazio might primary Wyden if he helps push through Fast Track. So, wonder if they're having a big discussion on what Wyden is going to do today!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/04/working-families-party-oregon_n_6795632.html

Hmmm... Me thinks that there are going to be a lot of private discussions and decisions made within this Oregon delegation on what Wyden should do! Folks NOW I think is the time to flood Wyden's office with calls to say NO to Fast Track. This report from the Obama administration should give us ammunition to say that working for Fast Track is a losing strategy, and I've got to believe that Merkley and DeFazio are trying to tell him that to avoid confrontation and perhaps the need to find a "funded retirement plan" to retire from the Senate in 2016, since he likely would lose to someone like DeFazio then if he follows through with Fast Track.

Remind his office also that the Oregon Democratic Party for two years has had a stance AGAINST Fast Track authority and have publicly on record a position that he and other senators and representatives should fight and not support things like Fast Track!

http://www.dpo.org/party/business/resolutions/2013-060

Praise him for his stances on domestic spying and having our government needing to be accountable for it and on other security issues and that he's been a great senator voice for. That we NEED him to be reelected in 2016 for that, but that if he chooses Fast Track, we'll have to lose his voice and pave the way for someone like DeFazio that understands the need for both rejecting Fast Track and providing accountability for domestic spying as priorities in the senate, even if his leaving the house leaves the door open for a Republican nutball like Art Robinson replacing him in the house.

Call his office and tell him to do everyone a favor and say NO to Fast Track!

[Doctor_J]

72. most corporate friendly administration in my lifetime

I'm hoping that public education will still exist in five years