It's no use

[fadedrose]

No matter what negative information we get about TPP, or how loud we complain, it's going to pass.

The Dems put up a great show on TPA-1, when they all spoke up and demanded changes. Hatch was so gentle and willing to listen to every one of them I was taken by his patience.

But then I considered that he wasn't being patient with THEIR dissatisfaction, he knew they were posturing for their constituents and their performances needed to be seen. They did it to keep the support of unions and folks who were afraid of losing their jobs.

Now that the President got 10 of the Dems to change their minds, TPA was passed, and we go forward to more rebellious speeches made for the benefit of constituents. I know somehow the Dems will fold again, and TPP will become the law, plus other agreements in awaiting action.

It's no use. There is no real opposition in Washington, only the pretenses of one. They all want this to pass. The debates will not be real. Amendments will be proposed and they already know which ones will pass and which ones won't.

I think we should all start to pray that the President is right, even athiests and agnostics like me. The future looks scary with natural disasters, manmade catastrophes, and the thought of a Republican president stepping in. There are just too many people and not enough resources or wealth in the world to feed, house and clothe them. Maybe TPP is supposed to change that, but I am very cynical, but at the same time, hope that Obama is right and this is not a DLC dream come true.

[99Forever]

1. You are absolutely correct.

It's all Kabuki Theater to make sure their .01% owners get every-fucking-thing they want.

Hey, America, welcome to your new lifestyle, Serfdom.

Your children will remember who sold them out, but won't be able to a damn thing about it.

Congrats.

[cali]

2. I'm not so sure. Yes, the odds and history favor passage

by 2 or 3 votes (the theatre piece of this) but this more than any other trade agreement has intractable opposition. It will pass in the Senate but the House isn't such a sure thing. What's more, the dems are employing delaying tactics and if it doesn't pass this year, it will be put off.

We'll see. Keep on fighting it.

[RiverLover]

3. TPA hasn't passed yet, just the vote to open debate on it. But in the end, its just a matter of

time for your prediction to come true.

Unless, miracle of miracles, it gets stalled in the House. The House Dems are the key.

If/when it goes to a Senate vote, we're toast. It already has the votes there.

...If someone needed anymore proof that our elected govt is bought & paid for by outside interests over citizens & planet, this has got to be it.

[hobbit709]

4. There is only one political party in the US at the national level. The Corporate Party.

It has a D wing and an R wing, but at the national level neither wing gives a shit about the people.

[cherokeeprogressive]

5. I'm afraid you're right. n/t

[Hotler]

6. Maybe what's needed is....

mass protest the likes this country has never seen before, hundreds of thousands in the streets for weeks, months at a time. Sure the politicians might not listen to us, but at least we showed some fight instead of just sitting behind our keyboards and moaning, groaning and bitching.

[99Forever]

7. There were millions of us "in the streets" protesting the Iraq debacle.

How'd that work out for us?

Don't kid yourself, short of a violent revolution, including guillotines, the SuperRich will get exactly what they want.

[Jester Messiah]

8. Prayer: a way to sit on your ass and still feel like you helped.

Just face the facts on this one. The rich are gonna get richer, everyone else is gonna get the shaft. And then we're gonna turn around and put up Madame Goldman-Sachs as our candidate, who will undoubtedly give us more of the same.

[Dont call me Shirley]

9. They, the creators of this totalitarian economic nightmare, want you to give up faderose, DON'T!

Keep calling and yelling and telling them NO! NO! NO!

Whitehouse Comments: 202-456-1111

United States Capitol switchboard: 202-224-3121

PS...there are enough resources for everyone, the .001% are hoarding it all for a whopping profit at a later date.

[L0oniX]

11. THEY DO NOT WORK FOR US !

What? You thought just because you voted for them that they would work for you? Silly people. Now shut up and get back to work and earn your $1.35 a day you fucking ungrateful dogs.

[randome]

12. Or you could be wrong.

I mean, that's at least a possibility, isn't it?
[hr][font color="blue"][center]"If you're bored then you're boring." -Harvey Danger[/center][/font][hr]

[Fred Sanders]

13. Relax. Obama is right. Again. And mankind made the world a mess and mankind can clean it up.

Kind of what I tell my son when it is time to clean his room.

[whereisjustice]

15. Why would you tell your son to hire a slave wage worker from Vietnam to clean his room?

[Fred Sanders]

16. Sure. Why not, if the wage is paid in dollars, perhaps? Or maybe we leave the Vietnamese alone to keep

making cheap clothes and shoes for Americans with no trade deal?

It is not like America has ever invaded Vietnam or tried to bomb the country back to the 7th century, right?

Relax, your President and undisputed Democratic Party leader has got this.

[whereisjustice]

14. Democratic Party loves killing US jobs as much as the Republican Party, that much is clear.

Abortion and gay marriage are the only things we have left to distinguish ourselves, and like Hillary ad Obama, some Democrats had to be dragged kicking and screaming along the way.

The corporate Democrats are like climate change deniers. You can publish a thousand studies that show how much these deals hurt the non-rich at the exclusive benefit of the rich, but they will still deny it. They have their faith in secret voodoo economics of Wall Street bankers and CEOs.

[daleanime]

17. True, then it will be pinned on the Democrats....

Fairly, no. But it will happen.

[A Simple Game]

18. There are no easy solutions to this lack of accountability.

Washington seems to be just one big clique. Every day it comes closer to Nader being right about the Republicans and Democrats. It seems that what many do in their elected positions is only to enhance ulterior motives they may have, position they hope to gain, or monetary compensations they may expect in the future. Our Democratic representatives have more in common with their Republican counterparts than they do with the Democratic people at home they claim to represent. This isn't just a Democratic problem, the same holds true for the Republicans.

The only way I can think of to change this is to get our representation out of Washington. There is no longer a need for them to gather in one place to do their business. The only thing it accomplishes is to provide easier access for domestic and foreign lobbyists and others trying to gain their favor. They could stay at their local headquarters in their home states and districts and conference and vote remotely, businesses do this all the time to save money. Many Senators and Representatives, from both parties, have been in Washington for so long they rarely go “home” to their districts and states except for reelection. Most have lost touch with the people they claim to represent. Has John McCain ever been home on a Sunday?

I don’t see these people leaving Washington willingly, they have come to love the limelight and attention paid to them by lobbyist and the media. But we need to move these people back home where their constituents can keep track of them, petition them, and protest against them for their actions and votes. The local people could see who comes to visit them and judge how it affects their positions. Local people could be hired for their staff and a lot of money could be saved in travel expenses, housing expenses, and food allowances. They would also need to raise less money for their reelection efforts.

There could be a slim chance to move them home by claiming it is for national security. Would you put all of your military in one place? Would you put all of your monetary assets in one place? Why are all of our National politicians in one place waiting for the next ultralight, drone, or even a missile to have a bomb or biological weapon attached to it and fly into the entrance of Congress? People even seem to be able to walk into the White House at will. It has become obvious we are powerless to prevent all of these occurrences. Our Representatives and Senators must be spread out to limit any potential for catastrophe and to add accountability to their constituents.

[fadedrose]

21. After having watched Orin Hatch at the TPA meeting

I was so amazed at the man's composure, courtesy, and willingness to listen.

With every amendment proposed by everyone except Widen, he accepted everything. I thought, boy are they lucky to have this "gentleman" as the chair of this group, and not a butthole like Cruz or some of the others.

But then, when put to a voice vote, every damn one of the Republicans said, no, no, no, no, and even Hatch said no, no, no, no.

That's when I realized that all this rebellious complaining was for the sake of the Dems' constituents, and Hatch knew damned well what they were doing and why, and he played along beautifully. Too beautifully if you ask me. He had not the least bit of confrontation in him, and treated them like spoiled children who he'd rather let them vent till they were satisfied with themselves and their performances.... Hatch knew it was going to pass and so did they. The next day, it was said that the Dems had caved, and Wednesday, the vote went thru.

The Dems who could afford to vote "yes" were mainly from the western coast of the US where they deal mainly with Asian ports, and the cities there would prosper just from shipping if nothing else. The central and eastern Senators were able to vote "No" and did so for their duped supporters, mainly the unions, and I think that if the deal goes thru, the unions' time and their salaries are history....but something will be done to make it look like it's not so.

We been hoodwinked.

And to your point, yes, they could have done the whole damned thing at home with a conference call/video arrangement.

[raouldukelives]

19. A lot of people have done a lot of hard work to get us here. Many are proud of it.

But then, people who labor for and invest in corporate victories should never be surprised when they win.

[Scuba]

20. Kabuki theater.