Outraged Sherrod Brown: Short Notice for Secret Meetings, Not Able to View TPP/Not a Democracy!

[KoKo]

Last edited Sat Apr 18, 2015, 11:07 AM - Edit history (1)

Outraged Sherrod Brown: 12 Hours Notice for Hearings, Secret Meetings, Staff Not Able to View TPP. How is This Democracy?

Published on Apr 16, 2015

U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown questioning United States Trade Representative Michael Froman at the April 16, 2015 Finance Committee Hearing examining Trade Promotion Authority.

to DU'er: "Cheese Sandwich" for the Video Link:

@SenSherrodBrown
12 hours notice for hearing, secret meetings, staff not able to view #TPP. How is this democracy?

https://twitter.com/SenSherrodBrown/status/588765613130153985

[AuntPatsy]

1. Kicking

[SamKnause]

2. Thank you for posting.

Thank you Senator Brown for trying to get these assholes to answer

your questions.

Representative Alan Grayson had the same difficulties as you.

The trade deal is being kept secret because they know it will

harm unions and lower the wages of all Americans.

It will cause the loss of millions of jobs.

It will increase the price of medicine.

It will threaten net neutrality.

It will allow foreign corporations to sue our government.

Our tax dollars will be squandered on lawsuits.

This has already happened because of previous trade deals.

This is NOT what democracy looks like.

The Chamber of Commerce supports this travesty.

The majority of Republicans support this travesty.

Why is a 'Democratic' president shoving this destructive trade policy upon the American people ???

I hope president Obama enjoys his wealth and connections when his term is up.

[KoKo]

14. ...! well said....that's the worry.

[SamKnause]

19. Thank you.

There are too many worries to list.

This was discussed on Democracy Now yesterday.

Rep. Alan Grayson and Lori Wallach laid out all the disgusting details.

If you are interested; http://www.democracynow.org/

At the top of the page, under the heading of daily shows, just click on Thursday, April 16th.

The video title is "A Corporate Trojan Horse".

[NYC_SKP]

39. Hillary Rodham Clinton, I'm pretty sure, just this morning, posted a TWEET about the TPP:

Oh, never mind, it's disappeared.

[red dog 1]

35. + 1000

[SamKnause]

3. K&R

[DeSwiss]

4. No, we're a fascist police-state.

- With the outside trappings of a democratically-operated government. It is designed this way in order to keep the natives happy and bitching at each other while they're enslaved by their masters and setup to have all their assets stolen or attached by the time they die.

It's called: ''Human Farming.''

K&R

[chapdrum]

5. Answer: It is not democracy

Not even remotely, and for this piece of work Froman (who sadly represents Obama in this as well) to sit there and smear bs on Senator Brown (to whom, kudos) ought to be (but OF COURSE isn't) considered a form (if not a fact) of treason.

[Dustlawyer]

17. Don't get me wrong, OBAMA has done a lot of good for our country and his opponents would have

been much worse, disaster even. Yet, this is what we also get from a government run by Wall Street and other corporations. TPP is the ultimate proof of our government being controlled by the Plutocrats.
It would be great if we had a real leader that could inspire millions to realize that enough is enough! Bernie Sanders could be that person based on the positions he has taken, but too many want to vote for the corporate Democrats because the media says they are the favorite and marginalize politicians like Bernie.

[markpkessinger]

40. +1 n/t

[enough]

6. As I've said before, Sherrod Brown for President. (nt)

[BlueinOhio]

21. Good idea

Had an issue with the IRS and Brown's office was setup to be helpful. Called Portman's office they were not able to provide any service at all. They did not even know where I live at.

[Thespian2]

7. K & R

Need more Senators like Sherrod Brown.

No one seems to know why Obama is joyfully screwing the American people

[diabeticman]

8. THIS IS NOT RIGHT!!!

[KoKo]

9. He lays it all out there in that hearing...Doesn't he.

What a piece of Crap the TPP Fast and Deal is!

[diabeticman]

24. Yes.

[democrank]

10. KICK

[delrem]

11. Is there any inkling that he might challenge for President, 2016?

I've heard very good things about him, that he's got a good solid record. That he isn't a third-way fake.

[KoKo]

13. Not so far that anyone is talking about.....

But, his voice is still needed in the Senate and maybe that's the best place for him right now...in his mind.

[peace13]

12. Way to go Senator Brown!

I have the honor of voting for you! Thank you!

[allan01]

15. ssopiena them

[OnyxCollie]

16. I was happy to give Sherrod Brown my vote.

[blkmusclmachine]

18. The 14 Characteristics of Fascism (http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/fasci14chars.html)

The 14 characteristics are ~

Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.

Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of "need." The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.

Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial, ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.

Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.

Rampant Sexism and Homophobia
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.

Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes the media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.

Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.

Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government's policies or actions.

Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.

Labor Power is Suppressed
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed.

Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.

Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.

Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.

Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.

http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/fasci14chars.html

[wolfie001]

20. This esteemed Senator is kept in the dark on the details!

How can this stinking piece of shit fast-track trade deal be anything except a big giveaway to US/Foreign Corpserations?! I hope these few brave Senators kill this shit.

[turbinetree]

22. Oh boy

we finally get a public hearing twelve hours before and then we get only nine minutes from senator (Sherrod Brown) who is trying to protect the American worker and country, and not getting any information, and the republican chairman (none other than Orrin Hatch) is doing what (trying to interrupt Senator Brown and then tell him his time is up), call a hearing just to make it look good------this is now how democracy is suppose to work---this is outrageous---hey, Utah, thanks a lot for nothing, I mean really thanks a lot to the ideologue of what your right wing senator perceives to what a democracy is suppose to work---nine minutes and fifty nine seconds for Senator Brown

[rhett o rick]

23. k & r. Thanks for posting. nm

[cui bono]

25. Exactly. Thank you!

That is what I keep saying. You can't do these things in secret if you want to behave like a democracy.

Allowing the people and especially their elected representatives to know about what's going on and giving them time to voice their concerns is what democracy is all about.

We are supposed to have our voiced heard BEFORE things are passed. That's the only way democracy actually works. A govt of, by and for the people.

[Hoyt]

26. I really, really like Brown, but he's playing politics on this and darn near lying.

[haikugal]

28. Really? Please explain.. nt

[Enthusiast]

29. Complete bullshit. Brown is one of the few that doesn't play politics and lie.

[Hoyt]

31. That's been my impression too, but on this he's being a little loose with the facts.

He has access to what's written so far, and will have plenty of time to read any final draft that might be submitted to Congress.

[Jim Lane]

41. You're smearing one of the few honest officials working on this

Yes, he has access to certain documents -- he didn't say otherwise. Did you watch the video? One point he made was that his staffers, who have security clearances and who can view classified information about military matters and so forth, aren't allowed to see anything unless he personally is present in the room. The result was that, whenever he was back in Ohio, nothing could go forward.

If that was "being a little loose with the facts," then Froman would have denied it. He didn't deny it.

Even Brown himself can't see everything. He gave a detailed list of specific requests for information that he'd submitted to the office of the USTR, to be met with long-delayed responses, no responses, and assertions that USTR hadn't even prepared the kind of analysis he was looking for (to determine exactly what changes TPP would effect).

If that was "being a little loose with the facts," then Froman would have denied it. He didn't deny it.

Would you care to specify the errors that Brown allegedly made, and provide evidence that he was wrong? Or is it enough for you that he criticized an aspect of the Obama Administration, and therefore everything he says must be discounted because you trust Obama so completely?

[Snoopy 7]

30. "darn near lying"

He has not told any lies, I have been following and reading the exact things Mr Brown is stating. He told the truth no one can go and take notes, record, repeat to others/including the media, or make transcripts of the items they read. Why are they hiding such a great trade issue(?) because it isn't. Also when our President says we are making the agreement so that China doesn't, since when does another country make US law, just tells you that the GOP wet dream is true we now live in a global economy.

[haikugal]

27. Wow..

How frustrating! He's one of the good ones trying to do his job and being dissed by a smarmy bastard. Damn!

[cadaverdog]

37. The "smarmy bastard" is our chief trade rep in the TPP negotiations,

Mr. Michael Froman. And who is Michael Froman, you may ask. Why he is a long time friend of President Obama from their days together as Harvard Law School classmates. See how that works?

A very poor interview with Mr. Froman from a NYTimes Friday news dump can be found here:

www.nytimes.com/.../john-harwood-interviews-michael-froman.html

[haikugal]

38. Oh gawd I can't stand the stench!

On edit: ah, not you cadaver dog, not you..the smarmy bastard

[WillTwain]

32. As predicted, Wake up lemmings.

[woo me with science]

33. K&R

[whereisjustice]

34. When they are about to fuck over a wide swathe of middle class and below, they'd rather not have

the middle class and below interfere with their objections.

BTW - This is what class warfare looks like.

[red dog 1]

36. K&R...Thanks for posting, KoKo

Too bad Sherrod Brown isn't our President.

I am so disappointed in President Obama, especially on this important issue.
"Obama Levels Cheap Shot At Unions - Again"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026524600