Why Reid Opposed TPP and the Fast Track Bill

[GoLeft TV]

From Ring of Fire:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) announced this week his opposition to a trade deal fast track bill made to streamline trade bills’ passage through Congress, namely the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). Reid’s announcement and the actions of Democrats have placed the party on the populist-progressive side of the TPP issue.

President Obama, a centrist Democrat, now has the Senate’s top Democrat and the majority of House Democrats lined up against him on the TPP and fast track bill issue. Frustrations not only stem from the president keeping his party out of TPP draft discussions, but also the threat that the trade deal poses to workers’ rights and its corporate protection provisions. Reid and fellow Democrats finally showed some gall and collectively took a stand against the fast-track bill and TPP. Here’s a few reasons why:

You can read the full article here at Ring of Fire.

[BlueStreak]

1. Good cop, bad cop

Obama has to be able to tell his Wall Street buddies "I gave it the old college try, fellas. I'm just as sick as you are that this failed."

Reid is probably not running again and probably isn't so interested in a lucrative K street job. He strikes me as a guy who will go back to Nevada and have some happy years at home.

[Demeter]

2. I rather think it's the instinctive arrogance that has characterized this Administration from Day 1

A classic case of the Dunning–Kruger effect.

[MisterP]

5. crossed with the Peter Principle

[NickB79]

3. "the president keeping his party out of TPP draft discussions"

Holy shit, that's just mind-boggling to deny the people that are supposed to be on your own side out of the loop.

What kind of rape-and-pillage shit is in this bill, anyway?!?

[pscot]

4. Hilary had a hand in drafting it

according to a post I saw here.