Republicans say they are short of votes for the tpa (fast track) Urge President Obama to

[cali]

"step up his game.

What is the President supposed to do? Increase the threats and promises? We already know from what Congressional dems have said that there's ongoing epic arm twisting from the White House and several Cabinet Secretaries.

John Boehner: Obama 'Needs To Step Up His Game' On Garnering Support For Trade Bill

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Thursday that President Barack Obama “needs to step up his game” to rally more Democrats behind legislation that would give him fast-track authority on trade deals.

Boehner told reporters that “there will be strong Republican support for trade promotion authority.”

The bill, which would allow Obama to use expedited procedures to push the Trans-Pacific Partnership through Congress, has a majority of Republicans backing it in the House, but lacks the votes needed for passage.

“Another point you should keep in mind is that every Democrat leader in the House and Senate are opposed to giving the president what he’s asking them,” Boehner said. “The president needs to step up his game in terms of garnering more support amongst Democrats, especially here in the House.”

According to Democrats, however, Obama has lobbied Congress on trade more than any other issue during his presidency. The issue has pitted a significant number of Democrats against Obama.

<snip>

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/04/30/john-boehner-trade-bill_n_7181926.html

[think]

1. The GOP pushing the "socialist" president's economic policy agenda. Oh my..../nt

[cali]

2. If nothing else, I would think this would give anyone supporting the President on this, pause

Don't think the draft tpp chapters are a legitimate source from which to draw conclusions? Don't think the list of hundreds of corporate advisers are a cause for concern? Don't trust organizations like labor unions, the sierra club, NRDC, or Medecins Sans Frontiere? Don't trust liberal Democrats in the House, Senate and state Government? Don't trust economists like Stiglitz or Krugman? OK, but look at the forces aligned in support: Quite literally the worst of the worst; from the Koch brothers and the Chamber of Commerce, to Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell. From right wing pundits to big oil and big pharma.

It's nuts.

[historylovr]

10. If it doesn't, there's no hope for them.

This is a huge, HUGE tell.

[cali]

11. what it says to me is that it's all about partisan politics

in a very weird way- their devotion to the President is so deep and strong that it outweighs his alliance with the worst and the opposition of the best.

that's kind of mind boggling to me. Sure, they tart it up with pious claims that they're waiting until they see it, but then they fall back on their trust of the President as the compelling argument in support.

[historylovr]

13. I'm with you, Cali.

It is mind-boggling. It would almost be laughable if this weren't such a serious issue. I'm glad so many of you are keeping this out front.

[dreamnightwind]

15. Why?

I'm not sure why you see it that way. Those Dems need campaign cash too, and much of the Democratic Party is now fully onboard with globalization, U.S. jobs and wages be damned. I don't see any reason to assume their support is because they are strangely devoted to Obama.

[cali]

16. I'm not talking about Congressional Dems who are overwhelmingly

against the tpa/tpp but about dem voters who are trusting the President on this- and in so doing, allying themselves with republicans, the Koch Brothers and groups like the Chamber of Commerce.

[dreamnightwind]

17. Oh that makes sense, misunderstood you, thanks

I am often dismayed at how little our side does to hold its own reps accountable. It isn't cool to criticize our own, we're helping Republicans, or some such nonsense. TPTB use this to get what they want. If they can get a popular Democrat to push through one of their policies, it will get a lot less scrutiny and resistance.

If President Romney was expanding the drone program like Obama did, if he was in power while all of the NSA surveillance stories broke, the BP gulf oil spill, the expanse of fracking, the police killings, and the violent putdown of the Occupy movement, the TPP, and even the requirement to buy private health insurance without a public option, there would have been much more uproar from our side.

We might have even forced one or more of those things to go down differently if we were fully activated to resist the evil Republican driving the issue, or turned the House/Senate/White House back to Democrats as blowback from those things. I think that's a huge problem that comes from supporting Democrats who back military prison fossil fuel industrial complex policies.

On the other side of the argument, there are Supreme Court appointments, and Romney (also Jeb) would come with a cabinet full of the same old neocons. We're between a rock and a hard place, good cop bad cop sucks, time to change the game.

[cali]

3. kick

[msongs]

4. who knew shoving corporate america's agenda down our throats would be so much work nt

[cali]

5. it looks like they seriously underestimated the degree and intensity

of the opposition.

[Orsino]

6. Step it up how? By revealing state secrets?

Mouth generalities?

[cali]

8. the time honored way the WH- not matter who occupies it- always has:

arm twisting, which involves a mix of threats and promises to individual reps.

[Renew Deal]

7. Here's what he's "supposed to do."

Release 100% of the agreement details and negotiating notes to the public. Then there is something to talk about.

[cali]

9. it would certainly help, but we know one thing for a fact:

The ISDS is contained within the agreement. President Obama has said that and vigorously defended it.

[historylovr]

12. Kick

[Vinca]

14. You'd think this would be a hint to the POTUS that the TPP is a bad thing.

If the GOP loves it, you know it's bad for the average American.

[magical thyme]

18. in which case we'll step up our opposition to it. nt

[butterfly77]

19. Boner needs to go to work..