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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsProgressives just changed the 2016 election narrative by blocking TPP fast-track
Links found in original here --> http://thefloridasqueeze.com/2015/05/13/progressives-just-changed-the-2016-election-narrative-by-blocking-tpp-fast-track/
In a last-minute huddle, Democrats blocked fast-track authority (TPA) for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in the Senate, saying they had concerns about enforcement of protections. This was a big, multifaceted win for progressives. One, Elizabeth Warrens Klout score just went way up. Two, the TPP now has a good shot of being killed in the House with the momentum thats been built. And three, the emerging progressive populist agenda has folks wondering if this changes the dynamic for 2016. Will Hillary Clinton respond by siding with Warren, or will she re-launch her Blue Dog brand?
Its a shame that all this comes as the result of President Obamas increasingly ugly public spat with the progressive wing of the Democratic party where hes focused his attention on marginalizing Senator Warren. Yesterdays vote shows that Warren isnt the one out in the weeds its the President. The bright side is the party is united like it hasnt been in quite some time. This is a true values debate, and progressives are leading the charge to advance an emergent populist agenda that aims to patch the holes in our economic system which have led to the greatest wealth inequality since the Gilded Age and robber barons.
The more the President attacks Senator Warren, the more power she accrues. This just feeds the momentum for a new progressive agenda such as Bill de Blasios Progressive Agenda to Combat Income Inequality, and Bernie Sanders Economic Agenda to Combat Income Inequality. Its propelling the progressive brand on the national stage with leaders like Alan Grayson appearing as the reasoned advocate for working Americans. Heres what Grayson says about TPP:
All this progressive ascendency seems to be making Hillary Clinton nervous. She hasnt taken a question from a reporter in more than 20 days approximately the life-span of the TPP dustup. Shes also been busy forming a new Super PAC called Correct The Record, to raise money specifically for political research, rapid response and communications in coordination with the campaign. Perhaps TPP is on their project list. More likely though, theyre hoping the deal will die quickly, so Hillary doesnt have to weigh in either way.
Obama deciding to go personal with Warren seems uncharacteristically ham-handed. In his interview with Yahoos Matt Bai, the President took an unmistakeable condescending tone, instead of referring to Senator Warren, he comes off sounding paternalistic. He says Ehhhh-liz-ah-beth, as if shes his little sister and can talk to the Presidential hand. It was so bad Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio called it disrespectful, and suggested the President wouldnt refer to a male Senator in that belittling manner. Thats the way it sounded to me too.
Dana Milbank wrote about the personal Obama-drama, asserting that his vindictive manner could be what actually kills the TPP. Milbank observes, The rhetoric suggests that Obama has given up trying to persuade his fellow Democrats to join him in supporting fast track approval and that hes lashing out at them in anger.
Maybe this is all eleventy-dimensional chess. Maybe Obama is allowing the deal to be damned with faint praise. Or, damned with tainted praise, courtesy of every Republican and corporate lobbyist in DC. This is the stuff that GOP dreams are made of. Well, this and the suffering of little children. Its just impossible to believe Obama would betray his values like this. Hes a community organizer who promised to put on his comfortable shoes to march with unions on worker protections. Of course, he also downgraded that in his Yahoo interview to a less strenuous stand with unions. Sorry guys. These Nikes are comfortable, but theyre not that comfortable. That pinch you feel is the suffering of slave labor in Vietnam, and the loss jobs here at home.
If the party were really bringing their game, the TPP would be the perfect strawman to kickoff the 2016 campaign season. Hillary hasnt released an economic plan yet, so all this timing is either too perfect, or perfectly disastrous for her campaign, depending on what her economic plan turns out to be. Theres signs she might come around to a progressive agenda. Clinton advisor Joseph E. Stiglitz, the Nobel laureate in economics, just released a scorching report on economic policy. One of the highlights of the report is that trade deals like the TPP are largely to blame for our explosion of wealth inequality. The report calls for rewriting the rules of our market economy to reduce those inequalities. One of the pull-quotes in the report reads: Inequality has been a choice, and it is within our power to reverse it. Thats the stuff great stump speeches are made of.
If Hillary crafted a progressive Stiglitz-Warren economic policy, and made it the centerpiece of her campaign, shed easily win over progressives and unite the party. It would be a master stroke of triangulation the sensible and pragmatic thing to do. Its the sort of thing youd expect from a smart politician who recognizes that Elizabeth Warren has just been anointed the de facto leader of the Democratic Party.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)PROGRESSIVES CALLED HIM A SEXIST.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)so disappointing he spoke to Warren like that -- it's beneath him.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)So called progressives are going to scrape the bottom of the barrel?
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)it's an unforced error on his part. he didn't need to get that emotionally involved.
the tone is just like in debate club when the guys know you're winning and they lose their composure. sometimes they reach for a belittling tone if they think it somehow strengthens their position (to sound "strong" when it does the opposite.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Accusations of sexism are, which is beyond ridiculous. Progressives despise him and once again jumped the shark.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)was meant to resonate with "the big strong" dudes in the Dem Party who don't want to be seen as "emotional" and "illogical." it's a sexist tactic -- to marginalize a woman based on lack of strength, emotionality and irrationality.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Again, jumped. the. shark. Now it's not his words but his tone.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)there's nothing PC about it.
this is like saying to a person of color that they need to lighten up about the n-word. seriously.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Yes, that is the PC speech run amok.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Sexism is the accusation being lobbed at Obama.
Chemisse
(30,807 posts)But I also think he is condescending to both genders when he has his dander up.
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)Often, the meaning is the opposite of the spoken word. Tone should not be ignored or belittled.
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)Not directed at you at all, just providing an example in validation or your comment.
Or, to cite another example--
Speaker A: "Two negatives make a positive, but two positives never make a negative."
Speaker B: ""Oh, yeah, riiiiiiight."
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)You can kiss my a_ _.
You can kiss my a_ _!
Jackpine Radical
(45,274 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)the non-racist ... "Fuck you, Mr. President, you piece of shit used-car salesman."
Oh, wait ...
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)unless "PC" stands for "Protective Complaining."
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)calm. He goofed. Sounded Paternalistic. Period, the end. How you claim to speak for Progressives is not rational, either.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Paternalistic would be Sherrod feeling the need to rescue Warren, who can handle herself just fine.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)libdem4life
(13,877 posts)pejorative letters BS, especially when talking about Bernie Sanders. Just a thought/opinion.
msongs
(67,381 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)libdem4life
(13,877 posts)or racist. I would have used parentalism, but it's not a word.
JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)That's what I'm commenting on.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)but thanks for trying to mansplain that
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)BS from Brown.
Funny how the constant "rude", "talking down to" and "disrespectful tones" directed at this President is summarily dismissed as racist attacks by progressives; but, disagreement with Warren (hell, ... saying that "Warren is wrong" is hardily embraced as sexist by that same cohort.
I'm shock!
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)and i'm most certainly a woman.
1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)I suppose President Obama walked into office doing untoward stuff?
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)deploying tired old stereotypes. the fact that he went there in a policy debate defies logic. shows that he's the one who is being carried away by his emotions.
naoya6161
(147 posts)sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)about this.
Was it sexist, no, I don't see sexism or racism in every comment made.
But it WAS extremely condescending and to be completely frank, it was STUPID. How can he say with a straight face that she 'doesn't know what she is talking about' when HE is responsible for denying both the American people AND Congress from seeing this 'agreement' he 's been busy working on in secret with his Corporate buddies?
If she's wrong, as he claims, then LET US SEE IT and WE will determine whether or not she's right or wrong.
But I read the leaks, and that was enough for me to know HE IS WRONG.
I'm not a fan of 'just trust me' politics, sorry. I DO trust those who are not afraid to tell the truth. And she is telling the truth because WE have seen the leaks! He is also extremely condescending to the people who elected him. He does appear to think we are stupid.
In fact he has made comments such as 'it is complicated, the American people wouldn't understand it' in relation to the bailouts eg. I have news for him, I think HE didn't understand it or he would never had the gall to say that 'nothing illegal happened here, it was immoral but not illegal'
THAT tells me HE doesn't understand it. There is no doubt about the criminal activiity that led to the global crash orchestrated KNOWINGLY by those he claims were 'just immoral'. As if being immoral is okay too.
eridani
(51,907 posts)--busted ass to get him elected. Them he can condescend to--Repukes not so much.
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)JaneyVee
(19,877 posts)Is only reserved for women?
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)then, tone-deafness abounds.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)at the same time using a belittling tone. this isn't that hard. i KNOW, though, that it's ideology for some that the president can do no wrong. well, he's human. he screwed up here.
Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)some are completely tone-deaf when the tone is directed towards this President.
Also amazing that economics would be the path way to a new cohort with misogynist awareness.
Go figure!
Romeo.lima333
(1,127 posts)Hes a community organizer who promised to put on his comfortable shoes to march with unions on worker protections. Of course, he also downgraded that in his Yahoo interview to a less strenuous stand with unions. Sorry guys. These Nikes are comfortable, but theyre not that comfortable. That pinch you feel is the suffering of slave labor in Vietnam, and the loss jobs here at home.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)consequences for all of the Third Way dingdongs,who thought they could slam this TTPP up everyone's behind. Just imagine the the phone calls from Larry Sommers and Mr. Obama,Sorry old Pal,the dupes up on the Hill woke up and voted for something else. Yes!!!
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)no one expected it. i have to hand it to harry reid for calling this play.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)The downside of this Legislation is enormous for the workers of the U.S.. Reid knows what would happen to Vegas if this crap succeeded. The crying sounds were deafening yesterday coming out of the White House. Lovin it.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)the whole thing is baffling -- it seems like they keep digging themselves further in a hole.
Wellstone ruled
(34,661 posts)might have cut a deal to bring this POS back up for a vote again. Got a hunch we will see a Voice Vote and screw a Recorded Vote.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)[URL=.html][IMG][/IMG][/URL]
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)but this vote was a bellwether.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)The truth is -- despite all the public political displays and posturing -- most Congressfolks know we have to do stuff like this or the economy will stagnate for decades, or just flat tank.
Doing nothing, as folks like Senator Brown seem to support, will not put one new job in Ohio.
Edit -- Looks like sweetners have already been added --
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026666906
The currency manipulation aspect would be a really good addition, if a workable proposal exists. That would actually produce substantial jobs here.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)Hoyt
(54,770 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)is make these kinds of deals. we haven't even begun to see the hell, fire and brimstone that's going to rain down when the bill reaches the House.
leftofcool
(19,460 posts)Mojorabbit
(16,020 posts)Hoyt
(54,770 posts)John Poet
(2,510 posts)the Senate is supposed to be the "easier part".
It's supposed to be in worse shape in the House.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)to Warren. Under stress we all do things we shouldn't, but can't deny they are in there somewhere. My dad used to say, "If you don't have a goat to git, no one can git your goat."
And yes, the Warren/Sanders Wing of the Party is full steam ahead. That took some wings out of the proverbial sail.
nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)just a few months ago there was a virtual blackout of TPP on major news outlets. the more people know about it, the more they don't like it.
libdem4life
(13,877 posts)'splaining things so people can really understand it. It's a gift.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)nashville_brook
(20,958 posts)BrotherIvan
(9,126 posts)She should not try to sound like Elizabeth Warren or she will lose in a landslide.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)Ford_Prefect
(7,875 posts)Senate Reaches Deal on Trade (Updated)
By Steven Dennis
Posted at 2:50 p.m. today 5-13-15
Updated 3:17 p.m. | Senate leaders agreed to a deal to get President Barack Obamas fast-track trade bill back on track Wednesday, with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., offering separate votes first on two bills demanded by Democrats.
That includes the key customs bill with currency enforcement provisions opposed by the White House, as well as a trade preference bill aimed at helping developing countries. Both will face a 60-vote threshold, with votes planned for Thursday.
http://blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/senate-reaches-deal-on-trade/
still_one
(92,116 posts)block it for less than a day, and then voted today to proceed, if it was just a silly ass game so they could say they voted against fast track, to appeal to one group, and then say they voted for it to appeal to another group
Typical
zentrum
(9,865 posts)The Dinos and Neo-con Dems and Reps voted against it because they wanted to line up their ducks better before it went to a floor debateso that when it does come up, it will really pass.
I don't think things are what we progressives hope. The Reps and corporate Dems do want the TPP even though they voted against it today. We may have won the news cycle optics but may still lose the war.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)It must be true. LOL!
Most voters eyes glaze over on this stuff, and it sure won't be prominent a year from now.
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)(0.38 second Google search of "TPP Warren Obama"
Seriously, "nothing to see here, move along?"
About the TPP fight.
Okay.
MaggieD
(7,393 posts)DirkGently
(12,151 posts)Go ahead and look.
DirkGently
(12,151 posts)The problem he's got in arguing for what he wants is exactly the problem with the TPP. He can't / won't say what's in it. Which is why it looks so strange trying to laugh off these very logical concerns, held by plenty of serious, well-informed people, as though they were inconceivable.
If he could explain why Stiglitz and Warren and Sherrod Brown shouldn't worry about what they're worried about, we might not be having the discussion at all, either because Obama and the Republicans are right and everything is reasonably fine, or because it never would have gotten out of the gate with what's in it had people known.
But recall, Warren says she was told the very reason the TPP was classified was because it would create a public outcry if the terms were known.
I thought Sherrod Brown's comments on Chris Hayes last night were great. He didn't want to dwell on his earlier comment that he thought Obama got too personal with Warren, and then he laid out examples of all the previous trade agreements, all of which were promised to add American jobs and did not.
So it's fairly obvious that Warren and everyone else are not being ridiculous or illogical, and it was a tone-deaf way for Obama to approach it.
Dismissal is just not a credible tone to take with something like this. Had Obama acknowledged the problems with past trade deals and the concerns with the details we know about this one, he would have sounded much more convinced of his own opinion than he did saying things like "it's not logical" and "Why would I do that?"