Reply #45: Rangel..."bam, seal it and catch hell"

[madfloridian]

I was trying to find another source, since some here find Sirota distasteful...but guess what, I can't find that much. It is just not getting that much coverage. I don't think it could be considered fair trade because it is apparently unenforceable, and according to Rangel expected to get great criticism.

RANGEL BRAGS THAT DEALMAKERS PRIORITIZED GOP AND K STREET CONCERNS OVER DEM CAUCUS: CongressDaily reports that Rangel bragged to reporters that the reason dealmakers kept negotiations secret - and perhaps the reason why the legislative language remains secret - is because they feared rank-and-file Democrats would oppose the concessions that were needed to appease the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Business Roundtable, GOP Sen. Charles Grassley (IA), GOP Rep. Jim McCrery (LA) and Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT), who last year traveled to India to trumpet job outsourcing. "Every time we had them all together, someone jumped off," Rangel told reporters after the meeting, referring to that group. "So we said, we can't wait for the Caucus. When we got everybody holding hands, bam! Seal it and catch hell. We did both." The fact that Rangel now admits the Chamber of Commerce was so intimately involved in the negotiations may explain why the Chamber continues to say it has received "assurances" that the much-touted labor provisions in the deal will be rendered unenforceable.

http://www.workingassetsblog.com/2007/05/secret_trade_deal_day_13_dem_l.html

I have seen other assessments that agree that the labor provisions are unenforceable.