May 10, 2015

Digby: Senator Sherrod Brown tells President Obama "Just (Don't) Do It"

One of the more refreshing things about politics in recent days is President Obama's "what the hell" attitude. Someone I know in DC called it YOLO (You're only lameduck once.) Unfortunately, he's not just saying "what the hell" and pushing progressive policies he prefers. He's also doing it with neo-liberal policies. yesterday at Nike he pretty much told liberals not "what the hell" but "go to hell." It was the ugliest, most condescending speech he's ever given.

Senator Sherrod Brown wasn't amused:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) issued the following statement following President Obama's remarks on trade at a Nike facility in Oregon:

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“During the 2008 presidential primary, I watched President Obama argue in Cleveland that we should renegotiate NAFTA. Instead, we've seen more empty promises of jobs through exports while American workers are hit with a flood of imports and jobs shipped overseas. It's clear that the American public doesn't support these trade deals and I am disappointed the president has resorted to name calling in an attempt to shift the debate.

“If the President wants to have a real debate, he should release the text of the Trans-Pacific Partnership and let the public and press review it before Congress grants fast track authority for him to rush it through.”

?The Obama Administration predicted that the South Korea Free Trade Agreement would create 70,000 jobs and deliver up to $11 billion in exports. Instead, it only increased U.S. exports to Korea by $1 billion, while Korean imports have skyrocketed to more than $12 billion. The growing good trade deficit with Korea has eliminated over 75,000 jobs in the last three years.

The U.S. already has a trade deficit with Japan and 10 other countries included in the TPP. Since 1997, the deficit with these countries has increased by $151.4 billion.

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2015/05/sherrod-brown-says-just-dont-do-it.html
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Digby is right that OBama's speech in Oregon as with most of his attacks on Progressives opposing this terrible trade deal is at best condescending. Warren and Brown are not name calling. Obama is behaving like a flim-flam man.