Reply #1: VOTE ALERT: GOP & Dem Senators Join Hands to Sell Out America...Again

[Breeze54]

VOTE ALERT: GOP & Dem Senators Join Hands to Sell Out America...Again

By David Sirota

http://tabacco.blog-city.com/oman_free_trade_agreement_passes_senate_10_democrats_sold_us.htm

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So who were the key sellouts that voted for this pact?

First and foremost, every Republican other than Burr, Dole, Coburn, Snowe, Collins, Chafee and Gregg. The GOPer who is likely to get hit hardest for this at home is Sen. Mike DeWine (R-OH). He's running against populist Congressman Sherrod Brown (D-OH), who has been one of the few courageous champions in Congress fighting both parties' complicity in these kinds of sellout trade policies.

Sadly, there were also 10 Democrats who sold out and voted for this trade pact. They were Baucus, Cantwell, Clinton, Kerry, Landrieu, Lieberman, Nelson (FL), Nelson (NE), Obama and Salazar. I was surprised to see Kerry among those - he had recently pledged to get more serious about reforming our trade policy. Hillary Clinton - well, let's just keep these kinds of votes in mind when she runs for President.

Then there is Lieberman - a guy who has consistently voted to sellout American workers. I hope Ned Lamont hammers him for this latest sellout - and reminds Connecticut voters that Lieberman is so out of step that even Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) voted against this thing.

Finally, Obama. What can I say? He told me in my interview with him that he was serious about demanding stronger labor, environmental and human rights protections in trade deals. But in his speech that attempted to justify his vote, he simply said that, "I have been informed by the State Department that Oman has been a valuable partner for the United States." Put another way, he's telling us because the Bush political hacks at the State Department ignored that agency's own damning reports about Oman's record and told him to vote for the pact, he did. Sad.