Lawmakers in the United States Senate have thrown a wrench in a plan that would have given President Barack Obama “fast track” authority to advance a 12-nation trade deal between the US and Pacific Ring partners.
In a 52-45 vote on Tuesday afternoon, the Senate opposed moving forward for now on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A procedural vote required at least 60 “ayes” in order to let the Senate host discussions on whether or not to give the president so-called “fast track” authority on the matter. Failure to reach that threshold puts the future of the trade agreement in jeopardy.
Had the vote gone the other way, lawmakers would have hosted a debate to decide whether to give President Obama the power to approve the potential deal on his own, before asking Congress to either ratify or reject any agreement. Ahead of Tuesday’s vote, Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, told Reuters the possibility of expediting the process as the White House had requested “may be dead” due to lack of support soon after the procedural vote failed.
Well that's Senator Warren-1 and President Obama-0.
That may seem a little unfair as Warren was not alone in her opposition to his proposal, however the fact that she was so vocal with her criticism that the President called her out by name is certainly going to add to her political credibility and power within Democratic circles.
By the way after reading through Salon's "10 biggest lies told about the TPP" I am going to suggest that this vote is a good thing.
Warren and the POTUS's disagreement is the way it's supposed to go. We shouldn't expect party reps to automatically do whatever their leadership says they should do and we need rational and respectful, though passionate, arguments rather than the bratty tantrums and personal attacks we've seen coming from Republicans since Pres. Obama's first day in office.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, and why was he criticized for calling her Elizabeth instead of Senator Warren? They are on friendly terms.
DeleteThey are on friendly terms but this was a business issue and should have been addressed more professionally.
DeleteI imagine he was criticized if he refers to others as Senator Reid instead of Harry or Senator McConnell instead of Mitch.
Using a first name is a form of belittlement. It undermines the authority of the person you are addressing. Warren being female just makes it worse.
Obama may be a Constitutional scholar but he is not an expert in Economics. In that regard, Warren knows a lot more than he does and he should be listening to her instead of the Republicans. The fact the Republicans are salivating over this is a huge red flag and he should know better.
Didn't Obama minor in economics at Harvard? But you're right, he should sit the fuck down and let the white woman tell him what to do. After all, he can't possibly understand what he's doing on his own. Fucking ridiculous.
DeleteGOOD!
ReplyDeleteHe's absolutely right. If it's not said outright, it's implied, by guests on Fox and hosts, that unemployed and those on subsidies and the poor are leeches. They do this time and time again.
ReplyDeleteIt's in the way they put a tone in their voice, when talking about federal spending (food stamps). They allow guests to show disgust at the poor. They allow comments to slide past, when guests suggest all poor deserve what they get. It's the grimace and grins those like Hannity show while engaging about the poor class, with an uppity air, and a reminder to all his viewers that HE worked his way up to where he got, how he worked odd jobs after school and wasn't lazy. It's all in the tone of their words and the implication that they, REpublicans have a super great work ethic, and that anyone who is poor doesn't have a great work ethic. It's the superiority of "me, mine and ours" as we deserve our place in these studio chairs getting paid millions, while we look down our noses on the homeless man, lying in the threshold of the Fox News Headquarters door by the sidewalk.
It's the tone of Sarah Palin and Newsmax and WWD, and Breitbart and Fox that gives a chill up the spine of those who just found out they have a limited lifetime, a diagnosis, or a baby is born with debiitating conditions, or two or three family members were in an auto accident, all requiring life-saving care. Or, the person who somehow finds themselves in a downward-spiralling depression and can't overcome without therapies, meds, and loses all hope. These people can be one step from losing their livelihoods, homes, savings, friends, etc. And don't forget those who never achieved homes, they're still working at a wage that can't get them over a hump, where they can save money, invest, or relax; no these people live from month to month, paycheque to paycheque. I doubt few would take welfare subsidies and spend it on Filet Mignon.
Fox News needs to live what they preach, when it comes to Judeo-Christian standards. Proverbs 17:5 - Whoever mocks the poor shows contempt for their Maker; whoever gloats over disaster will not go unpunished.
How many times have we seen Rep. Congressmen, Tea Partiers 'gloat' when a bill doesn't get signed, a bill that could help relieve the poor.
NOT SO FAST:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/05/13/senate-trade_n_7277314.html
Oh brother.
DeleteStupid Democrats.
DeleteThey caved again.
Democrats, stealing defeat from the jaws of victory once again.
DeleteThe biggest international tax-dodging corporations in the world wrote that bill, but the bill's victims aren't allowed to see it.
ReplyDeleteWe can't say we weren't warned that Obama is no Democrat.
Funny how we're not hearing what Hillary thinks about this deal that will hurt just about every American.
It's a bit strange to me that Liz Warren has been on the political scene for what...4 years or so? And the hardcore lefties trust her without question, even though she hasn't really done ANYTHING to actually help Americans yet. But President Obama? Yeah, that's one shady motherfucker. No matter what good he does for this country, we all know that he is just looking for a way to fuck us all over, so he can NEVER be trusted and his intelligence and sincerity must always be in doubt. Why is that, I wonder? Hmmm...
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