Dave Johnson writes at Campaign for America's Future,
As Fast Track/TPP Becomes New Third Rail, Where Is Clinton?
The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) — and the rigged “Fast Track” process designed to pass it before the public has a chance to react — has become a new “third rail” for progressives and the activist Democratic “base.” (This is also true on the right, by the way.)
This game-rigging is creating a race to the bottom for people and the planet. The thing is: more and more people are seeing it. And more and more people are asking Hillary Clinton to lead the fight against it.
People are fed up with the rigged “trade” game that pits American wages, environmental regulations, consumer protections and other benefits of democracy against exploitative, paid-off, non-democracies. “Free trade” has made democracy’s good wages and environmental and safety protections into a competitive disadvantage in world markets.
Most people now get that the “free-trade” game is part of a system that has rigged the rules against 99 percent of us, and they have had enough. But the “centrists” still living inside the Wall Street/DC-elite/1990’s-“triangulation” bubble haven’t realized the extent of the changes in Main Street thinking quite yet. Democratic politicians who still support rigging the rules for the 1 percent with free trade or education/entitlement/pension “reform” (Rahm? Cuomo? Van Hollen?) are surprised to find themselves in trouble when they ask for votes from the 99 percent.
Progressive leaders are working to warn Hillary Clinton off from grabbing that new third rail. [...]
With progressive voice Sen. Elizabeth Warren helping lead the fast track/TPP opposition, and possible candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O’Malley joining in opposition, it’s time for Hillary Clinton to tell people where she stands on Fast Track and TPP. Will she join with working people and the 99 percent, or will she bend to the DC/Wall Street crowd (a.k.a. “the donor class”)?
Clinton is the number one candidate for president, and this is the number one issue for a lot of us. In the past Clinton has been in favor of some trade agreements, but against others — so she is not a reflexive “free trader.” And she has voted against fast track in the past. With fast track coming up again and TPP coming soon after, it’s time for her to step up and declare herself as standing with the 99 percent and help us stop the rules from being rigged against us.
Blast from the Past. At Daily Kos on this date in 2006Shameless:
Just a day after Tom DeLay has the chutzpah to threaten filing an ethics complaint against against Cynthia McKinney (yes, right on the heels of his resignation announcement) he sends out his attack dogs to disrupt a Nick Lampson press conference and assault little old ladies. Marsha Rovai, the 70-year-old victim, a retired CPS caseworker, describes the attack.
"I can't believe my Congressman, Tom DeLay, would organize this type of assault," Rovai said. "I was assaulted by two different people. One of the men hit me and another shoved his sign into my face, and then when I pushed his sign away he violently pulled my hat down over my eyes and pushed me. I'm considering filing an assault charge. This is just very upsetting and I'm so disappointed in Tom Delay for organizing this attack."
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And organize this attack he did. Here's the e-mail attributed to Chris Homan, DeLay's campaign manager:
We would meet tomorrow morning at 9:45 am on the first floor of the parking garage attached to the Marriott. Please get folks to call our campaign office 281.343.1333 and let us know they can do it - or e-mail Leonard Cash (in the cc field above) so that we can get some head count. Let's give Lampson a parting shot that wrecks his press conference.
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Yes, this is the same Tom DeLay who starred at the War on Christians conference, that poor persecuted soul who has been drummed out of Congress solely as a result of his taking "his faith seriously into public office, which made him a target for all those who despise the cause of Christ."
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today's Kagro in the Morning show: Weird news of the day: Jeb declares himself Hispanic,
Armando comments. Civil War trolling & culture war polling. A survey of weekend GunFAIL: an accidental shooting during Easter services; a man claiming defensive gun use accidentally shoots a neighbor; a WI man with a UT permit shoots at cops in TN (and lives to tell the tale). Greg's round-up in absentia: new national issues poll; Pence's problems a primaries preview; GOP's "insane logic" and "emerging war platform" on Iran. An (unfulfilled) request for Chicago mayoral coverage. Even kindly, old Warren Buffet squeezes blood from turnips. The exciting conclusion of "Dark Leviathan," or LibertarianFAIL.
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