The defenders on the TPP: "You don't know that" and "It's just speculation". Bullfuckingshit.

[pampango]

56. I think it is equally plausible that Obama is keeping provisions that House republicans will hate

from them. He may think (erroneously IMHO) that House republicans will pass 'fast track authority' if they don't know about labor and environmental provisions. The House would not give Clinton fast track in 1998 precisely because he wanted to include labor and environmental provisions.

Obama-wary Tea Partiers and labor-aligned Democrats could block "fast-track" authority for two huge agreements.

It is generally agreed that the Obama will not be able to conclude the TPP and TTIP negotiations unless Congress grants him Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) -- commonly known as "fast-track" -- which guarantees that Congress will hold a straight up or down vote on any trade agreement the president negotiates.

When Congress grants TPA to a president, the authorizing legislation always includes negotiating objectives. This is a reminder to the president that he is acting as a delegate from Congress. The negotiating objectives themselves, however, often become the major point of contention. It was a battle over labor and environmental standards, for example, that prevented the House from granting President Clinton fast-track authority in 1998.

In the Senate, Democrat Max Baucus is already leading the charge for the renewal of TPA. He can expect significant Republican support, but may have some trouble corralling members of his own party. Democrat Sherrod Brown, whose power base in Northeast Ohio's Rust Belt remains upset about the 1994 NAFTA, has already expressed reservations. And since fast-track authorization is subject to filibuster, Obama may need all the votes he can get.

The battle in the House might be even more interesting. ... One can easily see an odd alliance in the House between progressive Democrats, who reflect the concerns of organized labor, and Tea Party Republicans, who don't want to give power away to the president. Even Rep. Darrell Issa, usually a free-trade advocate, might oppose it because of suspicions about the secretive nature of the TPP negotiations.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/the-odd-bipartisan-coalition-that-could-sink-obamas-free-trade-legacy/276938/

I really don't think 'fast track authority' has a chance to get through the House. The tea party republicans have Boehner wrapped around their little fingers and they will oppose anything Obama brings to them. (Heck they even opposed the good ol' bombing of another country - something they would normally support enthusiastically - when Obama was the source, even though the MIC was pushing for it.) Consequently my opinion is the TPP will never be passed.

FDR: The world will either move forward toward unity and widely shared prosperity - or it will move apart.

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/f/franklind130498.html

BTW, if this is like every other trade agreement, it has to pass the House, not just the Senate.