The staged performance and then the betrayal

[marym625]

53. Wrong. But thanks for playing

The Democrats said that they wouldn't pass it without certain guarantees on amendments allowed to the TPA. Most importantly, currency manipulation safeguards. Then, just the next day, agreed to allow passage of the TPA without amendments but that the other items would have a stand alone vote. The currency manipulation safeguards doesn't have a chance to clear the Senate and the House.

You are wrong that we didn't know the issues. You are right that we shouldn't have trusted the Democrats that gave us false hope. That lied about what they were standing for.

Senate Democrats on Wednesday relented in their opposition to the consideration of legislation expediting trade agreements, just 24 hours after their vote blocking the bill put a temporary halt on President Obama’s trade agenda.

In exchange for allowing Trade Promotion Authority to move forward, Democrats will get to vote Thursday on bills cracking down on Chinese currency manipulation and giving preferential treatment to imports from African countries.  Majority Leader Mitch McConnell announced the deal on the Senate floor on Wednesday. Trade Promotion Authority allows the president to negotiate agreements that Congress must vote on without amendment. To secure Democratic votes, McConnell will combine that bill with a separate measure providing aid to workers displaced by foreign trade. Senate Democrats on Tuesday had demanded that McConnell package all four bills together, but he refused on the grounds that the currency proposal would have sunk the underlying trade legislation in the House. Now House Republicans can choose to ignore the currency and Africa measures even if they clear the Senate.