Obama Takes Unexpected Setback On Trade Agenda As Fast Track Passes Senate

[rpannier]

39. Really? Sarcasm right? You can't honestly believe that

Because if you do I direct you to Al Franken's Book The Truth

Chapter 10 The Tom DeLay Saipan Sex Tour and Jack Abramoff Casino Getaway pp 159-81
p.160 While most US laws apply in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, local entrepreneurs won won a few key exceptions in the area of labor standards and immigration law.

snip
p.161 The second battle of Saipan was about to begin. One one side you had ... Tom DeLay and Jack Abramoff. And on teh other you had a few principled leaders in Congress and some officials in the Interior Department. At stake: thousands of powerless workers trapped in a system of horrific sweatshops, defacto salvery ...

p.166 Senator Frank Murkowski returned from Saipan 'appalled' at the conditions and succeeded in passing a bill through the senate, it was killed in the House.

Brian Ross of ABC had done a series of stories on what was happening in Saipan on ABC highlighting such things as the sweatshops, slave-like conditions, and forced prostitution, many of whom are underage 163-64). Forced to perform of stage and provide services to US servicemen on leave, Japanese businessmen and government officials (some are as young as 13-4)
In 1997, DeLay and Abramoff invited 80+ members of Congress, their staff and right-wing opinion shakers to the island. They all returned with glowing praise of the island.
The claim is, they were kept from what was really happening. Though they met Mr Tan, who according to Murkowski was fairly open about what was going on there.