TPM: Many Dems Defect As Obama Passes Trade Deals With GOP Help

[Poll_Blind]

From http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/10/while-gop-cheers-obamas-trade-deals-divide-dems.php">TPM:

But President Obama mainly has Republicans to thank for the trade deals long-awaited passage, one of the few components of Obama's jobs package where he and the GOP agree.

All three deals had broad Republican support while they divided House Democrats. The vast majority of the Democratic caucus voted against all three deals, the agreement with Colombia attracting the most noes - 158. Even Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), one of Obama's top lieutenants in Congress, voted against the Colombia agreement, though she voted for the other two.

And read this bit carefully:

Pelosi couldn't stomach easing business deals with the South American country so often criticized for its human-rights and worker rights records. She had previously blocked the Colombia agreement while she was Speaker during the Bush administration.

Obama administration officials tried to allay Democrats concerns, assuring them that the benefits of the Colombia trade deal won't go into effect until the country implements all elements of a labor action plan the U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk negotiated that would impose severe penalties on companies who use violent means to suppress labor activity.

"If it's not in the bill, it doesn't exist," Pelosi said.

Obama Admin: Oh, it's not so baaaad, why it's just...
Pelosi: BULLSHIT!

Much more at the link- I omitted the standard intro paragraph to the article because I only had 4 paragraphs. Visit the article and you'll see I left nothing out which would inflect on the excerpted paragraphs.

PB

[defendandprotect]

1. These were all BUSH deals which Obama has pushed --- but wealthy love him $70 Million wroth- !!

[JTFrog]

5. Some people spend all day perpetuating bullshit propaganda.

In reality, 98 percent of that $70 million was donated in increments of $250 or less.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/10/13/us-usa-campaign-obama-idUSTRE79C1YC20111013

[woo me with science]

8. His contributions from Wall Street are the highest for any President in history.

Look it up.

[JTFrog]

10. Wall Street has turned to Mitt Romney.

Look it up.

[chill_wind]

11. Which doesn't negate what Woo said. n/t

[JTFrog]

13. Doesn't negate what?

No facts were presented. No links were supplied.

I remember folks trying to push this meme in 2008. It was debunked here over and over and over again. But that didn't stop folks from trying to push the propaganda.

Keep in mind that Citizen's United has changed the way the game has to be played in order for Dems to compete in 2012.

Hate the game, not the player.

:shrug:

[mike_c]

2. Obama is the worst democratic party president of my lifetime....

eom

[KoKo]

3. K&R

[durablend]

4. Hey, where's the eleventy-billion percenters

To say we're getting our panties in a bunch and want a Republican in office (oh, and we're racist too)

[doc03]

6. So we are going to impose severe penalties on companies

who use violent means to suppress labor activity. They don't do shit here to impose penalties
on companies how the hell they do it in Columbia? As of this moment one person I used to work with is out in Washington working as a scab at Alcoa taking food out of someone else's mouth. That's not violent means?

[chill_wind]

7. K & R. Yes, with Colombia especially

lots of lipstick on a pig. Even (candidate) Obama denounced that deal under Bush, and the conditions haven't improved.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=619157&mesg_id=619157

If we believe in workers' rights and we believe in human rights in this place … but when we write a trade agreement for Colombia, we're unwilling to write in the demands for the Colombian workers, that's what's wrong with this and that's why most of us will vote against it,"

- McDermott

http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/187175-house-approves-colombia-fta-with-scant-dem-support

Good luck getting Dems to explain how they defend that. I tried asking a few extolling the great victories, including this particular one, of Dear Leader last night and didn't get an answer.

[joeybee12]

9. If it's not in the bill, it doesn't exist...

She called them on it.

[OhioChick]

12. Rec n/t

[Poll_Blind]

14. Kick for the weekend.

:kick:

PB