Trans-Pacific Partnership: “NAFTA on Steroids”

I haven’t followed this issue at all, but MSNBC host Ed Schultz is warning everyone about President Obama’s intent to enter the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  Then again, I also wasn’t paying much attention when Bill Clinton got us into NAFTA, which has been a disaster.  And CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement) was even worse.  It was rammed through Congress during Dumbya’s presidency, with absolutely zero coverage from the “media.”

The Trans-Pacific Partnership includes Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the U.S. and Vietnam.  This agreement will jeopardize workplace safety and international copyright law, among other issues.  Obama wants to fast-track this agreement through Congress so there’ll be less scrutiny.

Describing the Trans-Pacific Partnership, Ed Schultz said:

“This isn’t about being against President Obama.  This is about being for American workers. There is no way the Democrats can go around this country and claim that they are supporting the middle class and let this go untouched.”

He also said Democrats and Tea Party Republicans should work together on this issue:

“I find it very interesting how the Tea Party is so silent about the national sovereignty issue.  This might even qualify for a march. Where are all these radical right-wing talkers who claim that they’re for America? ‘Oh, this is free markets’? No.”

Labor unions have been publicly opposing the Trans-Pacific Partnership.  Schultz said:

“Labor carried President Obama to two terms in the White House.  And I think you can make the case that if it weren’t for labor, President Obama might not even be in the White House.”

OK, we’ve been warned.

Barack Obama: a Threat to Big Business

There are exceptions; not everyone in the business community is threatened by Obama.

Paul Volcker, former Federal Reserve Chairman, endorsed him last month. And Obama has been consulting with Warren Buffett and international financier Robert Wolf. Wolf said “When I sat down with him, I found him to be unbelievably refreshing and smart and thoughtful.”

One Democratic strategist said “He's been pretty clear that business would have a seat at the table, but business wouldn't be able to buy all the chairs." Communist!

No wonder the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has given Obama the lowest rating of the three White House contenders. They gave McCain an 80% favorable rating; Hillary Clinton got 67%; Obama got 55%.

The National Association of Manufacturers (not that they're partisan or anything) gave a zero rating to Clinton and Obama; McCain got 100%.

Here are some of the reasons the Good Ol’ Boy Network doesn’t want Obama:

He sponsored a bill that would give shareholders (i.e. the owners of the company) a nonbinding proxy vote on executive pay.

He also voted for a free trade agreement with Peru which would include protections for Peruvian workers and the local environment. What?!?!?!? God created those Peruvian peasants for American businessmen to exploit!

And that’s not all: Obama might amend NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) to include environmental and workers’ protections.