That vote was pretty much what I expected:
The House narrowly passed Trade Promotion Authority Thursday — the first step of many to resurrect President Barack Obama’s trade agenda after his own party torpedoed a combined bill last week.
The chamber voted 218-208 on TPA, which will give him the latitude to negotiate a 12-nation Pacific trade deal sought by most Republicans and a small number of Democrats.
It’s going to be interesting to see how this plays out in the Senate. Generally speaking, bare-majority votes like these are often a sign that there’s a deal already in place; and one of the more significant parts of the negotiation is over which Representatives will be allowed to vote in a manner not displeasing to their districts, and which Representatives will have to take one for the team. Since I can’t imagine the GOP House leadership going through this trouble just to watch the bill die in the Senate, that implies that there’s stuff afoot on the other half of Capitol Hill.
[pause]
It occurs to me that some of my readers may be horrified at how calmly I’m taking the possibility of behind-the-scenes shenanigans. Well, it’s not my first rodeo: I’ve seen a lot of cynicism-causing stuff since 2003, sure. I’ve also seen what happens when you let the Democrats control Congress with a super-majority, and would take years of effort by the GOP to erode my grim determination to never, ever let that happen again. I know that people disagree with me on that, sure. Which is their privilege, of course.
Moe Lane
I understand where you’re coming from: “the party you have, not the party you want”. Doesn’t mean the party you have doesn’t need….refining.
With an axe.
My thought was fire and hammers, but, yeah……
Eh, I’m more of a classicist … Pine tar and feathers.
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Mew
Crucifixes, every quarter-mile along 395 and the George Washington Parkway from the Capitol to Reagan National Airport.
I absolutely fucking will close comments on this post if people can’t control themselves on their own.
Your board, Moe, your rules. You’ve always had the ability to ban me, and I’m often surprised that you haven’t.
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That said, just as the greatest trick the devil ever pulled was making people think he’s not real, the greatest trick politicians ever pulled was to convince people theirs is an honorable profession.
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So .. do I think that perpetrating criminal acts upon our political class is wise? No .. nor do I think it’d be beneficial in the current circumstance .. but I think we are slipping closer and closer to a point where .. well .. let’s go with the classical reference.
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The gods of the copybook headings will return.
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Mew
Do I want to see a Dem majority, let alone a super-majority? Ummmm..no.
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Would I be happy if a number of the fecilites in the House and Senate retire rather than face tough primaries? Yes.
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Even if that costs us some seats? Yes.
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Mew
People are getting way too emotional. It’s fast-track negotiation for a trade treaty, not the end of the world. It would still have to be ratified and there is no guarantee that will happen.
Come, my friends. Come up for air. Stop staring into the abyss that is Obama.
That’s the trick, this is a preemptive ratification. The agreement will take effect unless 2/3 of Senators object.
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But they’ll make an attempt for show, and tell us how hard they fought.
All I see and hear are people losing their minds like its 2005 and they are a Kos Kid with a terminal case of BDS. My recommendation still stands – come up for air and stop obsessing over Obama. It isn’t mentally healthy, as Andrew Sullivan’s obsession over Sarah Palin showed.
This isn’t about Obama.
The Republicans in Congress are just as much to blame.
Thus is about two branches of our government involved in a flagrant abuse of power, in direct violation of the Constitution, binding us under foreign law we do not consent to, and keeping the terms secret.
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It is, in a word, unAmerican.
No, that was the Iran sanctions deal. This is simply no-filibuster, no amendments, text put up ahead of time, vote up-or-down.
With all due respect, the Republican “Leadership” is in favor of whatever the treaty comes out as. Where, in the last 7 years, have they ever stood their ground against Obama even when they opposed what he was doing. It is like what fake conservatives do, they vote for cloture knowing that once it is up for vote they can vote no, and it will still pass while they have their cover story. Voting for fast track is voting for cloture to pass it.
Whenever somebody says “With all due respect” to me, I immediately stop listening/reading because I know that the person saying that has no respect for me at all.
So, you want to try that again?
I like the idea (forget who) of putting a 90% tax on incomes “earned” through the old congress-to-private-sector revolving-door game. For like 5 years after the transition.
For life.
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Otherwise, they’ll just suck down more taxpayer dollars on hold in academia.
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Mew
That’s Glenn “Instapundit” Reynolds idea.
Actually, the phrase was inserted after noting the exchange between you and acat earlier. It is your board and your rules, as acat said later. That is all that was met. If it offends you, consider it deleted and the comment stands without it.