Obama says will push US labor unions to back free trade agreements

[antigop]

Source: CNBC (Reuters)

U.S. President Barack Obama acknowledged differences within his own Democratic Party on free trade agreements that he supports and vowed to make a strong case for trade to Congress.

Obama said free trade is "tough politics" among some lawmakers because many Americans feel their wages and income have stagnated as a result of foreign trade.

He said his argument to U.S. labor unions and environmental groups concerned about the impact of free-trade agreements is that they are accepting a status quo that is damaging to American workers.

"Part of my argument to Democrats is: don't fight the last war," Obama told the Business Roundtable, referring to past battles over free trade.

Read more: http://www.cnbc.com/id/102236609#.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

1. He is wrong on free trade, period.

[donnasgirl]

7. As a 30 year member

Of local 2343 in NY i can tell you with a certain amount of certainty that will cost many more votes for any politician who backs the trade agreement.

[Judi Lynn]

15. Absolutely. The working people in other countries don't benefit, either. n/t

[Omaha Steve]

2. Good luck with that one

Did I say that our loud?

[arcane1]

3. "Part of my argument to Democrats is: don't fight the last war" WTF does that even mean?

"Don't fight the last war that you lost, instead prepare to lose another one"?

[Wellstone ruled]

4. You think,

wages in the country started their down ward trend with the NAFTA CAFTA garbage. Who the hell paid the price,the Union men and Women. Good f--n luck selling this POS. Just like NAFTA there were supposed to be safe guards but the Corporatist Senators pulled the language in order to get it passed and signed by Billy Boy. To many long memories out there and this is doomed hopefully. Capital is fungible and were it goes knows no boundaries and this is the lesson of NAFTA. China is not a financial wonder land. It's a managed economy and there is at present a awakening happening. Got a hunch GE and Morgan Stanley are drivers of this POS.

Did we see President Obama as who he really supports or is this a mirage?

[pampango]

5. "... they are accepting a status quo that is damaging to American workers."

Indeed the status quo is far from acceptable. However for any new agreement to represent an improvement it would have to contain strong, enforceable labor and environmental standards. If there are any such standards in the agreements, they are a well-kept secret. The 'status quo' though bad, may be preferable.

[msongs]

6. the problem w/phony free trade is not the products/jobs, it is the surrender of sovereignty

to international corporations - handing over our own rights to international corporations and their international justice systems they have bought and created. overruling our own laws passed by elected politicians, laws both good and bad, overturning locally dictated policies and that sort of thing.

[Dont call me Shirley]

8. N.O. All unions must virulently oppose SHFTA (Southern Hemispheric Free Trade Agreement)

AKA TPP (Trans Pacific Partnership)

Flood WH, Senators and Reps, Union leaders, with calls, emails, letters saying NO to Shafta!

[Stryder]

12. SHFTA (Southern Hemispheric Free Trade Agreement)

Damn, TPP's been scaring the shit out of me (Done deal IMHO.) I know nothing of SHFTA.
But how close are they going to get to just spelling it out?
SHaFTAmerica.

[Dont call me Shirley]

18. I believe it was Ellen Ratner who coined the term SHaFTA, as a rename for TPP

I heard her talk about it many times as a guest on the Thom Hartmann Show. They call the trade deals NAFTA, CAFTA & SHaFTA.

http://www.talkradionews.com/staff#.VH_khhKCOSM

[FreakinDJ]

9. This will cost Democratic votes in 2016

[FiveGoodMen]

16. It absolutely should.

Obama is a phony.

He is not on the side of the American people and he never was.

[closeupready]

34. In his immigration speech, did you catch how, yet again, he referred to

"both parties"? In this way, he sometimes speaks about the Republican Party and the Democratic Party as if they are essentially interchangeable.

It's not a big BIG deal, but it's an annoying peccadillo of his, and I would have thought someone would have told him he LEADS one of those parties in "both parties".

[4dsc]

10. The fuck he will

This will go over like a lead balloon

[khankiso]

11. no way

That will never happen NAFTA helped destroy Unions can't see them wanting to shoot there selves in the other foot

[ut oh]

13. So basically

he wants us to admit defeat and jump on the bandwagon... I mean... how worse can it get?? Free trade will be all rainbows and unicorns right?

[amandabeech]

14. Oh yes, we're supposed to just give up decent paying jobs peacefully.

I hope that Trumka tells our President what he can do with the TPP, etc.

[OhioChick]

19. +1000 n/t

[Starry Messenger]

17. "Don't fight the last war." What the fuck does that mean?

Truly, I am baffled. It's the ONLY war.

[ChromeFoundry]

20. Apple must be drooling about now. n/t

[LiberalElite]

21. Remind me again why I voted for him? nt

[LiberalElite]

22. Way back when NAFTA was passed -

there was a sign at a protest that read: "After NAFTA the shafta" And here's the second act.

[Poppy9159]

23. And what does labor get?

So now Obama wants labor to support this initiative. Overall, Obama has been an enormous disappointment to the labor movement. Remember when he said "If you're on the picket line I'll put on my walking shoes and join you." (paraphrase) Never happened. These free trade agreements have never ended up good for working people. We should oppose this one.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

24. Absolutely right, Poppy9159!

Welcome to DU!

[Odin2005]

25. Fuck you, too, Mr. President.

[elzenmahn]

26. And Obama wants to know why Dem voters somehow don't show up to the polls...

...or get excited about Dem candidates...

...when this BULLSHIT is what we get from many of them.

And BTW - see any difference between this and HRC? I don't.

[Scootaloo]

27. And now the vein on my temple is throbbing

I'm calling it a night. G'night everyone, hopefully this episode of the twilight zone ends when I wake up!

[pa28]

28. Trust me he said. This agreement will make it all better he said.

[Bragi]

29. Maybe they'll go for a lower minimum wage too

Not likely though. Trade deals are now corporate/investor "rights" charters that have little to do with actual trade

[GOLGO 13]

30. Sellout DINO

Even dems now sticking it to the working man.

[Brigid]

31. I got hosed the last time I supported one of those things.

Why would I do it again?

[Brickbat]

32. "Don't fight the last war" = you lost last time, and I'm going to make sure you lose this time.

[closeupready]

33. He can do what he wants, but I'll listen to unions on any trade agreements

to come.

[neverforget]

35. that should motivate the base in 2016!

Why doesn't he just say "Stop fighting for good paying jobs in America and accept our corporate overlords every wish?"