GOP lawmakers embrace Obama trade push more than Democrats

[IDemo]

WASHINGTON (AP) — It doesn't happen often, but Republican lawmakers on Tuesday gave more support to President Barack Obama than did Democrats on a key issue: trade.

Trade has long created strange politics, but the issue has languished on congressional back burners recently. Now it's heating up, as the administration tries to craft a new trade agreement with Japan and 10 other Pacific-rim countries.

First, however, Obama must win something every president since Franklin Roosevelt has enjoyed: enhanced negotiating powers that make it harder for critics on the left and right to torpedo proposed trade deals. It's called trade promotion authority, or TPA, or fast-track. It lets Congress ratify or reject -- but not amend -- proposed trade pacts.

Lawmakers in both parties say major trade deals can't be negotiated and enacted without such negotiating powers.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/politics/wire/gop-lawmakers-embrace-obama-trade-push-more-than-democrats/article_cfa15fbe-a732-5971-912a-bafc91d50b82.html

[99th_Monkey]

1. Which should tell us something. nt

[msongs]

2. republicans supporting their own nt

[Major Hogwash]

3. When it passes, many more Democrats will embrace it here in America.

The fact that this trade deal involves 11 Pacific-rim countries is significant.

[Recursion]

4. And that it excludes China and India

I understand why it's US policy to go for it, though I'm less optimistic about the bloc being able to counterweight Chindia in even the medium term. Assuming it continues the NAALC model it will probably be marginally good, but I don't know if it's worth the political and diplomatic hit it's going to take to pass.

[Major Hogwash]

5. President Obama already talked to the Chinese government last year about trade.

And I suspect that he brought it up with India this week.
So, although those 2 countries are not part of the TPP, per se, President Obama has involved them both with trade goals he has in mind.

[pampango]

6. And the GOP base opposes 'fast track' by 85% while liberal Democrats are the only group

that supports it.