Joaquin Castro is in a pickle.
As the Texas Tribune notes, Castro, along with other House Democrats “face an agonizing choice: oppose the measure and deep-six Obama’s economic legacy, or support it and antagonize labor, one of the largest financial constituents in the party.”
After weeks of dithering on her position on the trade legislation before Congress, Illinois Democrat Cheri Bustos finally revealed she opposes fast-track authority.
Just last week, Bustos hypocritically claimed she has “always been a strong advocate for growth and jobs.” But this important bill is supported by two of the biggest employers in Illinois’ 17th District, John Deere and Caterpillar. Caterpillar’s CEO criticized Bustos’ trade rhetoric as “an absolute abomination” in 2012.
Bustos must be more concerned about pleasing the labor unions than helping the primary job creators in her Illinois district.
On America’s Newsroom, Ed Henry outlined several recent struggles facing the Clinton campaign.
In a recent interview with USA Today, AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said “it’s conceivable” that the AFL-CIO won’t endorse a candidate for President in 2016. Ed Henry said about Trumka’s remarks, “It is a shot across the bow…. they’re upset that she just won’t take a firm position on this Pacific trade deal. And the reason is she kind of wants to have it both ways.”
California Democrat Scott Peters is under heavy pressure from the AFL-CIO and other labor unions to vote against fast-track authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. A report from Politico reveals that unions are threatening to spend millions against Peters, cut off all support, and use personal attacks against him in the general election.
Congresswoman Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona’s 9th district is catching more heat this week from liberal activists who oppose the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). The Arizona Republic reported that dozens of protestors crowded outside Sinema’s district office in Phoenix and demanded she vote against the trade deal.
Sinema should not be playing politics with such an important trade deal hanging in the balance. In light of the recent demonstration outside her office, it appears her constituents agree.
California Democrat Ami Bera is playing politics on the trade deal before Congress. Bera plagiarized talking points from the White House and other groups when he wrote an op-ed in The Sacramento Bee in support of fast track. But in that same op-ed he did not give his position on the final Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Bera is now under pressure from the left for his support of fast track. Angie Wei, a leader of the California Labor Federation, said, “We’ve lost all our interest in defending this guy. We want to fight for people fighting for us, not people who turn their backs.”
It is time for Ami Bera to decide if he will be bullied by the far-left wing of his party or actually take a stand on this issue.
Two Arizona Democrats are playing politics on a historic trade deal as they seek re-election in competitive House districts. They are communicating in private with powerful unions while refusing to tell their constituents where they stand on the issue.
Read more at America Rising.
Well that didn’t take long.
