Today at a press conference in Maryland, Hillary Clinton told a reporter she felt comfortable commenting on the Trans-Pacific Partnership while not commenting on Keystone because she never worked on TPP:
Clinton’s decision to re-write history on her work on trade, as well as her excuse to take no position on the Keystone pipeline, provide more evidence that she will say or do anything to get elected.
Last night on Ralston Reports, Hillary Clinton continued to dodge questions about the Trans-Pacific Partnership, refusing to say whether she supports the agreement. And according to Jon Ralston, Clinton “danced around” her past support for TPP, a trade deal she pushed for at least 45 times as Secretary of State.
Clinton did go on to say that if she were in the Senate, she would vote against Trade Promotion Authority, the so-called “fast-track” bill, because it was not tied to Trade Adjustment Assistance. But Clinton didn’t have that position just days ago:
Unions have found a new scapegoat to target in Democrat Rep. Jim Costa (CA-16) after he voted for Trade Promotion Authority. Union groups in California are already courting a state assemblyman to enter the Democrat primary. In 2014, Costa beat a little-known challenger by less than 1,500 votes.
Rob England, President of the Kern County Central Labor Council, said:
“Costa has voted against labor, he’s voted against the American people and American jobs by voting for TPA and TAA, and we’re strongly trying to recruit other folks into the mix to get someone who is friendly to working people and working families.”
Rep. Ami Bera (CA-07) must be relieved that the unions’focus on him has been temporarily shifted elsewhere as the Democrats’ “civil war” over trade appears to have found another target.
This afternoon, Hillary Clinton graced the American people with a rare press availability. Unfortunately, Clinton didn’t take the opportunity to clear up her “position” on trade.
Today at the press avail, Clinton dodged three direct questions about the Trans-Pacific Partnership and granting fast-track authority to President Obama.
Hillary Clinton’s second presidential bid has seen her flip-flop on a number of issues, from gay marriage to driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants to sentencing guidelines. However, on today’s Sunday shows, senior Clinton advisors were consistent on one thing – that Clinton will not give her opinion on trade.
This morning on CNN’s New Day, Karen Finney said that former-Secretary Hillary Clinton was, “the most known un-know person in politics,” despite her being in the political limelight for over 30 years.
Later on in the interview, John Berman asked Finney were Clinton stood on TPP, an issue that she has been noncommittal on for months now.
Finney dodged hard on the issue, refusing to say whether of not Clinton would vote to give the president fast-track authority if she were in the Senate today.
Below is text of the exchange:
BERMAN: You called her one of the most unknown known people currently in this campaign where she stands on one of the big issues to the Democratic Party the fast track vote. There’s going to be a vote today we thought there was going to be a vote today. CNN’s Jake Tapper, Democratic sources are telling him that there aren’t the votes to pass it. If it goes down, what will the Secretary of State think of that?
KAREN FINNEY: She’s been very clear about this…she has. She’s said a couple things, she’s voted for trade agreements in the past and she’s voted against trade agreements in the past. Her sort of test on this one has been that she wants to see the final language because she believes that it should do two things. Number one she’s worried about issues of currency manipulation and are we protecting workers and number two is national security. Does it keep America safe? Given how dysfunctional congress has been, I want to see the final language makes a lot of sense.
BERMAN: In a way that’s a different issue than what they are facing today. Today they are asking whether the President should have fast track authority? Would Hillary Clinton, if she where in the Senate today, and she was once there, would she vote to give him that fast track authority?
KAREN FINNEY: I think she would want to see the language first.
BERMAN: She knows what’s in it though. She knows what’s roughly in it.
KAREN FINNEY: She roughly knows what’s in it, but roughly knowing what’s in something that has huge implications in this country that’s not the same thing as saying I want to see what the particulars are. How are we going to ensure that workers are protected? How are we going to ensure against currency manipulation but not just the big idea like check check are in there, but how are we going to do that?
BERMAN: Bernie Sanders is running against her and is saying c’mon stand up
KAREN FINNEY: But he’s in the Senate.
BERMAN: So the difference is that he has actually read where the trade agreement stands right now? That’s the only difference you think?
KAREN FINNEY: Well that’s part of it certainly, but I think the other piece of it is, this is where she is coming from it on this issue but I would also point out that she has been out on the campaign trail talking with voters and a few have been asking her about this and this is the answer that she has given. But she has heard voters on this issue, she’s talked about small businesses and family issues and paid leave and voting rights and one of the things that this ramp up period has given here is to hear what people want to talk about is heroin and opiate addiction which is a huge problem in this country.
It’s a well-known fact that unions are enraged by Democrats who are supporting President Obama’s trade agenda. But until now, Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has been generally able to stay above the fray. That’s all changed now.
In Pelosi’s liberal sanctuary of San Francisco, more than a dozen liberal groups will rally outside her district office to protest the trade bills in Congress. A few of the groups participating in the rally are CREDO Action, MoveOn.org, Democracy for America, and Sierra Club.
Pelosi has steered clear of making her positions on TPA and TPP public so far, and now liberal activists are starting to hold her accountable. Looks like she is caught in a lose-lose situation: betray her president or her liberal special interest groups.
Ami Bera must be concerned about a primary challenge following two months of constant and brutal attacks from the unions over his support for trade promotion authority. Unions ran a TV ad against Bera, a Craigslist ad calling for a congressman with a “backbone,” and staged rallies with Q-Tips urging him to clean out his ears. A sampling of quotes from labor leaders and local Democrats demonstrates how bad the trade fight has become for Bera:
Steve Smith, Spokesman of the California Labor Federation: “It would be next to impossible” for union members to support Bera in 2016.
Kerri Asbury, Chairwoman of the Sacramento County Democratic Party: It’s “very unlikely” that Bera will receive an endorsement from the California Democratic Party. Asbury said, “At the end of the day, we have to look at our positions, not the person. If he’s not aligning with our Democratic Party positions, then what’s the point?”
Angie Wei, Chief of Staff for the California Labor Federation: “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.”
As the President’s trade authority debate continues on Capitol Hill, Texas Democrats are starting to take sides. Notably absent from that debate is former Democratic Congressman Pete Gallego (TX-23), who is planning to run again after his loss in 2014.
