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Showing posts with label John Boehner. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Boehner. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Nails to the Coffin Holding the Constitution


John R. Houk
© June 24, 2015

Ted Cruz originally favored TPP, but he has seen the light of his corrupt GOP Leadership RINOs pushing backroom deals. NOW Senator Cruz opposes this threat to our sovereignty, Constitution and immigration laws.

Apparently journalist political wags predict TPP to pass an up or down vote on the Senate floor today-Wednesday. As I am writing this it is about 4:53 PM I have discovered TPP has passed the Senate; thus thanks to the GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker John Boehner TPP advances to President Barack Hussein Obama’s desk for signature:

The Senate on Wednesday cleared legislation that will strengthen President Barack Obama's power to negotiate a Pacific trade deal, ending a weekslong struggle to lift the measure out of the political quicksand that repeatedly came close to trapping it in both chambers. 
 The legislation, passed 60-38, will give Mr. Obama "fast track" authority that allows him to submit trade deals to Congress for an up-or-down vote without amendments. Negotiators have said that process is crucial to completing the 12-nation trade deal with countries around the Pacific Ocean, known as the Trans-Pacific Partnership. 
 Already approved by the House, the bill now heads to the White House for Mr. Obama's signature. Its passage delivers a rare legislative victory for the second-term president whose agenda has largely stalled in a Congress now fully controlled by Republicans. 
 Wednesday's vote capped a fitful campaign that joined the White House, top GOP leaders and centrist Democrats to push through Congress legislation that both ends of the political spectrum opposed. Liberals viewed expanded trade as detrimental to U.S. jobs, while conservative members didn't want to expand Mr. Obama's authority. (Fast-Track Trade Bill Clears Senate; From Dow Jones Newswires; Fox Business; 6/24/15)

Senator Cruz indicated he changed his mind from supporting fast tracking TPP/TPA finally becoming cognizant of Senator Majority Leader Mitch McConnell lies in secretive backroom deals. Especially pertaining to immigration. This would mean he was one of 38 nays in the up and down vote taken today on TPA out 60 treasonous yeas.

It is too late to pressure your Senator about the outcome which gives Obama near dictatorial powers in trade agreements that will further “fundamental transformation” of America agenda, it appears that the 2016 election cycle will be America’s last chance to rid the USA of self-deluded Democrats and RINO/Establishment Republicans. If you have a Republican as your Representative or Senator who claims a Conservative pedigree yet voted a “yea” for TPP/TPA and associated acronyms deleterious to an Original Intent Constitutional government, that Republican is either lying or self-deceived. Get rid of that Republican in the Primaries and of course the Democrat in the General Election.

A successful Democrat and GOP Establishment election in 2016 could represent the last nails in the coffin containing the Constitutions intended Liberty and Freedom.

JRH 6/24/15
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TED CRUZ: OBAMATRADE ENMESHED IN CORRUPT, BACKROOM DEALINGS

June 23, 2015

In an exclusive at Breitbart, Ted Cruz writes today of the corrupt back room dealings and changes to TPA since he initially voted for the bill in the Senate.

In his article, Cruz states that in general, he “believes that free trade is good for America, but regarding TPA, Congress has become enmeshed in corrupt Washington back room deal-making.  He also writes that he has “serious concerns that it would open up the potential for sweeping changes in our laws that trade agreements typically do not include.”

Cruz goes further to write:

“Since the Senate first voted on TPA, there have been two material changes.” 
 “First, WikiLeaks subsequently revealed new troubling information regarding the Trade in Services Agreement, or TiSA, one of the trade deals being negotiated by Obama.” 
 “Despite the administration’s public assurances that it was not negotiating on immigration, several chapters of the TiSA draft posted online explicitly contained potential changes in federal immigration law. TPA would cover TiSA, and therefore these changes would presumably be subject to be fast-track.”

Cruz says that when TPA last came up for a vote in the Senate, both he and Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) introduced amendments that would have barred fast-track treatment for any trade agreement that attempted to impact immigration law, but two other Republican senators objected, and thus they were both denied votes on their amendments.  He goes on:

“At the time that Sessions and I introduced our amendments, many said our fears were unfounded. But now we have far more reason to be concerned.” 
 “Second, TPA’s progress through the House and Senate appears to have been made possible by secret deals between Republican Leadership and the Democrats.”

Cruz explains that TPA was blocked by a group of senators led by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), “both of whom were conditioning their support on the unrelated objective of reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank.”  Said Cruz:

“The Ex-Im Bank is a classic example of corporate welfare. It is crony capitalism at its worst, with U.S. taxpayers guaranteeing billions of dollars in loans for sketchy buyers in foreign nations. Ex-Im is scheduled to wind down on June 30. But powerful lobbyists in Washington want to keep the money flowing.”

Cruz suspected that Republican Leadership had promised supporters of Ex-Im a vote to reauthorize the bank before it winds down.  When he asked Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) what precise deal had been cut to pass TPA, McConnell stated me “that there was no deal whatsoever.”

Taking McConnell at his word that there was no deal on Ex-Im, Cruz voted yes on TPA.

When the vote went to the House, Democrats opposed TPA en masse. Boehner then cut a deal with Democrats and “punished conservatives, wrongly stripping of one of his subcommittee chairmanship, and reportedly threatening to strip other conservatives of their chairmanships as well”.

Why does Republican Leadership always give in to the Democrats? Why does Leadership always disregard the promises made to the conservative grassroots?

Cruz finishes his article, writing:

Enough is enough. I cannot vote for TPA unless McConnell and Boehner both commit publicly to allow the Ex-Im Bank to expire—and stay expired. And, Congress must also pass the Cruz-Sessions amendments to TPA to ensure that no trade agreement can try to back-door changes to our immigration laws. Otherwise, I will have no choice but vote no. 
 There’s too much corporate welfare, too much cronyism and corrupt dealmaking, by the Washington cartel. For too long, career politicians in both parties have supported government of the lobbyist, by the lobbyist, and for the lobbyist – at the expense of the taxpayers. It’s a time for truth. And a time to honor our commitments to the voters.

Conservatives rightly do not trust President Obama.  With a deal this big, kept out of the public eye, and supported by Obama and traitorous Republican leadership in both chambers, we smell a rat.  Thankfully Cruz has seen the light.

UPDATE:  Despite Cruz’ change of mind regarding Obamatrade, a 60-37 motion on Tuesday in the Senate to end debate on TPA sets up a vote for final passage on Wednesday. If the Senate approves fast-track or trade promotion authority (TPA), it would then be sent to Obama’s desk to become law.

Contact your Senator NOW to demand that they reject TPA, which would give Obama unprecedented powers and hurt American workers. You can also sign The Tea Party petition to Oppose the Trans-Pacific Partnership HERE.
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Nails to the Coffin Holding the Constitution
John R. Houk
© June 24, 2015
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TED CRUZ: OBAMATRADE ENMESHED IN CORRUPT, BACKROOM DEALINGS

Copyright © 2015 TPNN · TEA PARTY NEWS NETWORK · ALL RIGHTS RESERVED



Monday, June 8, 2015

Are YOU going to Allow the House to Fast-Track TPP


John R. Houk
© June 8, 2015

I think I have actually found an issue that Conservatives and Leftists might actually have some common. And the incredible irony is this issue may equally divide the Conservative and Leftist camps into pro and against on both sides of the issue.

What is that issue?

The issue is called Trans-Pacific Partnership or TPP.

The plus implications of a TPP agreement is the schmooze of Free Enterprise and the tearing down of restrictive tariffs between the TPP signatory nations.

I have knowledge of the TPP negotiations on a periphery basis rather than a complete informed basis. So when I received The Western Center for Journalism (WJ) action alert email I was quite interested in their Conservative view. When I did a little cursory investigation is when I discovered there are some Leftists against TPP. In case you were unaware the WJ takes a Right Wing position that many (especially Leftists) consider a bit further to the Right than a lot of other Conservative organization

Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who is considered more Left Wing than Hillary Clinton, has come out strongly against a TPP agreement. Her reasoning is a bit different from the Conservative reasons for being against TPP, but the point is regardless of the reasons there is strong opposition from both Left and Right on the Trans-Pacific Partnership becoming a part of the Rule of Law.

Here is an excerpt from an article that is billed as showing the pros and cons of TPP:

The Trans-Pacific Partnership, or TPP, is a proposed free trade agreement between the U.S and 11 other trading partners bordering the Pacific Ocean. Current trade between the countries is $1.5 trillion in goods (2012 estimate) and $242 billion in services (2011 estimate).  Once approved, it would be bigger than the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), currently the world’s largest free trade area. 
…  
The TPP is between Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the U.S. and Vietnam. The countries involved are responsible for 40% of the world's total GDP of $88 trillion, 26% of its trade, and 793 million of its consumers.  
Notably, the agreement excludes China. It's meant to balance the trade dominance of both China and India in East Asia. It also provides a trade alliance that gives the U.S. an excuse to intervene in trade disputes in the oil-rich South China Sea.   
However, all parties have signaled that other members can join in the future. So far, the Phillipines and China have indicated an interest.  
Like most other trade agreements, it removes tariffs on goods and services, and sets reciprocal trade quotas. Unlike most agreements, but like the TTIP, it removes non-tariff blocks to trade and harmonizes regulations and statutes. 
…  
Pros The TPP boosts exports and economic growth, creating more jobs and prosperity for the 12 countries involved. It increases exports by $305 billion per year by 2025.  U.S. exports would increase by $123.5 billion, focusing on machinery, especially electrical, autos, plastics and agriculture industries.  
The agreement adds $223 billion a year to incomes of workers in all the countries, with $77 billion of that going to U.S. workers. (Source: US Trade Representative, TPP Fact Sheet)  
Cons Most of the gains in income would go to workers making more than $88,000 a year. Free trade agreements contribute to income inequality in high-wage countries by promoting cheaper goods from low-wage countries.  
This would be particularly true for the TPP, because it protects patents and copyrights. Therefore, the higher-paid owners of the intellectual property would receive more of the income gains.  
The agreement regarding patents will reduce the availability of cheap generics, making many drugs more expensive. Competitive business pressures will reduce the incentives in Asia to protect the environment. Last but not least, the trade agreement could supersede financial regulations. (Source: Public Citizen, Eyes on Trade, September 12, 2013)  
Obstacles  
There are five areas that stand in the way of a successful deal. First, the U.S. wants more protection for … (What Is the Trans-Pacific Partnership? By Kimberly Amadeo; About.com; Article updated April 16, 2015) 
 Senator Warren has had her Senate staff publish a report on TPP called “Broken Promises”. Warren’s concerns seem to focus on how TPP will affect Labor in the USA. In this she is joining America’s big Unions. From a Labor perspective, there is concern of cheap foreign labor and greater production of goods and services in foreign countries that could affect employment of American citizens – in Warren’s case that would be Union backed Labor. 

See: Elizabeth Warren Sees Broken Promises in Obama's Trade Agenda at The New Republic 5/18/15. 

Michael Wessel backs Senator Warren at Politico but he focuses on the secrecy involved in the TPP negotiations. And not just the typical secrecy involved in nation-to-nation negotiations, but the kind of secrecy that has very limited access to those authorized to view the memos and reports that have been saved from the negotiations. To the point that the authorized must go to a designated building and they must be watched by a government functionary: 

You need to tell me what’s wrong with this trade agreement, not one that was passed 25 years ago,” a frustrated President Barack Obama recently complained about criticisms of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP). He’s right. The public criticisms of the TPP have been vague. That’s by design—anyone who has read the text of the agreement could be jailed for disclosing its contents. I’ve actually read the TPP text provided to the government’s own advisors, and I’ve given the president an earful about how this trade deal will damage this nation. But I can’t share my criticisms with you.  
I can tell you that Elizabeth Warren is right about her criticism of the trade deal. We should be very concerned about what's hidden in this trade deal—and particularly how the Obama administration is keeping information secret even from those of us who are supposed to provide advice.  
So-called “cleared advisors” like me are prohibited from sharing publicly the criticisms we’ve lodged about specific proposals and approaches. The government has created a perfect Catch 22: The law prohibits us from talking about the specifics of what we’ve seen, allowing the president to criticize us for not being specific. Instead of simply admitting that he disagrees with me—and with many other cleared advisors—about the merits of the TPP, the president instead pretends that … (I’ve Read Obama’s Secret Trade Deal. Elizabeth Warren Is Right to Be Concerned; By MICHAEL WESSEL; Politico; 5/19/15)

Conservative anti-TPP concerns center around the distrust of laws forced on Americans that are beyond the scope of the Constitution and the concern that TPP will bypass Congressional oversight and/or approval protocols. Also there is a concern of mass immigration of foreigners taking American jobs. In essence the issue is a foreign infringement on American sovereignty.

The Conservative plus view looks at lower tariffs and markets that prosper the American economy via less regulations as well as products made less expensively thus costing consumers less money.

Senator Jeff Sessions list five concerns about TPP:

Congress has the responsibility to ensure that any international trade agreement entered into by the United States must serve the national interest, not merely the interests of those crafting the proposal in secret. It must improve the quality of life, the earnings, and the per-capita wealth of everyday working Americans. The sustained long-term loss of middle class jobs and incomes should compel all lawmakers to apply added scrutiny to a “fast-track” procedure wherein Congress would yield its legislative powers and allow the White House to implement one of largest global financial agreements in our history—comprising at least 12 nations and nearly 40 percent of the world’s GDP. The request for fast-track also comes at a time when the Administration has established a recurring pattern of sidestepping the law, the Congress, and the Constitution in order to repeal sovereign protections for U.S. workers in deference to favored financial and political allies.  
With that in mind, here are the top five concerns about the Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) that must be fully understood and addressed before passage:  
1.  Consolidation Of Power In The Executive Branch. TPA eliminates Congress’ ability to amend or debate trade implementing legislation and guarantees an up-or-down vote on a far-reaching international agreement before that agreement has received any public review. Not only will Congress have given up the 67-vote threshold for a treaty and … 
 …  
2.  Increased Trade Deficits. Barclays estimates that during the first quarter of this year, the overall U.S. trade deficit will reduce economic growth by .2 percent. History suggests that trade deals set into motion under the 6-year life of TPA could exacerbate our trade imbalance, acting as an impediment to both GDP and wage growth. Labor economist Clyde Prestowitz attributes 60 percent of the U.S.’ 5.7 million manufacturing jobs lost over … 
 …  
3.  Ceding Sovereign Authority To International Powers. A USTR outline of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (which TPA would expedite) notes in the “Key Features” summary that the TPP is a “living agreement.” This means the President could update the agreement “as appropriate to address trade issues that emerge in the future as well as new issues that arise with the expansion of the agreement to include new countries.” The “living agreement” provision means that participating nations could both add countries to the TPP without Congress’ approval (like China), and could also change any of the terms of the agreement, including in controversial areas such as the entry of foreign workers and … 
 …  
4.  Currency Manipulation. The biggest open secret in the international market is that other countries are devaluing their currencies to artificially lower the price of their exports while artificially raising the price of our exports to them. The result has been a massive bleeding of domestic manufacturing wealth. In fact, currency manipulation can easily dwarf tariffs in its economic impact. A 2014 biannual report from the Treasury Department concluded that the yuan, or renminbi, remained significantly undervalued, yet the Treasury Department failed to designate China as a “currency manipulator.” History suggests this Administration, like …
…  
5.  Immigration Increases. There are numerous ways TPA could facilitate immigration increases above current law—and precious few ways anyone in Congress could stop its happening. For instance: language could be included or added into the TPP, as well as any future trade deal submitted for fast-track consideration in the next 6 years, with the clear intent to facilitate or enable the movement of foreign workers and employees into the United States (including intracompany transfers), and there would be no capacity for lawmakers to strike the offending provision. The Administration could also simply act on its own to ... READ ENTIRETY (CRITICAL ALERT: TOP FIVE CONCERNS WITH TRADE PROMOTION AUTHORITY; By Jeff Sessions; Sessions.Senate.gov; 5/4/15)

The Western Center of Journalism email has greater detail than I have attempted. Unfortunately the WJ email is also one of those disguised fund raisers masked in you making a “donation” for WJ to send out mass faxes. The WJ idea is a good one though. If you are a registered voter your Senators and Representative pay attention. So if you are like me and perhaps a little short of cash there are low cost to no-cost ways to contact Senators and Representatives about your concerns. So if you are passionate about stopping the TPP Fast Track I’ll provide the Congressional contact links. The drawback is you have to take the time to construct your on words. The WJ fax method means your concerns are written for you and all you have to do is add your name and make a donation. I encourage to do the thoughtful way or WJ fax way, but choose one to make your voice known.

Remember which ever you way choose to make contact BE SURE to include your name and complete address including zip code. This is how the politicians know you are a real voter and not Mickey Mouse.

How to . . .   contact U.S. Senators

Senators of the 114th Congress
http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Find Your Representative by Zip Code (The Zip leads you to their website which has all needed contact methods)

Websites of Interest:






JRH 6/8/15
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Drudge Blows Lid Off Obama Secret 'Trade Deal'... This Is Huge

By Floyd Brown
Sent: 6/7/2015 8:00 AM

"Some Even Believe We Are Part Of A Secret Cabal... Conspiring With Others Around The World To Build A More Integrated Global Political And Economic Structure—One World... If That Is The Charge, I Stand Guilty, And I Am Proud Of It." -David Rockefeller

We're talking about a globalist plot called the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)... a dastardly scheme that conservative icon Phyllis Schlafly says will turn over "our authority as a sovereign nation to international authorities."

Mitch McConnell just did his part for large multi-national corporations and squeezed it through the Senate... BARELY. As a matter of fact, because of your Blast Faxes and calls in stanch opposition to TPP, McConnell had to pull every dirty deal out of his bag of tricks AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE to make it happen.

Make no mistake, your opposition to TPP totally changed the dynamic in Washington... so much so that the ultimate fate of this globalist scheme is presently UNCERTAIN in the House of Representatives.

And now that Mitch McConnell and John Boehner are on the ropes and desperately trying to re-group, at this very moment, to push this globalist agenda through the House of Representatives, we're in a position to defeat TPP outright... but we must strike now... before McConnell and Boehner can make dirty, behind-the-scenes deals to sneak it past us.

If You're Thinking That Your Faxes And Calls Are Not A Powerful Weapon... Just Look At What You Just Did To Mitch McConnell.

Two weeks ago, Washington elites were high-fiving one another because passage of this New World Order trade scheme was considered a slam-dunk... a done deal... but that all changed once patriot Americans, like you, started burning up telephone lines and sending avalanches of faxes to Washington.

As a matter of fact, Mitch McConnell literally scrambled to make DEALS with his fellow Senators on the fly DURING THE CLOTURE VOTE when it became clear that the unthinkable was actually happening and he did not have the votes he needed to betray you after all.

According to conservative pundit and the son of former-President Ronald Reagan, Michael Reagan: "The NY Times reports a blur of 11th hour deals on the Senate floor on Thursday saved Obama's trade agenda from defeat, busting a filibuster to advance legislation that would enable the president to complete a sweeping, 12-nation Pacific trade agreement."

The Hill, the publication of record for Washington insiders, fleshed out the details: "More than halfway through the vote, it appeared supporters of fast-track might be stuck... McConnell then huddled in the well of the Senate floor... The breakthrough came when McConnell promised [Senator Maria] Cantwell that he would schedule a vote next month on an amendment authorizing the Export-Import Bank. As soon as he did, Cantwell wheeled around and voted 'Aye,' followed in quick succession by [Senators] Murray, Heitkamp and Sens. Chris Coons (D-Del.) and Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)."

The Hill added: "McConnell’s proposal also pushed [Lindsey] Graham, who was also in the huddle, to vote yes" and The Hill goes on to state that Orrin Hatch made a last-minute concession to Senator Rob Portman that induced him to vote "yes" as well.

Here's the bottom line. The political elites in the Senate had to hustle, at the very last minute, to push this betrayal precisely because patriotic Americans pushed back; but, as the New York Times notes, this win "was not the overwhelming victory House supporters had hoped for" and "advocates concede they do not yet have the votes to hand the White House trade promotion authority."


The Trans-Pacific Partnership Is A Fraud. It Has Nothing To Do With Trade.

Let's get down to brass tacks. TPP is nothing more than a pretext for implementing a globalist agenda and eradicating American sovereignty and your freedom.

Don't take our word for it. Political pundit Dick Morris, hardly a tin-foil-hat type, calls TPP a "fraud" and writes: "The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has nothing to do with trade. While it officially embraces 11 countries plus the U.S., 76 percent of our trade with these nations is with Mexico and Canada, already covered by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Any export growth is likely to have been already covered by NAFTA, making the TPP irrelevant to our trade relations."

Morris goes on to explain: "The World Trade Organization has reduced tariffs to almost nothing... the US already functionally has free trade with all of the countries of the Pacific Rim" and he adds: "The TPP is nothing but an effort by the globalists to circumvent American sovereignty, transferring a host of issues from the control of the U.S. Congress and the various state legislatures to international trade courts."

So what's the real agenda behind pushing TPP? Morris adds that TPP gives "multi-national companies the right to sue the American government to force changes in our laws in a foreign or international court."

Why is that important? Morris yet again: "Multinational corporations find bureaucrats easy to control, subject as they are to the influences of the revolving door between regulators and those they regulate. Coming from industry or planning to return there, the supposedly disinterested bureaucrats are anything but impartial."

And just in case you were wondering why TPP is being kept under lock-and-key... just in case you were wondering why the public is not allowed to read it... just in case you were wondering why elected officials must lock themselves in a room in the basement of the Capitol Building to read it and are prohibited from taking notes and must even relinquish their cell phones before locking themselves away to read the bill... the answer should now be obvious.

In a nutshell, multi-national corporations are spending millions (perhaps billions) to convince our elected officials to willingly cede their Constitutional authority and hand our national sovereignty over to Barack Obama and an oligarchy of international corporations... it's all about the Benjamins... your liberties be damned.

But make no mistake, when enough of our elected officials know that enough of us are on to this little game, they will back down and if multi-national corporations are willing to spend billions to secure their vote, are enough of us willing to reach out to our elected officials to put a stop to this foolishness?

Let's Recap... Subverting Our Sovereignty For The Benefit Of Globalists Is Not Free Trade... It Is Tyranny.

If you're still having a hard time believing that TPP will give Barack Obama and globalists unprecedented powers... if you're having a hard time believing that TPP is nothing more than a concession to an international oligarchy that will cost us our sovereignty, our freedom and millions of American jobs... don't take our word for it.

Here's a refresher course on what Phyllis Schlafly says about TPP:

       The text of TPP emphasizes that it is a "living agreement." Translated out of bureaucratese code language, that means the text of TPP can be changed in major and minor ways by executive action after Congress passes the document.

      
TPP will facilitate the expanded movement of foreign workers into the United States. TPP opens the door to more waves of illegal immigrants and allows Obama to make future changes without any congressional oversight or expiration date.

       Kevin L. Kearns of the U.S. Business and Industry Council calls this "another power grab" that will let Obama and his employees rule by executive action. By the device of not calling TPP a treaty (even though it involves 12 countries on three continents), the globalists induce the Senate to abandon the 67-vote threshold for treaty ratification and even the 60-vote threshold for important legislation.

       Fast Track turns over some of our authority as a sovereign nation to international authorities, which is a major longtime goal of the internationalists, the so-called kingmakers and big business lobbyists. The code language that hides this in TPP is the statement that calls it a "living agreement."

       Giving Barack Obama, a man who has repeatedly shown his hatred for this country and a willingness to subvert our Constitution, such broad powers is like giving an arsonist a book of matches and a can of gasoline.



Schlafly Is Not Alone. Here's What Others Are Saying...

Here's what others, on both sides of the political divide, are saying:

       We don't create good jobs for Americans by entering into unbalanced trade deals that forgo congressional scrutiny and ignore the law only to import low-wage labor, undercut American workers, and drive wages lower than the Dead Sea. The Obama administration has fooled and failed the American people for far too long. I cannot support giving this administration trade promotion authority (TPA) for the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP). ... Personally, I wouldn't trust this administration to negotiate a deal on a secondhand Subaru. -Mike Huckabee

       It is simply unbelievable that anybody — and most especially GOP lawmakers — would even contemplate giving this president so-called "Fast-Track Authority" on the TPP. His serial failures to negotiate fair prisoner swaps, sound arms control agreements or sensible diplomatic normalizations neither inspires confidence nor warrants Congress turning its check-and-balance role into a blank check. -Frank Gaffney

       Such pacts used to be called "free-trade agreements"; in fact, they were managed trade agreements, tailored to corporate interests, largely in the U.S. and the European Union. -Joseph E. Stiglitz, MarketWatch, The Secret Corporate Takeover Hidden In The TPP

       Free trade deals are about profits for corporate America — not bus drivers, hotel workers, teachers, firefighters — real working people. -Larry Hanley, international president of the Amalgamated Transit Union

       The president has circumvented Congress on immigration with serial regularity. But the TPA would yield new power to the executive to alter admissions while subtracting Congressional checks against those actions.... The plain language of TPA provides avenues for Obama and trading partners to facilitate the expanded movement of foreign workers into the U.S. -Senator Jeff Sessions

       I'm for free trade, but I am not for giving more authority to a president who ignores the Constitution, the separation of powers and will of the American people. This particular president must not be given any more power to do anything else to harm this country. He cannot be trusted. -Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal

Sadly, Barack Obama and political elites within the GOP have finally reached consensus on an issue: What is good for international globalists and multi-national corporations is good for them and they're willing to give their fat-cat friends lavish gifts even if they must violate the Constitution, give a wanna-be dictator even more power and surrender our sovereignty to make it happen.


Floyd Brown
_____________________________
Are YOU going to Allow the House to Fast-Track TPP
John R. Houk
© June 8, 2015
____________________________
Drudge Blows Lid Off Obama Secret 'Trade Deal'... This Is Huge

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Saturday, January 10, 2015

Hard Votes


Boehner the Cowardly Lion

Justin Smith displays his dislike for the GOP reelecting John Boehner as Speaker of the House. Justin very effectively makes his case

JRH 1/10/15
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Hard Votes

By Justin O. Smith
Sent: 1/9/2015 12:35 AM

The American people have been deceived and betrayed once more by the newly elected Republicans, who portrayed themselves as conservatives. These newly elected joined the rank and file establishment Republicans, and on January 6th, they helped reelect a big spending, Republican-in-Name-Only Statist, John Boehner, as Speaker of the House to the 114th Congress, which illustrates that despite a Republican majority, the 114th Congress will not be truly conservative in its character.

Boehner won the Speaker position with 216 votes of 408 cast, less than a majority of the full House. With 164 Democrats voting along ideological lines for Nancy Pelosi, twenty-four courageous Republican Congressmen remembered their oath to the Constitution and set aside personal ambition and partial considerations for committee chairs, and they voted for the true interests of America and Her people, by voting for alternative Republican candidates for Speaker of the House.

Despite claims to the contrary, every Republican Congressman was aware of the fact that 64% of Republican voters wanted to "dump Boehner", due to a campaign by Joseph Farah at 'WND', which generated over 500,000 letters urging House members to fire Boehner. Most of the new Congressmen received votes, during their campaigns, based on their assurances that they would seek Boehner's removal as Speaker.

Many disturbing reasons led to the movement to oust Boehner. He has overseen the largest government spending spree of any Speaker in U.S. history, including Nancy Pelosi; he insisted on fully funding Obamacare at the end of the last Congressional session, when he also pushed House members to fund Obama's immigration amnesty until February 27, 2015; and he gave a $1.1 trillion spending bill his blessing in December of 2014.

Obama's amnesty for illegal aliens could have been fought by passing month to month continuing resolutions and demanding concessions at every juncture to keep government funded. But now, by passing the "Cromnibus" [Link
] and funding the Dept. of Homeland Security through February, Boehner and the House allowed Obama to build the administrative structure needed to issue his deferred prosecution orders and work permits for the parents of the DREAM "children."

Reported by several journalists including Melissa Quinn at the 'Daily Signal' (Jan 5), Rep. Jim Bridenstine placed this fight in its proper perspective, stating:

"The CR/omnibus legislation ($1.1 trillion spending bill) sufficiently undermines the checks and balances enshrined in the Constitution that it warrants my pending vote against the Speaker. John Boehner went too far when he teamed with Obama to advance this legislation. He relinquished the power of the purse, and with it he lost my vote."


Some Congressmen, such as Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) Vice-Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, expressed their fear that they would lose their position if they opposed Boehner. They called it "a hard vote" to go against their principles, but they haven't any principles; the hard votes were delivered by the twenty-four courageous American patriots, men of honor, integrity and principle, who stood and opposed Boehner, including Scott DesJarlais, Ted Yoho and Louie Gohmert.

And yes, the retaliations are already underway. Rep Daniel Webster (R-FLA), who opposed Boehner, and Rep Richard Nugent (R-FLA), who voted for Webster, were both removed from the Rules Committee hours after the vote. Boehner also used retaliation in 2012, when he threw Representatives Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), Justin Amash (R-MI) and David Schweikert off their committees.

Given the numbers, there was going to be a Republican Speaker no matter who the candidates were, since the vote continues until one candidate gains a simple majority. At the very least, the true conservative Republicans were hoping to force a second vote for the first time since 1923, when Frederick Gillett (R-MA) needed nine ballots to win the Speaker's seat (Congressional Research Service).

Statements similar to Rep. Diane Black's (R-TN), that opposing Boehner would "position Democrats to exert greater influence over the outcome", are nothing more than a weak, blatant attempt to cover their own self-serving cowardice. And every Republican vote for Boehner was a vote for their own personal ambition and massive government and its associated expenditures.

Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) stated, "Critics may call my vote unwise ... but I challenge them instead to defend the undemocratic manner in which the Speaker has moved legislation through the House of Representatives."

In 2015, Obamacare, illegal immigration, energy, jobs, the tax code and education, along with appropriations and budget issues, will all present America a string of failures under John Boehner's direction as Speaker of the House. The next two years will be full of faux conservatives full of feigned anger, and Republicans still will have accomplished nothing.

How can Boehner continue to lead the cooperation - err, ugh - "opposition" to Obama (as the crowd laughs uproariously), when he has lost the confidence of his own party?

It's no wonder Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was gushing as she handed the Speaker's gavel to Boehner. Her party sees John Boehner as being malleable in Obama's hands.

How could any Republican vote for Boehner for Speaker of the House in good conscience, knowing that he is working to undermine conservative principles?

When Americans vote for candidates calling themselves "conservatives", they expect to receive honorable leaders, who understand the basis for true conservatism, determined to uphold their oath to the Constitution. Time and again, John Boehner has violated his oath and blocked the efforts of new Congressmen to advance conservative policies that would have had better than expected results, if only one gathered the strength to do the right thing.

Twenty-four Republicans who opposed Speaker Boehner, as they fought for Constitutional government, are an inspiration for many Americans. Their votes also represent the largest in-party repudiation of a sitting Speaker since 1923.

Jenny Beth Martin, co-founder of the Tea Party Patriots, observed:

"Republicans should study the names of those who were brave enough to stand up and cast their vote against the status quo of the Boehner establishment. One day, they will lead that party, and the party and the nation will be far better for it. Tea Party Patriots everywhere salute them."

The 2014 election was about making the changes the American people demand, something Boehner has refused to do. Every single Republican was tasked by America to dump Boehner, but the majority of them were too busy running to protect their cushy assignments and their committee positions and running scared from a whiny Fool's retaliation. Every single Republican who cast their vote for Boehner betrayed the U.S. Constitution and the American people in so doing.


By Justin O Smith
_____________________________
Edited by John R. Houk

© Justin O. Smith

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Overcome Political Realism with Grassroots Conservatism

Face of Obama - Impeach Him
IMPEACH OBAMA!

John R. Houk
© July 22, 2017

Brent Smith has written an article that is correctly critical of Speaker John Boehner and the GOP Establishment leadership for brushing off calls for President Barack Hussein Obama’s impeachment.

Too many Republicans from both Conservatives and GOP Establishment withstand calls for impeachment out of what I can call political realism. The thinking runs something like this: Even if the House of Representatives currently under a GOP majority serves articles of impeachment with a simple majority, the Constitution states that two-thirds of the members of the Senate are needed to convict and remove from Office. (See Standards for Impeachment) That 2/3 today is sixty Senators. Realists believe even with a majority win in the 2014 election it would be doubtful that there would be 60 Republican Senators. And it is a decent guess that if a miracle occurs and the Senate session beginning after the 2014 reaches at least 60 Senators, that are probably enough RINOs to thwart a conviction of President Barack Hussein Obama.

Despite the logical arguments of the political Realists I say PHOOEY!

Admittedly I felt Barack Obama had a Socialist Transformative agenda to end the Constitutional America as we know it which includes throwing Biblical Christian values into irrelevance from the beginning of the rise of his popularity in the 2008 election cycle. NONETHELESS, for we Americans that want to see accountability from an elected official rather than see how political realism plays out. Beginning impeachment proceedings NOW we the people will see just who in the House stands for accountability and who stands for political realism. The 2014 election cycle will then give constituents an actual voice about their Representative in the House. If constituents vote for a candidate or incumbent that maintains the political realist status quo, then they deserve the future Left Wing despotism that will gain deeper roots resulting from Obama transformatism (See Time [Leftist Vision], Education Brainwashing, OBAMA FORCED A CHANGE NOT WANTED and The Godless Left And Social Justice).

If a majority of the House votes to impeach the President, at this point it would probably be the 2015 Senate installed in January that decides to keep or boot President Barack Hussein Obama out of Office. I am praying if a GOP led Senate fails to remove Obama from Office, then more voters will wake-up to the dysfunction of reality politics by insuring a Conservative GOP election of President and a super majority in both the House and Senate in 2016. Impeachment proceedings will make this the true political reality. In this case there is a difference between verified reality and predictive realism.

Ben Smith’s article calling for Obama’s impeachment is a growing Conservative grassroots movement to counter the squeamishness of political realism.

JRH 7/22/14 (Hat Tip: MinutemenNews.com)
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No to Impeachment – Yes to Lawsuit

July 21, 2014

Recently, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, little Johnny Boehner, proclaimed that, “Every member of Congress swore an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. So did Pres. Obama. But too often over the past five years, the president has circumvented the American people and their elected representatives through executive action, changing and creating his own laws, and excusing himself from the forcing statutes he is sworn to uphold – at times even boasting about his willingness to do it, as if daring the American people to stop him.”

“That’s why, later this month, we will bring legislation to the House floor that would authorize the House of Representatives to file suit in an effort to compel president Obama to follow his oath of office and faithfully execute the laws of our country.”

Boehner’s statement was in direct response to Obama’s “So Sue Me” statement to Congress. In other words, Obama will do whatever he darn well pleases, and if you don’t like it – tough toenails for you.

He didn’t, nor does anyone else using that phrase, mean to actually sue him. Maybe he did.

Boehner says he’s disappointed in “the president’s flippant dismissal of the Constitution we are both sworn to defend…”

He’s disappointed? That’s it? Not outraged at the president who is breaking the law on a regular basis, and consistently acting anti-constitutionally?

There is a method of redress you know, Johnny. It’s written right in that Constitution you swore to defend but probably haven’t read. It’s called impeachment and I guarantee if this were Bush thumbing his nose at a Democrat Congress, articles would have been drawn up long ago – and rightly so. I would certainly support it, whoever is in office.

No official is above the Constitution. No – not even Ronaldus Magnus (Ronald Reagan).

So why file a lawsuit? Why not impeachment? A few reasons, in my opinion.

First, little Johnny would feel the need to garner “public support” for impeachment which is not required and wholly unnecessary. But we all know he is too cowardly to actually “do his job” without first getting approval. There was almost no support to impeach Nixon before the process began – neither public nor congressional.

Second: assuming Congress has legal “standing” or authority in the eyes of the court to even file a lawsuit – it would drag on potentially for years and accomplish exactly nothing – except for spineless Republicans to claim their at least “trying” to stop this “lawless” president. It’s great cover for the lily livered establishment, and they know it.

I haven’t heard this theory, but I’ll just throw it out there. Finally and most importantly is the built-in excuse of no longer having to answer any questions.

Let me put it a better way. You know – whenever there is a major court case or major lawsuit being litigated – what do the parties always say when asked about the case? “I’m sorry, I can’t discuss that, I can’t comment on an ongoing case. I’d like to comment – but I can’t.”

Wow! What better way for both sides to just give the finger to all of us demanding that something be done about Obama.

Reporter: “Mr. Boehner – what are you going to do to stop the president’s open border lawlessness?” Boehner: I’m sorry, but that’s part of an ongoing lawsuit. You know I can’t discuss it. Sure wish I could though.”

Voilà! Problem solved for the establishment! No more questions – no more scrutiny!

Also, once a lawsuit is filed, Congress can wash its hands of it. Their attorneys, being well paid by us rubes, will handle the heavy lifting, as it were. Spineless congressional leaders get a free pass – they don’t have to do anything or say anything.

It’s a win-win!
____________________________
Overcome Political Realism with Grassroots Conservatism
John R. Houk
© July 22, 2017
___________________________
No to Impeachment – Yes to Lawsuit


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