After the Republican-controlled Senate foolishly passed the so-called “Obamatrade” bill, the House leadership (John Boehner, Steve Scalise, Paul Ryan, et al.) worked their tails off to pass the bill. But a majority of Democrats and liberty-minded Republicans (small in number) rallied in opposition to the bill and voted it down. HOORAY! In this case, it was mostly Democrats that saved the day!
I have been saying for years that people who think the Republican establishment is a friend to liberty are extremely naïve. On issues regarding so-called “free trade” (it’s NOT free trade; it’s globalism masquerading as free trade), the Warfare State, deficit spending, globalism, and civil liberties, the Republican Party in Washington, D.C., is FAR WORSE than the Democrat Party. In general terms, the Democrat Party is worse on issues that deal with gun control, welfare, abortion, gay marriage, and extremist environmentalist policies. As one should easily be able to see, there is no “lesser of two evils” between these two parties. Each party is a greater evil, depending on the issue. And taken as a whole, both parties in Washington, D.C., are selling our liberties down the river.
But this so-called Obamatrade bill is a nightmare. If you thought NAFTA and GATT are bad (and they are), Obamatrade (TPP) is far worse. Even worse is that congressional leaders will not allow the public to know what’s in the bill. Heck, most of the congressmen and senators who are voting on the bill don’t know what’s in it.
Matt Drudge paraphrases Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wisconsin) angrily growling at reporters, “You will read it after we pass it.” What a pompous, arrogant jackass Mr. Ryan is. Obviously, he has been in Congress too long.
One of the senators who did read the bill is Senator Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama). And he is doing his best to warn the American people about just how horrific this bill really is. Breitbart.com recently interviewed one of Senator Sessions’ staff leaders regarding the impact of passing TPP.
“Stephen Miller, one of the staff leaders for Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-Alabama), joined Breitbart News Sunday and was asked by Breitbart’s Executive Chairman and host, Stephen K. Bannon: ‘Isn’t the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP) really a global governance deal, rather than a trade agreement? Is this a way to get the United States into a Pacific Union, as Senator Sessions lays out, that is very much like the European Union?’
“‘That’s exactly what is happening here,’ said Miller. ‘The Pacific Union that Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL) refers to is the new transnational governance body that would be created by the Transpacific Partnership.’
“‘What this means,’ explained Miller, ‘is the house and the senate together would be authorizing the president to enter the United States into a new trans-national union.’
“The Union would consist at first of twelve countries, but additional countries could join and be added over time. ‘It could issue regulations about labor policy, about immigration policy, about environmental policies, and many other areas impacting American life, American jobs, and American wages.’
“Also appearing on the program, which airs on Sirius XM, Patriot Radio, channel 125, was Lord Christopher Monckton. Monckton, who served as a policy advisor for former UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, argues that a Trans Pacific Union would bear a significant resemblance to the European Union, which Monckton insists is a serious detriment to democracy and leads to dictatorship.”
“As a result, Miller added, ‘the president can enter into an unlimited number of large sweeping international agreements. And, congress can’t filibuster them, at any point, for the next six full years.’
“Monckton retorted, ‘We’ve used this word before on this program--dictatorship. This is dictatorship.’”
See the report here:
TPP Enters USA Into A ‘New Trans-National Union’
The Obamatrade bill was proffered in two roll call votes. According to the rules established by House leaders, BOTH bills had to pass in order for “fast track” trade authority to be granted to President Obama. Boehner did this because he knew it would fail in one vote, as it was widely opposed by both Republican freedomists (a small group but enough to help defeat the bill) and liberal Democrats (liberals are not wrong on every issue). He was hoping he could muster enough support from both groups by separating the votes. His plan backfired. The first bill failed by a wide margin, so even though the second bill passed (barely), it was a moot point. The way to find the Republican rebels (America-first constitutionalists) is to look at the ones who voted against Obamatrade on BOTH votes. Here are those 37 brave Republican House members:
Justin Amash (MI); Dave Brat (VA); James Bridenstine (OK); Mo Brooks (AL); Ken Buck (CO); Michael Burgess (TX); Curt Clawson (FL); Doug Collins (GA); Chris Collins (NY); Paul Cook (CA); Jeff Duncan (SC); John J. Duncan (TN); Morgan Griffith (VA); Andy Harris (MD); Duncan Hunter (CA); Lynn Jenkins (KS); Walter Jones (NC); Jim Jordan (OH); David Joyce (OH); Raul Labrador (ID); Frank LoBiondo (NJ); Richard Nugent (FL); Gary Palmer (AL); Steve Pearce (NM); Scott Perry (PA); Bruce Poliquin (ME); Bill Posey (FL); Dana Rohrabacher (CA); Keith Rothfus (PA); Steve Russell (OK); Chris Smith (NJ); Daniel Webster (FL); Lynn Westmoreland (GA); Rob Wittman (VA); Ted Yoho (FL); Don Young (AK); Lee Zeldon (NY).
If you live in the district of one of these congressmen, you can be very proud of your representative.
And for those GOP House members who voted “Nay” on either vote, there is retribution from the Republican leadership. NationalJournal.com has this part of the story:
“House Republican leaders are cracking down on rebellious members after a near-disaster on a trade vote last week.
“Reps. Cynthia Lummis, Steve Pearce, and Trent Franks have been removed from the whip team after they sided with GOP rebels to vote against a rule governing debate on a trade bill, according to sources close to the team.”
“But House Majority Whip Steve Scalise had said earlier in the year that he would not tolerate members voting against rules and has already removed two other members [Jeff Duncan and Ron DeSantis] close to the conservative movement.”
See the report here:
Three Booted From GOP Whip Team As Leaders Crack Down
As for House Democrats, they held together in their opposition to TPP even when President Barack Obama personally went to Capitol Hill and lobbied them to support it. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) must be given credit on this issue, as she held fast in her opposition to TPP and encouraged Democrats to stand together in opposing it--which they did.
What is it about Democrat presidents who campaign against these so-called “free trade” deals when they are candidates and then become full-fledged supporters of the deals after being elected? Bill Clinton did the exact same thing. It just further demonstrates what I’ve been saying all along: at the highest levels of government, party affiliation, party platforms, and promises to party grassroots mean NOTHING. Powerbrokers are calling the shots; and the President (no matter the party) is too often but a pawn of these Machiavellians.
And if there is any issue that these international elites who are dominating Washington politics are doggedly determined to bring into being, it is the breakdown of national economic borders and the establishment of a global financial system.
Of course, one cannot have a global financial system without enacting a global political and military system to control and manage it. And, that, folks, is what all of these wars in the Middle East are about. It has NOTHING to do with the “war on terror.” It is all about establishing global government. The global elite are merely manipulating the West vs. Muslim façade to bring down those governments in the Middle East (Iran and Syria) that refuse to submit to the Federal Reserve’s international banking system and bring the oil-rich region of the Middle East completely under the Fed’s control.
Consider this: Saudi Arabia beheads far more people than ISIS. In fact, Saudi Arabia is one country that is indeed governed by strict Sharia Law. Yet, the United States considers the Saudis our dear friends and allies. And Christians seem totally oblivious to Saudi Arabia’s barbarism and intolerance. When is the last time you heard any pastor or Christian calling for war against Saudi Arabia?
Furthermore, independent news agencies are reporting that the United States is actually ASSISTING ISIS militarily.
Please take the time to read this report:
Anti-ISIS Coalition Forces Are The Target: US Warplanes Strike Iraqi Army Position, US Delivers Weapons To Terrorists
Folks, please turn off FOX News long enough to do some independent research. America is not at war with ISIS. America’s CIA created ISIS and continues to assist it. The U.S. government is using ISIS to attack its real target: the leaders of Iran and Syria who staunchly stand in the way of the U.S./Saudi Arabia/Israel machinations to centralize the banking systems of the Middle East. That is what the wars in the Middle East are truly about.
At this writing (Tuesday, June 16), GOP leaders and President Obama are collaborating on how to bring “fast track” trade authority back to the House floor for passage. But for now, it was House Democrats and that small number of Republican rebels who saved the day on Obamatrade.
P.S. Let me remind readers that we have just produced an hour-long DVD wherein Attorney Tim Baldwin lectures (complete with instructional slides) on the topic: “Police Contact: How To Respond.”
Tim explains your rights and the law regarding police contacts in a variety of circumstances, such as traffic stops, etc. He explains the rights and protections you have under the Constitution. He presents a constitutional, legal analysis of what you should and shouldn’t do when brought into contact with a police officer, sheriff’s deputy, or highway patrolman.
Tim is a former felony prosecutor and is now a criminal defense attorney. He has seen both sides of the criminal justice system and is imminently qualified to discuss this subject. He knows that for an attorney to best protect his or her clients, his clients need to know how to protect themselves before and during the investigative and arrest procedures.
Police officers are SERVANTS of the People and are as obligated to obey the Constitution as are each of us. Knowing these rights and protections will give you much CONFIDENCE when you are pulled over by a police officer.
Let me hasten to say that I am ALWAYS respectful to a police officer. And so should we always be. We must respect his position. But mostly, we must respect the law that he, the police officer, is sworn to uphold. But how can we respect the law if we don’t even know and understand the law? How can officers improve their law-enforcement practice unless citizens know when police are following the law? How is the legal system benefited if police can trample citizens’ constitutional rights with the consent of the people? Tim’s DVD will help tremendously in this regard.
In light of the climate that we all live in today, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that we become familiar with our constitutional rights and responsibilities. If enough of the American people would learn these constitutional principles, they could stem the growing tide of unconstitutional conduct by our public servants, including, and especially, by those in law enforcement.
Here is where you can order the DVD, “Police Contact: How To Respond,” by Attorney Tim Baldwin.
Police Contact: How To Respond
© Chuck Baldwin
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