Sen. Chuck Schumer Proves He's a Dem Neoliberal Rat On The TPP Issue

Hmmmmm......if enough Democrats can  just help us to sneak this by the People all will be well!"

Two years ago, in a post pertaining to Russia's giving Constitutional hero Edward Snowden asylum, I identified the traitorous rats inveighing against it, including assorted Democrats. I noted:

"Neolib Weasel Chuck Schumer,  barking that "Russia has stabbed us in the back and each day Snowden is allowed to roam free is another twist of the knife!",  you'd think that nation was harboring a war criminal like Cheney or Bush, or a serial killer or genocidal madman, not a man who simply exposed the over reaching and trashing of the Constitution done by his own gov't.  Not a man who is a genuine patriot in every sense of the word, as opposed to a disgusting reprobate tool."

I've never waivered from the conviction Schumer was a pompous Neoliberal worm in the guise of a center -left Democrat. And his most recent traitorous antics on the Trans- Pacific Partnership confirm it. The giveaway was highlighted in the Washington Post's headline:

Schumer at Center of Democrats’ Trade Drama

Therein we learn:

The likely outcome is the separate measures will pass out of the Senate, but the currency-related measure faces a rough road in the House and at the White House.Pro-trade Democrats, though, will be able to say they voted to get tough on trade even as they voted for a six-year fast-track trade bill.

In other words, Chuckie engineered a split  bill to try to deflect left Demos' ire and attention.  In essence, a separate bill for  the currency restrictions will pass, but can be vetoed separately from Fast Track. This translates in a win for TPP Fast Track, i.e. no enforceable currency restrictions. Second, passing a separate currency bill allows pro-TPP Democrats to brag about how they "tried" their best to oppose the liberal onslaught - thereby grabbing a handy fig leaf.

The WaPo account goes on leaving no doubt the architect was Chuck Schumer:

"Senate Democrats’ epic trade revolt against President Barack Obama’s fast-track bill — and the furious efforts to salvage it — had one senator at the center of it all: Charles E. Schumer.
The New York Democrat, who has become the heir apparent to Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada, found himself in an awkward position, to say the least.

A provision he authored to get tough on countries that manipulate their currencies was threatening to bring down the White House’s entire trade agenda; its absence on the Senate floor was why Democrats filibustered Obama’s fast-track trade package Tuesday. By the end of the day Wednesday, the crisis — what White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest kept calling a “procedural snafu” — had been averted, with Schumer helping to seal the deal.

Although the New Yorker has opposed the trade bills — he voted against fast track in committee — as the caucus’ future leader, he has to balance the anti-trade sentiment among the vast majority of Democratic senators with his loyalty to the White House and the desires of a sizable number of pro-trade Democrats, such as Sen. Patty Murray of Washington. In short, it’s a sign of the kind of leader Schumer will be."

So we get one Neolib weasel to replace another (Reid).  And let's not overlook another rat in the making, Patty Murray - who didn't do duck squat back in Nov.-Dec. 2013 to halt a bill allowing $9b cuts in food stamps in order for the military to prevail in a sequester deal.  As one percipient blogger on smirkingchimp.com has observed:

Notice "progressive" Patty Murray's role in this. As a member of Democratic leadership, she seems to have had to choose between "following the neo-liberal leader" — in this case, Barack Obama on TPP — and standing with all other progressives in the "Democratic coalition," including every labor union. Murray is choosing to play ball with Senate leadership against progressives. Watch her carefully going forward. This looks a lot like the victory of careerism over principle.

All of which is enough to make a diehard liberal  - who hasn't changed his political position in 52 years - vomit.  But hell, we could as well expose the other pro-TPP Neoliberal Demo-RATS while we're at it, along with their phone numbers so interested readers can unload on 'em and blister their sorry asses:

Michael Bennet (D-CO) — 202-224-5852

Maria Cantwell (D-WA) —202-224-3441

Ben Cardin (D-MD) —202-224-4524

Tom Carper (D-DE) — 202-224-2441

Chris Coons (D-DE) — 202-224-5042

Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) —202-224-3841

Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) —202-224-2043

Tim Kaine (D-VA) —202-224-4024

Claire McCaskill (D-MO) —202-224-6154

Patty Murray (D-WA) —202-224-2621

Bill Nelson (D-FL) — 202-224-5274

Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) — 202-224-2841

Mark Warner (D-VA) —202-224-2023

Ron Wyden (D-OR) —202-224-5244

I also add Cory Booker (D-NJ) — who declined to vote on the first filibuster, but is nevertheless a weasel poltroon trying to find cover.

We cannot allow these Demo-RATS to find such cover, not on this issue. It's too big and the consequences too parlous if it goes through. Including the fact the repukes have attached a new amendment to the fast track that cuts Medicare by $700 million.  This is serious given the core  problem is that it breaks the promise  that no laws will change before any vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership or any other fast-tracked agreement. Thus there continues a disturbing trend, identified by Paul Krugman, about not being able to trust the White House’s categorical denials about the consequences of their trade agenda. 

Another noisome aspect not given sufficient attention in the corporate media is Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz's point that any legal authority would be transferred from the sovereign courts of the United States to multinational corporations if this "deal" comes to pass. Do Americans really and truly want to be serfs in a global Neoliberal fiefdom? I would hope not!

Even if the Senate manages to pass this execrable bill - with the help of Demo-Rat  Neolib traitors, we must make sure it meets its end in the House even if a coalition must be formed with Tea Partiers.

See also:

http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/dean-baker/62297/the-incredible-arrogance-of-the-trans-pacific-partnership-crowd

And:

http://www.salon.com/2015/05/19/another_trans_pacific_partnership_lie_exposed_how_medicare_is_getting_stiffed_in_obamas_massive_trade_deal/



http://www.smirkingchimp.com/thread/william-rivers-pitt/62286/the-trojan-horse-president

Rich Repuke Senators Hand Thousands of Hungry Kids a Lump of Coal By Not Extending Unemployment Benefits

DO the well-heeled Reepos care if the children of the unemployed starve? Hell NO!

How can it be that millionaire Repub Senators could be so callous and mean-spirited as to essentially tell tens of thousands of hungry kids to ‘Go Starve!’ And yet, that’s what has transpired as they’ve voted against extending unemployment benefits to the current 1.3 million who need them, which will become 4.8 million in a matter of months because the nature of the odious ‘deal’ signed last month allows for a rolling cut-off. As soon as the unemployed person hits the set limit based on maximal  months, wham! He is cut off from benefits – as is his family. That means the kids will go hungry – unless mom and pop can manage to get enough supplies at a food pantry.

 

Incredibly, foul, heartless pigs – sitting comfortably on their own gov’t benefits – have little or no sympathy. They could care less if the kids of the unemployed go hungry – so long as they get theirs.  No, they insist the long –term unemployed are merely lazy, good for nuthin’ parasites trying to eke largesse from the system. They have no conception that to the long term unemployed it fairly kills them to be taking what they know others (like Mr. Pig) regard as “handouts”. And these hard working people – who are only searching for a scintilla of dignity via work – would do without if not for the kids. It is the faces of their hungry kids who cry themselves to sleep each night that propels them to seek assistance, via unemployment benefits – or, if it comes down to it- welfare.

 

Why do the heartless lizard brains find this so hard to grasp? What has malfunctioned in their brains or brain stems, to make them believe these people wouldn’t take work – ANY work – if they could find it? Well, because it’s much easier for them to believe – after the Reagan era myths circulated of “welfare queens” - that the unemployed are no different from this odious caricature. This despite the fact the unemployed as workers had to pay into the system to accrue those benefits. (Which is why, if you haven’t been working a certain length of time, you receive none).

 

But this is what we’ve come to as a society. Because these same lizard brained trolls have no problem with the real corporate parasites snagging millions a year off the backs of average tax payers. They have no problem with the sleaze bag Wall Streeters, Oil company CEOs and banksters snatching all they can get out of the system – and with their money.

By one measure, as reported by Barbara Ehrenreich ('This Land is THEIR Land', p. 23): "the share of pre-tax income going to the top 1 percent of American households has risen to 16 percent. At the same time, the share of income going to the bottom 80 percent has fallen by 7 percentage points."

But it's worse than that! Those top 1 percent of people and indeed the top 5 %, have made out like bandits since the Bush tax cuts were passed in 2001. As a result, there has been an average transference of $7,000 every year from lower and middle income earners to the top.

According to a New York Times piece cited by Ehrenreich: "It's as if every household in the bottom 80% is writing a check for $7,000 every year and sending it to the top 1 percent".

Incredibly, the lizard brains lack even basic reasoning power, or basic knowledge of economics (understandable if they attend Smokehouse Online Bible College).  One actually had the unmitigated chutzpah to scribble ignorant refuse on his blog that everyone needed to be unemployed - in response to the finding by Harvard economist Lawrence Katz, i.e.  that the US economy is losing up to one billion dollars a week because of the “fiscally irresponsible” decision to end long-term unemployment benefits.

This bozo actually wrote: “Well, uh… if’ it’s so great to have UI for 1.3 million people to perk up the economy, why not have everyone unemployed?”

No, I kid you not! This turkey actually wrote that.  He has no conception of a balance sheet recession, or that the very concept of paying unemployment insurance (like paying out Social Security benefits) is contingent on a certain proportion of workers. In the case of S.S. current recipients (like HE is) are dependent on the earnings of current workers. If there were zero current workers there’d be zero S.S. benefits. In like manner, if there were zero current workers, there’d be zero dollars in the unemployment insurance cache to pay benefits.

What this bozo seemingly doesn’t’ grasp, is that a significant fraction of long term unemployed is disastrous for an economy whose GDP is seventy percent supported by consumer spending! Thus, the absence of those dollars (howsoever they arrive) means the GDP is hit, and a recession may be imminent. Losing one billion a week because of the removal of UI benefits is therefore not anything to sneeze at.

 

But why should Mr Xtian BigMouth get it? He obviously dismisses the recent quote I put up pertaining to one unemployed worker (posting on the UK Guardian site) who wrote:

 

“As one who lost his benefits I can tell you one thing, I will be homeless and spiraling downward without an extension. Place as much blame on me as you feel but remember the end result. Just because somebody gets themselves stuck in the mud, it does not mean somebody can't help them out! I've never in 38 years been on unemployment and I am shocked by the hard time I'm having getting a job. NO one will even hire me to dig ditches, collect garbage or clean sewers! What am I to do, starve?"
 
 

 Oh, Mr, Mighty Mouth does have a "solution" - at least for any unemployed in his area (assuming he isn't bullshitting):  that the mgr. of his apt complex will pay $10/hr for any one to "collect dog poop" lying on the premises. Personally, I think his claim is more full of dog shit than bull shit.

As I already noted, the Dems are partly responsible for this travesty. Instead of giving away the store in last month's "bipartisan budget deal"  - see the finalization of the act here- and  note Paul Ryan's prominent smirk at Dem victim Patty Murrary:

They ought to have held firm, and held out for an extension of long term unemployment benefits - or said, NO DEAL! That was when they had the leverage. Now, all they have is dog poop, and no Repuke will come on board, least of all the Tea Pee assholes.

As Usual - Dems Good At Posturing, Not Delivering!

The news that the US economy is losing up to a billion dollars a week because of the “fiscally irresponsible” decision to end long-term unemployment benefits,  ought to have any sane American's attention - especially those still invested in the bubble (stock) market. What it means is we are looking at a likely major impetus for a new recession and financial meltdown given the current market status is not disposed to any stability.


The news comes from a Harvard economist, Professor Lawrence Katz, who said his assessment is based on official forecasts of the impact to the economy of 1.3 million jobless Americans losing benefits. The benefits, which apply to people who are unemployed for longer than six months, expired last week after a bipartisan budget deal on federal spending for the next two years failed to include a reauthorization of the program.

As I earlier noted, this deal  (named the 'Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013')  was only "bipartisan" in the sense that it provided another opportunity for the Gooprs to do a "date rape" on the Demos - as anti-tax stooge Grover Norquist defined it. The misbegotten deal reduced the blanket sequester cuts by $63bn over two years, split equally between defense and non-defense spending, although Republicans also succeeded in negotiating a further $20-$23bn in  domestic deficit reduction.  In other words, the Reeps succeeded in raping the Demos to the tune of an additional $20-23b on their side, while not paying any new taxes!

Much of this comes by their refusal to extend unemployment benefits at the end of this month - leaving millions in the lurch at the worst time of year. Kids have done without Xmas presents, and now also food - since the SNAP program was cut, and  more food stamp cuts loom over the next ten years (amounting to $40b ). Reepos haven't budged from that.   The purpose was clearly to enable the Reepos to keep an additional $20-23 b for their pet defense projects while kids go hungry.

Of course, those who yap and complain that "any unemployed person who doesn't find work in 6 weeks doesn't want it" are certified idiots. They lack the necessary IQ to grasp that if there are 2.9 people chasing every job there won't be enough jobs to go  around. These are the sort of mentally backward people who can't process that 9 gallons will not fit into a 2 gallon container.

They'd also likely laugh at the plight of one letter writer to the press, who wrote:

"As one who lost his benefits I can tell you one thing, I will be homeless and spiraling downward without an extension. Place as much blame on me as you feel but remember the end result. Just because somebody gets themselves stuck in the mud, it does not mean somebody can't help them out! I've never in 38 years been on unemployment and I am shocked by the hard time I'm having getting a job. NO one will even hire me to dig ditches, collect garbage or clean sewers! What am I to do, starve?"

Needless to say, stupid pig GOOps would merely dismiss the guy's worries and insist he still "isn't trying hard enough".  (Interesting that many who say so are themselves sitting fat and pretty - gorging on gov't benefits!)


And what are Democrats doing about it? 

Democratic leaders in the Senate are planning to fast-track legislation to extend unemployment insurance, a move that would provide a lifeline to more than a million jobless Americans who lost their benefits five days ago.

The bipartisan bill provides a three-month extension the the federal benefits program, a temporary fix designed to allow Congress to work on a solution for the long-term unemployed, who have seen their support vanish.

And what are the chances of passing? Slim and None!

Though Democrats have launched "a sustained push"  to reintroduce the federal program, and a Senate vote on a bipartisan bill to restore the benefits for three months is expected early next week, there  certainly will be no passage in the Tea Party -contaminated House. The time to have fought for preserving the benefits was when the sequester and budget deal were being hashed out LAST month. What the Dems propose is roughly equal to trying to close the barn door after the cows have escaped.

It's stupid, and merely amounts to posturing after the fact, to try to show the unemployed that  this other corporate party still cares for them.  Meanwhile, on Friday, Democrats in the House of Representatives released a state-by-state breakdown of Labor Department figures, showing the number of people who lost federal benefits when they expired on Saturday. The 1.3 million affected Americans are losing on average $305 per week. In total, Democrats said $400m had been “taken out of the pockets” of job seekers across the country.

Dems should have fought for the little guys, the unemployed who likely will now lose homes and reap heartaches when they had the leverage to deal- LAST MONTH.

Now, all they have is  cheap, fulsome rhetoric - and that won't put food on the table!

  .

Dems Get Reamed Again in "Bipartisan" Budget Deal

Paul Ryan, Reep Budget Guru, and Dem Patty Murray introducing 'Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013'

It was permanent tax hater Grover Norquist who some years back defined bipartisanship as "date rape" - i.e. on behalf of the Reepo maggot against the willing Demo. Well, it appears he's been proven correct again, as one inspects the just trotted out 'Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013'. This anomaly of budgeting, which is the most generous way I can put it, virtually gives everything to the GOP without demanding virtually anything in return. It redefines what is meant by the term 'Pyrrhic victory' in the context of enabling some semblance of government stability (avoiding "political gridlock") but at the cost of allowing the putative "rape" of the submissive Dem party.

As one press release put it:

"Aspects of the deal may alarm both parties, particularly Democrats, who are being asked to accept additional spending cuts, no new taxes and increased pension contributions from public sector workers."

That's putting it mildly! If passed by the House and Senate, the two-year deal would reduce the blanket sequester cuts by $63bn over two years, split equally between defense and non-defense spending, although Republicans also succeeded in negotiating a further $20-$23bn in deficit reduction.  In other words, the Reeps succeeded in raping the Demos to the tune of an additional $20-23b on their side, while not paying any new taxes!

Much of this comes by their refusal to extend unemployment benefits at the end of this month - leaving millions in the lurch at the worst time of year. Kids will do without presents, but also food - since the food stamp cuts over the next ten years (amounting to $40b ) are still to come. Reepos haven't budged from that.

Oh, I forgot, not only did the Dems submit to Norquist -style date rape they willingly submitted the air traveling public to it as well - instead of raising taxes for all. According to this farce of a deal, additional government revenue will be raised  through fees, such as airport charges and by demanding that federal workers pay more toward their pensions. Why should they? Do they not work as hard as any others in this country, and at often thankless tasks - such as collecting taxes from a tax phobic, hysterical public, and inspecting rodent-infested places of business to ensure Americans don't get salmonella poisoning from their peanut butter?

Why is it these public servants are the first ones to have to sacrifice? Well, because the GOoprs demand it that way. And the Dems comply .....submissively. The AFL-CIO, has already hit out at the proposal, arguing that federal workers were acting as a “punching bag” for Republicans. What we need is a group to punch back at these Reepo rats. But who will do it? Not our pussified weasel Dems.

Senator Patty Murray, Democratic chair of the budget committee, admitted much was missing from the deal, as she observed:

"We need to acknowledge that there are long-term structural problems that this deal does not address. This deal does not solve all of our problems but it is an important step.

For far too long here in Washington DC, compromise has been a dirty word, especially when it comes to the budget. For years we have lurched from crisis to crisis. That uncertainty was devastating to our fragile economic recovery.”


This is all true, of course, but a whopping Neville  Chamberlain -scale appeasement of the Right is not the path to go. "Compromise"  yes, but not full retreat, surrender and tossing hard working federal workers under the bus! Especially as our nation -according to recent stats I will show in a future blog - has become just another poverty -stricken casualty of Neoliberal economic engineering.

A real compromise, in other words, would have insisted on those unemployment benefits being extended in return for no new taxes. As it is, if this farce goes through, it will mark another shafting not only of the Dems but the American people.