Thursday, June 11, 2015
Barker's Newsbites: Thursday, June 11, 2015
Question: How can folks read my newsbites and frequent stand alone front page blog entries and not acknowledge that our Republic is being subverted and destroyed, bit by bit, from within?
Question: How can true "Big L" self-described "liberals" fail to comprehend that nothing about the Left is "liberal" in any legitimate sense of the word?
Question: Conservations... self-described conservatives... do you "get" that the GOP Establishment - the Republican Party - is no more "conservative" than the Left is "liberal?"
To the vast majority of my FB "friends" who will "like" a post on new kitchen chairs or "like" a vacation photo... do you simply tune out political, economic, and social reality in real life? Do you care so little about this country's future that none of the evils I point to on a near daily basis make you at the very least desire to express solidarity with those who are desperately trying open your eyes?
Those of you who are my age or older - surely you understand that this isn't the same country you grew up in. (Don't you?) Are you pleased with how "The Age of Obama" (and "The Age of Bush" before Obama) has changed your country... your children's country? Does it bother you that we've "been at war" since 2001... with no end in sight... indeed, with expansion being promised?
What's... it... gonna... take...?
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* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)
http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/06/11/paul-ryans-pelosi-esque-obamatrade-moment-its-declassified-and-made-public-once-its-agreed-to/
Chief ObamaTrade proponent House Ways and Means Committee chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) admitted during Congressional testimony on Wednesday evening that despite tons of claims from him and other ObamaTrade supporters to the contrary, the process is highly secretive.
* "ADMITTED."
* "ADMITTED" EVEN WHILE OTHER RINOs CONTINUE TO LIE.
Ryan also made a gaffe in his House Rules Committee testimony on par with former Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) push to pass ObamaCare, in which she said infamously said: “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.”
* YEP...
* PELOSI... RYAN... BOEHNER... MCCONNELL... IT'S ALL THE SAME...
“It’s declassified and made public once it’s agreed to,” Ryan said of ObamaTrade in Rules Committee testimony on Wednesday during questioning from Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX).
* THIS... IS... INSANITY...!!!
* THIS IS "1984!"
* THESE ARE THE REPUBLICRATS AND DEMPUBLICANS WORKING TOGETHER...!!!
What Ryan is trying to convince House Republicans to do is vote for Trade Promotion Authority (TPA) which would fast-track at least three highly secretive trade deals — specifically the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP), the Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), and the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (T-TIP) — and potentially more deals.
* BASICALLY THE GOP LEADERSHIP IS ON BOARD WITH OBAMA'S PLAN TO "AMEND" THE CONSTITUTION WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE AMENDMENT PROCESS. (I SUPPOSE THEY FIGURE IF THEY GIVE ALWAYS ALL CONSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES THEY'LL HAVE MORE TIME TO DEVOTE TO RE-ELECTION FUNDRAISING.)
Right now, TiSA and T-TIP text are completely secretive and unavailable for even members of Congress to read while TPP text is available for members to review — although they need to go to a secret room inside the Capitol where only members of Congress and certain staffers [who possess] high-level security clearances (who can only go when members are present) can read the bill.
* OBAMA'S AMERIKA, FOLKS; AND RYAN'S TOO APPARENTLY.
* TO BE CONTINUED...
* CONCLUDING... (Part 2 of 2)
Ryan’s exchange in which he made this gaffe came as Burgess - who opposes ObamaTrade - and Rules Committee chairman Rep. Pete Sessions - who stands with Ryan supporting it - were discussing the secrecy of the deal with him.
It came right after an incredible exchange where Ryan attempted a ploy to try to save immigration provisions contained within the ObamaTrade package as a whole — specifically TiSA — that were exposed by Breitbart News earlier on Wednesday; a problem for which he put forward a phony non-solution designed to get more votes for his ObamaTrade agenda [while] not stopping the immigration provisions.
* FOLKS... WE'VE GOT REAL PROBLEMS HERE.
By the way, when Paul Ryan insists, "By the way, TPA — it’s declassified and made public once it’s agreed to,” what he is technically referring to is that TPP will become public if TPA is agreed to...
* WHICH IS LIKE CLOSING THE BARN DOOR AFTER ALL THE ANIMALS HAVE ESCAPED...
...but Congress will lose much of its ability to have oversight over and influence on the process, since TPP is, in many respects, already negotiated.
It’s 800 pages long, and on fast-track Congress will only get an up-or-down vote and won’t be able to offer amendments.
The Senate vote threshold also drops down to a simple majority rather than normally having a 60-vote threshold, or in the case of treaties, a 67-vote threshold.
* FOLKS... THIS IS THE GOP ESTABLISHMENT PUSHING FOR - NOT AGAINST - OBAMA'S POWER GRAB!
* AND THEN THERE'S SESSIONS... RYAN'S FELLOW "REPUBLICAN" AND CHAIRMAN OF THE REPUBLICAN CONTROLLED HOUSE RULES COMMITTEE...
Sessions [claims] he and Ryan are available to answer any questions about this matter whenever anyone wants... yet... Sessions’ committee staff is publicly refusing to answer any detailed questions from Breitbart News on ObamaTrade "at this time."
(*CLENCHED JAW*)
* FOLKS... OUR COUNTRY IS SLIPPING AWAY FROM US.
* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)
http://observer.com/2015/06/many-foreign-governments-pay-k-street-big-money-to-peddle-tpp-to-congress/
In a scene all too typical in present day Washington, the culmination of Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations, along with the push for passage of related legislation such as Trade Promotion Authority (or Fast Track) have set off a lobbying frenzy.
While liberal organizations and members of Congress deride the TPP as the biggest boondoggle since NAFTA [while] President Obama defends it as “the most progressive trade treaty ever,” the influence peddlers who populate K Street see opportunity.
Policy makers aren’t simply facing a lobbying barrage from the typical slate of domestic interest groups. Foreign governments are running sophisticated operations to influence Congress and gather intelligence in Washington as the negotiations proceed.
This is now “par for the course,” according to Lydia Dennett, an investigator at the Project on Government Oversight [POGO], a non-profit watchdog. “If a certain country wants trade legislation that will be beneficial to them they can hire an American lobbyist to get them the access the need.”
(Working at the behest of a foreign government is a lucrative practice area for lobbyists!)
Leading the way among TPP nations seeking to sway American policy makers is Japan, which signed up former Democratic Leader Tom Daschle’s firm as well as well-connected public relations firm DCI. While we don’t yet know the extent of Mr. Daschle or DCI’s work, filings from other firms working on behalf of Japan, paint a picture of the country’s efforts.
For much of their direct lobbying Japan relies on Akin, Gump, Strauss Hauer & Feld, whom they paid $388,000 during the most recent six-month reporting period. In that time the firm’s lobbyists contacted Congressional offices at least sixty times and engaged in at least eight exchanges with the United States Trade Representative’s office specifically focused on the TPP, TPA, and related issues. Seventeen of those contacts were with one particular staffer, Kaitlin Sighinolfi, a trade policy advisor for Republican Louisiana Congressman Charles Boustany. We won’t know the full extent of Mr. Daschle or DCI’s work on behalf of Japan until their next series of Foreign Agent Registration Act [FARA] disclosure reports are filed with the Department of Justice in a few months.
Prior to recruiting Mr. Daschle, the highest profile lobbyist on Japan’s team was Tony Podesta, brother of Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman John Podesta. His firm, The Podesta Group, receives $15,000 per month to counsel Japan on U.S. policy. Working at the behest of foreign governments is a lucrative practice area for the Podesta Group which billed a total of $2,096,666.05 to more than nine overseas governments, including Azerbaijan, India, Iraq, Korea, Somalia, and Hong Kong during the last six month of 2014.
* TO BE CONTINUED...
* CONCLUDING... (Part 2 of 2)
Japan’s aggressive lobbying efforts in Washington are part of an overall increase in foreign nations seeking to purchase influence in Washington. According to Frank Samolis, co-chair of the international trade group at DC behemoth Squire Patton Boggs, there has been a measurable “uptick [in business under the Foreign Agent Registration Act] due to TPA and related bills in Congress.”
Mr. Samolis is a veteran of Capitol Hill trade fights. He previously worked on behalf of Korea, Columbia, and Peru during their trade negotiations with the United States. He now represents Temasek, Singapore’s Sovereign Wealth Fund, which paid his firm $132,055.72 during the last six-month filing period, as the country engaged in TPP talks.
SPB represents multiple foreign principals with an interest in the TPP including, China, which paid the firm $392,014.17 over the same period.
One concern among good government advocates is that a lack of timely FARA reporting could obfuscate some of the lobbying going on at the behest of foreign clients. A 2014 report by POGO found that 46% of the reports were filed late. Enforcement is rare for these "relatively minor infractions" and the DOJ’s website states it “seeks to obtain voluntary compliance with the statute.”
Mr. Samolis’ firm has a platoon of ex-lawmakers including former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, a Republican, along with former Louisiana Sen. John Breaux, a Democrat. Pocketing money from foreign governments seems to one of the few things both parties agree on.
Insiders like Mr. Samolis play another critical role. “At least half of my time is devoted to providing intel on US developments and likely future actions,” he stated.
This points to the reason Japan and other countries are eager to hire former senior members of Congress and well-connected insiders. The ability to glean information from former colleagues and contacts is just as important as their skill at influencing legislative and administrative outcomes. This expertise is particularly crucial during complex foreign negotiations requiring approval of a finicky and partisan Congress.
(Ms. Dennett called on Congress to add civil penalties to the FARA Act that to encourage more aggressive enforcement of its statutes.)
* WHY CIVIL? WHY MONEY? MAKE IT CRIMINAL! MAKE IT JAIL TIME!
With numerous trade treaties on the horizon, Mr. Samolis and his colleagues’ workload is only likely to increase because ultimately foreign governments spend significant amounts of money on lobbying and relate activists for the same reason that domestic corporations and other interest groups do. They know in Washington, DC influence can be bought.
* TWO-PARTER... (Part 1 of 2)
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20150611/us-congress-meat-labeling-11265046c4.html
Under threat of trade retaliation from Canada and Mexico...
* GIVE ME A FRIGGIN' BREAK!
...the House...
* SUPPOSEDLY THE REPUBLICAN HOUSE!
...has voted to repeal a law requiring country-of-origin labels on packages of beef, pork and poultry.
* FOLKS... REMEMBER WHEN CHINESE DOG FOOD IMPORTS POISONED OUR DOGS A COUPLE YEARS BACK?
The World Trade Organization rejected a U.S. appeal last month, ruling the labels that say where animals were born, raised and slaughtered are discriminatory against the two U.S. border countries.
* I THOUGHT WE WERE "TOUGH GUYS." WE'LL BOMB WHO WE WANT. WE'LL VIOLATE NATIONAL SOVEIGNTY WHENEVER AND WHEREVER WE SEE FIT. BUT... WE WON'T TELL THE WTO TO "F" OFF...???
* GEEZUS, FOLKS... ABSENT MY INSERT JUST NOTICE HOW THE MEDIA PLAYS THIS... AS IF "WE HAD NO CHOICE"... AS IF THIS WAS "THE RIGHT THING TO DO."
(*SPITTING ON THE GROUND*)
The law was initially written at the behest of northern U.S. ranchers who compete with the Canadian cattle industry. It also was backed by consumer advocates who say it helps shoppers know where their food comes from.
* I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHERE MY FOOD COMES FROM! WOULDN'T YOU? DO WE REALLY WANNA BE EATING CHINESE RAISED/GROWN FRUITS, MEATS, FISH, AND VEGETABLES WITHOUT KNOWING WE'RE EATING "SOURCED FROM CHINA" FOOD?
Rep. Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, said repeal would be premature, adding, "Our people deserve a right to know where their food is produced and where it comes from."
* AND SHE'S RIGHT!
House Agriculture Committee Chairman Mike Conaway, R-Texas, has long backed the meat industry's call for repeal. "Although some consumers desire (country-of-origin labeling) information, there is no evidence to conclude that this mandatory labeling translates into market-measurable increases in consumer demand for beef, pork or chicken," Conaway said on the House floor.
* WHAT'S THIS MORON BABBLING ABOUT...?!?! I WANNA KNOW WHERE MY FOOD COMES FROM!
Meat processors who buy animals from abroad as well as many others in the U.S. meat industry have called for a repeal of the law...
* I'LL BET THEY HAVE!
(*SPITTING ON THE FLOOR*)
* TO BE CONTINUED...
* CONCLUDING... (Part 2 of 2)
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, said after the vote that the last thing American farmers need "is for Congress to sit idly by as international bureaucrats seek to punish them through retaliatory trade policies that could devastate agriculture as well as other industries."
* SO... SURRENDER...??? THAT'S BOEHNER'S RESPONSE? THAT'S BOEHNER'S "PLAN?"
The bill would go beyond just the muscle cuts of red meat that were covered under the WTO case, repealing country-of-origin labeling for poultry, ground beef and ground pork. The chicken industry has said the labeling doesn't make much sense for poultry farmers because the majority of chicken consumed in the United States is hatched, raised and processed domestically.
* THEN YOU SHOULD BE PROUD TO LABEL IT "U.S.A." - RIGHT? (FOLKS... THEY'RE BLOWING SMOKE UP OUR BUTTS!)
The legislation would leave in place country-of-origin labeling requirements for several other commodities, including lamb, venison, seafood, fruits and vegetables and some nuts.
* SO... AMERICANS ONLY RISK BEING POISED ON... er... CERTAIN FOODS... NOT ALL FOODS? (FOLKS... YA CAN'T MAKE THIS $HIT UP!)
Canada and Mexico have opposed the labeling because it causes their animals to be segregated from those of U.S. origin — a costly process that has led some U.S. companies to stop buying exports.
* AND...??? SO...??? HERE'S A SIMPLE FIX: LET CANADA AND MEXICO EXPORT ANIMAL PRODUCTS... MEAT... LABELED BY COUNTRY OF ORIGIN. (SIMPLE!)
The two countries have said that if they are allowed by the WTO, they may impose retaliatory measures such as tariffs against a variety of U.S. imports. Their list includes food items like beef, pork, cheese, corn, cherries, maple syrup, chocolate and pasta, plus non-agricultural goods such as mattresses, wooden furniture and jewelry. The retaliatory measures could total more than $3 billion, the countries said.
* OR... WE COULD SIMPLY LABEL OUR FOOD EXPORTS AND GOODS "MADE IN U.S.A."
(*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD AT THE ABSURDITY OF IT ALL*)
On the Senate side, Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., has said he will move quickly to respond to the WTO ruling, though he has yet to introduce a bill.
* BY "RESPOND" I'M ASSUMING THE REPORTER MEANS "JOIN WITH CANADA, MEXICO, THE WTO, AND... BOEHNER... AGAINST OUR OWN COUNTRY... OUR OWN PEOPLE."
After the House vote, Roberts said repeal "remains the surest way to protect the American economy" from retaliatory tariffs.
(*JUST SHAKING MY HEAD*)
* FOLKS... AGAIN... WE ARE SO SCREWED...
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