Posted on 05/13/2015 6:19:40 AM PDT by xzins
Yesterday, led by Alabama’s principled limited constitutional conservative Senator Jeff Sessions, a small band of the Senate’s “populist conservative” Republicans joined with Democrats to, temporarily at least, derail the “fast track” Trade Promotion Authority bill (TPA) now working its way through Congress.
The TPA bill is backed by a strange alliance of Big Business, establishment Republicans and, wait for it – Barack Obama.
Only one Democrat, Sen. Tom Carper, voted for the bill.
The Wall Street Journal attacked conservatives opposing the bill as “No-Growth Republicans,” but the clear winner in the battle so far has been Senator Sessions, who has deftly managed to build a coalition of conservatives and Democrats around the sensible idea that if the government is going to manage trade it should be managed in a way that benefits American workers, which it clearly hasn’t been for the past two decades in Sessions’ analysis.
The WSJ editorial board attacked Sessions’ recent and well-reasoned “critical alert” about the interconnected TPA and TPP deals, insulting him as an “Alabama tub-thumper” and “protectionist politician” who is “indulging in the classic tactic of the anti-trade movement: scare mongering.”
The Journal, without offering any facts to support its argument, wrote too that Sessions’ conservative economic populism “is no way to rebuild a conservative majority.”
But in our friend Matt Boyle’s analysis “It wasn’t until Sessions forcibly took control of the party message heading into the 2014 midterm elections that Republicans won big time, taking back the U.S. Senate and enlarging their House majority. That only came after a year plus of GOP infighting while Ryan, and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush joined forces with Democrats like Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), pushing open borders immigration policies coupled with amnesty via the “Gang of Eight” immigration bill.”
While the Senate passed the bill in a bloody process, noted Boyle, the House never took up the immigration bill—and the 113th Congress came and went without any amnesty passed into law.
Republicans won big as they railed against President Obama’s then-just-planned executive amnesty—which he went ahead and did anyway despite every inside-the-beltway political prognosticator being wrong about the necessity of Gang of Eight style “immigration reform” for the GOP’s survival as a political party Boyle concluded.
And Boyle is right – almost all of the Republican candidates for President have come out against all or part of the Big Business open borders agenda – the notable exceptions being Marco Rubio and Jeb Bush.
From Scott Walker to Bobby Jindal to Carly Fiorina and Donald Trump Republican presidential candidates have been lining up to oppose TPA too – and those who have voiced some support for the concept – like Ted Cruz – who is good on the rest of the populist conservative agenda, quickly felt the heat.
No wonder The Wall Street Journal is on a rampage against Sessions.
The “donor class” of the Republican (and Democratic) Party that the Wall Street Journal editorial board represents—who Sessions calls the “Masters of the Universe”—are losing influence in a big way over the Republican Party says Matt Boyle.
Matt Boyle is right. While the Wall Street – Washington – Silicon Valley Axis still clearly has a stranglehold over most of the congressional GOP leadership, on the campaign trail—especially the Republican presidential nomination contest—they’re losing control while Sessions’ populism is taking over. No matter what polls you look at it, it’s a similar situation. So it’s quite clear, for now, Sessions is winning his war against the “Masters of the Universe.” That’s why Wall Street, and its journal, are trembling.
To read Matt Boyle's detailed analysis of the rise of the Jeff Sessions brand of conservative populism in "JEFF SESSIONS RISING: WALL STREET LOSING CONTROL OVER REPUBLICAN PARTY HEADING INTO 2016" click the link.
So-called “populist conservatism” is actually the conservatism of the middle class. As one of those ‘populist’ conservatives, I’ve always seen a ‘free’ market as a market that is not manipulated. I’ve always seen America as an exceptional market, and that other nations should have to pay to play in it.
...because if you don’t take care of nice things (like America), you won’t have them very long.
...and fresh from a string of negotiation failures but this time is DIFFERENT, don’t you know...
Exactly. A big league ballpark charges a premium for a big league experience. Make it ‘free’ and I guarantee that the environment and the experience will change.
This tells us that Wall Street is NOT the ally of those who love freedom.
These anti-middle class deals haven’t helped more than they’ve hurt. American manufacturing jobs are at their lowest point since 1979. 7,231,000 have been lost. In exchange we’ve gotten foreigners sending our products to us, and the jobs we had are replaced by Wal-Mart jobs stocking those foreign items on the shelves. Used to be we had BOTH the manufacturing job AND the Wal-Mart job.
It’s not even that though, truth to be told these knuckleheads have conveniently forgotten that we live in a world where national interest and strategic thought are necessary. They are in denial because of the same old same old, they see the $$$ potential in globalism and dismiss the fact that this sort of stupidity keeps appearing in the run-up to war.
I agree. Our own industrial capability and economic zone is a vital security interest.
Populism is going to carry the day in 2016. If not Conservative Populism, the other kind.
Sessions saved America for now.
Notice that it is Obama and the media that want this as the media is not covering it.
This trade power would allow Obama to flood the USA with hundreds of millions of 3rd world immigrants:
I will go instead with what Senator Jeff Sessions has to say on this: Sen. Jeff Sessions: Top Five Concerns With Trade Promotion Authority
http://www.conservativehq.com/node/20233
Well worth reading, Senator Sessions speaks truthfully, as he always does.
This is a trojan horse from the monster Barack Obama, a trojan horse meant to destroy America
I’m glad evil Obama got defeated on this trade deal. It would have allowed UNRESTRICTED immigration into the USA, proof:
This power would allow Obama to flood the USA with hundreds of millions of 3rd world immigrants
As Sessions has pointed out, this trade deal has a back door granting immigration visas.
“Populist” versus global multinationals (rich foreigners and American traitors).
right. it’s the same political vein that Reagan tapped. Jeff Sessions has redeclared the path to conservative victory. i’m behind him and those who will follow him all the way.
I guess I am not understanding why you need a multi-thousand page agreement, negotiated in secret and written by corporate lobbyists to have "free markets".
It would seem that a simple agreement saying...
"Our governments will not meddle in the business deals that take place between the people and the businesses in our respective countries."
...would suffice.
1. consolidates trade power in the Executive branch (Obama)
2. allows for unrestricted immigration into the USA
3. It's a Trojan horse to destroy America
My question is this: why does the Senate lose its authority to review a treaty just because they sign onto or don't sign onto this bill?
Does it say in the bill: "We officially revoke any Senate advice and consent regarding this treaty (deal) with Iran."?
Donald Trump is right when he says we have to bring manufacturing back to the US. If we could keep the unions out of it and lower the corporate tax rate we could be very competitive. 7 million new jobs would go a long way towards getting the country back.
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