Posted on 03/11/2016 3:46:36 AM PST by Helicondelta
At Thursday night’s Republican debate, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Kasich, and Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) all parroted talking points about trade that do not seem to match their prior legislative records and statements on the critical issue.
While Donald Trump has articulated his vociferous opposition to President Barack Obama’s trade agenda in practically every GOP debate, tonight marked the first debate in which all of the other candidates were asked about their previous support for trade globalism.
...
Jake Tapper then asked Cruz: “You were a supporter of the Pacific trade deal [TPP], but after taking some heat from conservatives, you changed your position. Why should these voters who don’t like these trade deals trust that you will fight for them all the time and not just in election years?”
In response, Cruz said:
Actually that’s incorrect. There are two different agreements. There’s TPA and TPP. I opposed TPP and have always opposed TPP, which is what you asked about. And when it comes to trade, look, free trade, when we open up foreign markets, helps Americans. But we’re getting killed in international trade right now. And we’re getting killed because we have an administration that’s doesn’t look out for American workers and jobs are going overseas. We’re driving jobs overseas.
However, Cruz voted to fast-track the TPP by voting for TPA on the first go-around.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Donald Trump is the only one who actually opposes the TPP trade deal.
They’re all jumping on Superman’s cape. Starting with Me Too Teddy.
Ted Cruz changed his vote to NO and then called Mitch McConnell a liar on the Senate floor to be recorded for prosperity.
So how is Cruz a snake?
Because that is not what happened.
However, no-one has challenged him on the absurd construct of that claim, as it related to the Trade Deal itself.
Mitch McConnell promised several democrats in the senate he would include re-authorization of the Import/Export bank (December 2015 Omnibus) in exchange for support on the Trans-Pacific Trade Deal (June ’15).
This is the McConnell LIE Senator Cruz speaks of when he justifies changing his TPP vote at the last minute from Yea, to Nay.
Candidate Cruz is never challenged on that reasoning. The I/E re-authorization had absolutely nothing to do with TPP. It was purely a cover excuse.
Senator Ted Cruz reversed his position on TPP because he could. He realized its passage no longer needed his vote. Cruz knew the TPP was controversial, politically.
Remember, this was HIS BILL along with Paul Ryan.
Cruz supported TPP, Cruz constructed Fast-Track Trade Promotion Authority (via unanimous consent) to facilitate TPP. Senator Cruz still supports TPP. However, as soon as his vote was no longer needed to insure it, he threw his vote in the opposite, more politically favorable, direction.
It was, yet again, an example of how Cruz sneaks his way through congress by hiding his motives and intents. It fools many people, including his supporters. However, it does not fool us.
Ted Cruz saying he did not support TPP because McConnell lied to him about a completely different piece of legislation is a complete ruse.
Senator Ted Cruz relies on two essential political elements to keep his “conservative” ruse afloat. The first is that people don’t follow “unanimous consent” passages in the Senate; the second is that people don’t follow “cloture votes” – Both of which are never recorded “roll call votes”, and allow candidates to obscure their intent and later claim a counter position.
It’s a good trick, and indeed fools almost everyone. Unless, that is, you’re tracking them while they occur…
Then don't conflate two very different things and accuse supporters of the one as being necessarily supporters of the other. Fast track authority lapsed during the Bush 43 years because the Democrats on Congress were doing their union stooge act and going protectionist. The reality, however, is that the rest of the world is moving ahead rapidly with bilateral and trade deals excluding the U.S. They are perfectly willing to eat Uncle Stupid's lunch if we are too lazy to get into the game. The U.S. is a major exporter. We need expanded market access in many areas. As the world' leading innovator, we need strengthened protection on intellectual property issues. Whether we like it or not, the rest of the world has figured out it doesn't have to be poor. Most of the world's economic growth is happening in the emerging economies, and the world's purchasing power is shifting inexorably to Asia. We can compete for these markets, or pull up the drawbridge and accept being second rate.
All TPA means is that the President has the ability to negotiate a proposed agreement. It is no guarantee that he will negotiate a good one, or that Congress will or should approve it. But if we want to be in the game, we have to at least be able to sit down at the table and negotiate seriously.
That’s: “the rest of the world is moving ahead rapidly with bilateral and REGIONAL trade deals excluding the U.S.”
You keep talking about the rest of the world. We have to deal with our problems first.
Yes, we should focus on the economic well-being of Americans. A strong export promotion strategy is part of that, as is improved protection of intellectual property rights, as is improved dispute resolution of trade issues.
If anyone thinks TPP = TPA, ask yourself why the TPP isn’t law by now.
The TPA gave Obama authority to negotiate. It also made it easy for TPP to pass the Senate, if it came up for a vote. But to come up for a vote, McConnell pledged that a majority of the Republican Senators would have to support it. That’s actually a much MORE difficult threshold than the two-thirds majority that that the TPP would need WITHOUT the TPA.
Essentially, the Republican Party passed the TPA, knowing that they could block the TPP crafted the deal in a way to focus on getting liberal votes (bad immigration laws, openness to China, environmental restrictions on the U.S., etc.) “You can negotiate on trade, but WE have to approve of what you do.”
Don’t believe me? Check out the Senate calendar.
So why pass the TPA at all, given the extremely unlikely chance Obama crafts a Republican-friendly deal? Because guess who gets to negotiate for us next year... President Cruz or President Trump!
Free trade .. products pour into the United States untaxed
You missed the education session. Your definition of Free trade is totally contrary to that of everyone else, both Free Traders, Deal Makers and Wall-Builders for trade.
As Ted explained, his tax proposal is specifically designed to tax imports but not exports. This is done with no deal signed with another country. Invariably deals require compromise. The US has to give something to China to get China to give something to us.
eg China will cut CO2 emissions if the US will not enforce Intellectual Property theft. (oops, that was NAFTA and Mexico and it was labor unions and CoC, not environmentalists and Silicon Valley.)
Invariably deals require an international body to enforce them...a layer of government not accountable to anyone; and not accountable to the constitution; and not accountable to the House of Representatives, only to a one-time vote of the Senate.
The Cruz tax plan is the core of his approach to trade. That tax plan has been pushed by Cruz for at least 7 years and by others for more years prior to that as it is not original with Cruz.
The anti-establishment self-financed rich candidate in 2000 pushed pretty much the same plan.
In its current specific language it has been the Cruz position for at least 6 months.
Polling Data
Poll Date Sample MoE
Clinton (D)
Trump (R)
Spread
RCP Average 2/11 - 3/6 — — 47.3 41.0 Clinton +6.3
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 3/3 - 3/6 1200 RV 2.8 51 38 Clinton +13
ABC News/Wash Post 3/3 - 3/6 864 RV 4.0 50 41 Clinton +9
Rasmussen Reports 2/29 - 3/1 1000 LV 3.0 41 36 Clinton +5
CNN/ORC 2/24 - 2/27 920 RV 3.0 52 44 Clinton +8
FOX News 2/15 - 2/17 1031 RV 3.0 47 42 Clinton +5
USA Today/Suffolk 2/11 - 2/15 1000 LV 3.0 43 45 Trump +2
Quinnipiac 2/10 - 2/15 1342 RV 2.7 44 43 Clinton +1
Quinnipiac 2/2 - 2/4 1125 RV 2.9 46 41 Clinton +5
PPP (D) 2/2 - 2/3 1236 RV 2.8 47 40 Clinton +7
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 1/9 - 1/13 800 RV 3.5 51 41 Clinton +10
FOX News 1/4 - 1/7 1006 RV 3.0 44 47 Trump +3
Rasmussen Reports 12/22 - 12/23 1000 LV 3.0 37 36 Clinton +1
CNN/ORC 12/17 - 12/21 927 RV 3.0 49 47 Clinton +2
Quinnipiac 12/16 - 12/20 1140 RV 2.9 47 40 Clinton +7
FOX News 12/16 - 12/17 1013 RV 3.0 49 38 Clinton +11
PPP (D) 12/16 - 12/17 1267 RV 2.8 46 43 Clinton +3
ABC News/Wash Post 12/10 - 12/13 851 RV 4.0 50 44 Clinton +6
NBC/WSJ 12/6 - 12/9 849 RV 3.4 50 40 Clinton +10
USA Today/Suffolk 12/2 - 12/6 1000 LV 3.0 48 44 Clinton +4
CNN/ORC 11/27 - 12/1 930 RV 3.0 49 46 Clinton +3
Quinnipiac 11/23 - 11/30 1473 RV 2.6 47 41 Clinton +6
MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist 11/15 - 12/2 2360 RV 2.0 52 41 Clinton +11
FOX News 11/16 - 11/19 1016 RV 4.0 41 46 Trump +5
PPP (D) 11/16 - 11/17 1360 RV 2.7 45 44 Clinton +1
McClatchy/Marist 10/29 - 11/4 541 RV 4.2 56 41 Clinton +15
Quinnipiac 10/29 - 11/2 1144 RV 2.9 46 43 Clinton +3
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 10/25 - 10/29 847 RV 3.4 50 42 Clinton +8
CNN/ORC 10/14 - 10/17 956 RV 3.0 50 45 Clinton +5
FOX News 10/10 - 10/12 1004 RV 3.0 40 45 Trump +5
PPP (D) 10/1 - 10/4 1338 RV 2.7 44 44 Tie
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 9/20 - 9/24 RV — 49 39 Clinton +10
FOX News 9/20 - 9/22 1013 RV 3.0 46 42 Clinton +4
Quinnipiac 9/17 - 9/21 1574 RV 2.5 45 43 Clinton +2
ABC News/Wash Post 9/7 - 9/10 821 RV 4.0 46 43 Clinton +3
CNN/ORC 9/4 - 9/8 930 RV 3.0 48 48 Tie
MSNBC/Telemundo/Marist 8/26 - 9/9 1115 RV 2.9 53 40 Clinton +13
SurveyUSA 9/2 - 9/3 900 RV 3.3 40 45 Trump +5
PPP (D) 8/28 - 8/30 1254 RV 2.8 46 44 Clinton +2
Quinnipiac 8/20 - 8/25 1563 RV 2.5 45 41 Clinton +4
CNN/ORC 8/13 - 8/16 897 RV 3.5 51 45 Clinton +6
FOX News 8/11 - 8/13 1008 RV 3.0 47 42 Clinton +5
Quinnipiac 7/23 - 7/28 1644 RV 2.4 48 36 Clinton +12
McClatchy/Marist 7/22 - 7/28 964 RV 3.2 54 38 Clinton +16
CNN/Opinion Research 7/22 - 7/25 898 RV 3.5 56 40 Clinton +16
PPP (D) 7/20 - 7/21 1087 RV 3.0 50 37 Clinton +13
USA Today/Suffolk 7/9 - 7/12 1000 LV 3.0 51 34 Clinton +17
CNN/Opinion Research 6/26 - 6/28 890 RV 3.5 59 35 Clinton +24
FOX News 6/21 - 6/23 1005 RV 3.0 51 34 Clinton +17
Quinnipiac 5/19 - 5/26 1711 RV 2.4 50 32 Clinton +18
NBC News/Wall St. Jrnl 3/3 - 3/6 1200 RV 2.8 45 47 Clinton +2
CNN/ORC 2/24 - 2/27 920 RV 3.0 49 48 Cruz +1
FOX News 2/15 - 2/17 1031 RV 3.0 46 45 Cruz +1
Quinnipiac 2/10 - 2/15 1342 RV 2.7 46 43 Cruz +3
USA Today/Suffolk 2/11 - 2/15 1000 LV 3.0 45 44 Cruz +1
sorry wrong thread
“[Cruz’s]tax proposal is specifically designed to tax imports but not export.”
Whoever called for taxing exports?
Yeah, I heard him say that more than once (taxing imports). That is protectionism, which is what all you Cruz-bots have been snickering at and condemning Trump for. That made me wonder why he tried to lecture Trump on the perils of slapping a supposed 45% tariff on Chinese goods when he called for the same methodology.
I did not define free trade, I merely gave the results of what is being called free trade, the concept that is destroying the economy of the United States. The same concept that Cruz embraced when he voted for TPA, which allows TPP to be fast-tracked and passed with only 51 votes.
As Buchanan pointed out, the United States built the greatest economic engine in world history based on protectionism.
The United States has disassembled the greatest economic engine in world history by adopting “free trade”.
Right now we tax exports. Everyone calling for the current system is calling for taxing exports. That is one of the UNFAIR reasons for our trade problems.
Over-regulation is another reason, of course.
“Right now we tax exports.”
I tried googling that, and only got definitions, as if it is not self-defining. I personally never dreamed that exports would be taxed if imports are not.
If that is the case, our leaders are guilty of treason.
When we make software in the US, or autos, or anything the profitable manufacturer pays corporate taxes.
When that made in USA product is exported and sold overseas, the corporate tax is embedded in the price. Of course, when it is sold in the USA it is embedded in the price also.
But imports from China, Europe and most of the world do not have that corporate tax embedded in the price. Thus we face a double problem. We have to pay a higher price for our own product and they have to pay a price for our product.
Oh Joy!
You’re right about that. But things like Big Ethanol are the cash cows for the most corrupt elements of the GOP. It also helps feed DNC corruption.
TPA gave all the marbles to Obama to negotiate TPP...fast track without congressional input.
To vote for TPA is to vote for TPP. FACE IT.
Cruz Voted For TPA and he pushed it, promoted it, PRAISED it in op eds in the WSJ with PAUL RYAN.
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