Posted on 06/23/2015 4:29:02 AM PDT by Leto
As a general matter, I agree (as did Ronald Reagan) that free trade is good for America; when we open up foreign markets, it helps American farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers. But TPA in this Congress has become enmeshed in corrupt Washington backroom deal-making, along with serious concerns that it would open up the potential for sweeping changes in our laws that trade agreements typically do not include. Since the Senate first voted on TPA, there have been two material changes. First, WikiLeaks subsequently revealed new troubling information regarding the Trade in Services Agreement, or TiSA, one of the trade deals being negotiated by Obama. Despite the administration’s public assurances that it was not negotiating on immigration, several chapters of the TiSA draft posted online explicitly contained potential changes in federal immigration law. TPA would cover TiSA, and therefore these changes would presumably be subject to be fast-track. When TPA last came up for a vote, both Sen. Jeff Sessions (R-AL)80% and I introduced amendments that would have barred fast-track treatment for any trade agreement that attempted to impact immigration law. Two other Republican senators objected, and we were both denied votes on our amendments. Instead, the House inserted substantially weaker language in related legislation.
(Excerpt) Read more at breitbart.com ...
Thank both of you for your well thought out posts.
I just wrote Ted Cruz to ask that he revisit the issue of H1-B Visas. I expressed my concerns about the abuses being made by employers and the negative impact on American jobs.
I believe Ted Cruz is a very reasonable person and he is on our side. I think that he has not had the perspective that other states provide on H1-B Visas and if we will take the time to make our concerns known, he will give this new consideration.
Some on here must think that candidates are telepathic and should know of our positions when we don’t tell them. Of course, I realize that even if Cruz changes his position on H1-B visas, they will move on to the next straw man objection to him, but I thought the issue was important enough to write to him anyway.
It’s the same question you’ve been posting, repeatedly, on this thread...about Sen Sessions...when, in fact, Sen Cruz ALSO voted YES.
THEN ANSWER THE QUESTION:
WHY DID SENATOR SESSIONS VOTE ‘Y-E-S’ ON THE ‘S-E-C-R-E-T’ IRAN DEAL?
> “Sen Sessions has been the LONE voice in the Senate....warning the likes of Sen Cruz about the inherent dangers of this trade debacle.”
So what? Senator Cruz has been the most vocal member in a minority against Obamacare and many other issues. So what?
> “Apples to oranges, FRiend. YOU can’t have it both ways.”
Wishful thinking does not make an argument. I am not trying to have it both ways. I am saying correctly, that if one criticizes Ted Cruz on trade and even to the absurdity that he is a traitor, then the same absurd reasoning can be applied to Senator Sessions.
> “(And, fyi, your chiding and snark is wearing a thin. You come across as the final expert on a subject, and you’re not. None of us are. Ease up on the tone, please. Thanks.)”
Getting personal now? Did I say I was an expert? Are you now putting words into my mouth?
Are you an expert? I would say you think of yourself as an expert. If you’re an expert, then answer the question above!
You can’t answer it! AND THAT’S THE POINT! And I am not going to stop asking it because every reader who enters this thread will see the issue of confusion that the anti-Cruz trolls themselves are attempting to generate. They are trying to characterize Ted Cruz as a traitor, a false conservative and it will not work because they would then need to do the same to Senator Sessions on foreign policy.
I know it can be frustrating to see it over and over again but it’s get to the heart of the matter and that is the anti-Cruz trolls do not know what they are talking about. They are not experts, that’s a fact.
An honest answer to the question would be along the lines of “I don’t know, I don’t have all the facts”. The trolls you have joined are not offering that type of answer. They are jumping to an absurd conclusion.
I don't pay much attention to his predictions, his track record is poor.
The vote was a cloture vote to take it out of committee. Notify your Senators to vote “Nay”. The vote is to be held tomorrow.
Toast’ed Cruz absolutely KNEW this would pass and
tried to hide his previous support of Obama,
ObamaTRADE, SECRECY and antiConstitutional corruption
by voting when it did not matter.
So he and his wife still get the bonus from Goldmann Sachs.
And if you know about Sessions (like you claim to know
everything else), why don’t you answer your own
strawman [which is why you will not], irrelevant question.
I was able to access the article better on the right scoop.
And if they want the most conservative man in the office, then they need to call him on the carpet when he goes off the reservation to join the GOPe and the globalists and Crony Capitalists.
For the last week I have been getting e-mails from Ted and Heidi begging me to send them more money. I have consistently replied that as long as he continues his support for TPA he will not be getting another dime.
Those dimes add up. Money talks. And when you don't have it, you can't say much.
His talking points memo on the virtues of the TPA may have been his Howard Dean Moment. I'm not sure he can recover from that.
Cruz is the best debater in the field, but he may have managed to find a way to exclude himself from the debates. This TPA support was a disaster of biblical proportions for his campaign. He shoulda known better, but he didn't. He thought we would all just go along to get along.
People learn from their mistakes. But this was a rookie mistake of the highest order.
Perhaps what you say is true for people who supported Romney at this point in 2008. I was supporting Michelle Bachmann prior to the first caucus in 2008.
By the time I was participating in the Washington State caucus the only candidates still running were Mitt, Ron Paul and Rick Santorum. The exercise was somewhat meaningless at that point, it was obvious to anyone looking at the race that Mitt had the nomination in hand at that point.
I voted for Mitt in the general election, and have regretted it less and less as the disaster of the Obama second term has unfolded. People who abstained from voting from Romney are the ones who should feel bad, in my opinion.
If Cruz had voted against it the last time, it would have passed anyway.
The trolls you have joined are not offering that type of answer.
I don’t think I’ve joined any trolls...just because I pointed out that Sen Cruz ALSO voted for the S-E-C-R-E-T Iran Act.
You seem to have come undone...with all of your repeated posts, in ALL CAPS, and snide remarks. I’ll leave it at ~ we’ll just have to agree to disagree.
Good day.
Count me in. I’m from West Tennessee! :)
Sunshine lollipops and rainbows everywhere.
I really cannot tell if you believe the stuff you are posting.
Looks to me like you are part of a large number of plants / trolls who have been activated against Cruz to minimize his momentum going into the presidential race.
Won’t work. Freepers will ferret you out even if you are a deep cover mole.
Maybe you really believe what you are saying and have just been conned into believing it. I don’t know.
But Cruz has a long track record. True conservatives are looking for conservative candidates.
Cruz may not be Jesus Christ. When Jesus comes back, we will not need to have these debates or these elections. Until them, we need to support the best leaders we can.
If you do not support Cruz I would like to know who your top three picks for president are. If you do not have a presidential pick then you better have a revolution planned because that is the only alternative to participating in a flawed system with flawed human candidates.
Please get back with me on your preferred presidential picks who represent your conservative views.
If Cruz had voted against it the first time, it still would have passed, so I don’t get your point.
” I don’t think I’ve joined any trolls...just because I pointed out that Sen Cruz ALSO voted for the S-E-C-R-E-T Iran Act.”
You haven’t pointed out anything except the hypocrisy you’ve joined.
You are trying to defend Senator Sessions in the same way others are defending Senator Cruz.
BE HONEST! The honest answer is “I don’t know, I don’t have all the facts”.
Another Tennessean here, except I’m from the NE part of the state! :)
I could have written YOUR post almost word for word. The WSJ poll the other day placed Ted at 4 (!!) per cent. Clearly his TPA initial decision was a disaster. You wonder. Did he REALLY take the word of MITCH??? Anyway, now he has plenty of time to recoup most of not all of the support that he lost. Bob
You do realize that if Cruz had not voted for this the first time it came up in the Senate, it would have still passed? At least, once he saw the bill had been corrupted, he voted against it.
If Cruz had voted against it the last time, it would have passed anyway.
I would have hoped that the person Conservatives support for President has the ability to influence others. Much time was wasted by Cruz in sticking with the original vote plan. It wasn’t until the day of the vote that he changes his mind. Certainly, even if you don’t agree with, you can understand how disillusioned many Cruz supporters are. I truly thought Cruz was different than what just happened.
The name calling on this thread and the excuse making is really just making it worse.
The point is that people who trust Ted EXPECT him to protect America from deals such as this. No, his vote wouldn’t have defeated this monstrosity, but we count on his strong, courageous voice to give us hope for the future. Bob
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.