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 ...
Fair enough. I’m more than happy to answer. I apologize in advance for any lack of eloquence.
I’m frustrated as hell like everyone else. I’m tired of winning most battles, but losing all the wars. I really do think that we need to look at the ends versus means. Ultimately, what I care about is whether me and mine live a free life to worship God, go to good schools , have economic opportunity, low taxes, etc. basically conservative economic and life values. On the social conservative end I want infanticide to end. Where we make the mistake in my view is following the means so closely...elections, lawmaking, judicial decisions etc., but forget about the end objective. Why not look at a different set of means that gets us more directly to the objective?
I’ll use infanticide to flesh the concept out a bit. An esteemed freeper by the name of wagglebee has powerfully made the point that prolife organizations are in a sort of informal relationship with antilife organizations. Both depend on each other for their existence. So ProLife Inc., as he calls it, is only willing to go so far in getting rid of infanticide. To paraphrase James Michener: they came to do good, but ended up doing very well. Wagglebee is far more eloquent than i in explaining it, but that’s the basics. Where i go from there is saying...what do we want to do and what nonpolitical (and hopefully more effective) means do we have for achieving it? One answer is using ultrasound machines more. Rescue groups use these to save lives. And its effective. Lets get creative. During the middle ages there was a religious order that used to ransom hostages held by the muslims and in some cases volunteer themselves in exchange. Have we considered cold, hard cash as a way of preventing infanticide? I’m amazed what people will do for what to me is paltry amounts of cash. I don’t know if it’ll work, but can it be any less effective than 40 years trying to curry favor with politicians?
Let’s also think about exploiting loopholes. We all hate obamacare. We elected politicians in 2014 to get rid of obamacare. we can see how that worked out. But let’s also recognize that the obamacare economics simply don’t work. Did you know that there is a loophole in the act that allows those who are members of health sharing ministries to not sign up for obamacare and not pay the penalty? So why are we wasting our time with politics when our adversaries essentially gave us a way to avoid the exchanges, avoid the penalties, and be left alone? The ministries are all Christian, by the way.
I have seen literally hundreds of these types of ideas. And I’m really not giving them justice in this short post. Direct ways to implemrent conservative values. And yet we’re in a never ending political do loop. The upshot of it is we should stop looking at politics as a primary means to the objective and start looking at it as a generally poor tool. Conservatism is best when directly practiced. I hope that gives you at least a flavor of what I propose.
Wagglebee-courtesy ping as I mentioned you.
LOL
“Toast! Toast Cruz! TOOOAAAST!”
He lost my support because of his support of H1-B visas, the trade agreement crafted in secret, and the fact that he said he would consider means testing Social Security. He wasn’t even asked about Social Security. He just volunteered it. When he includes Federal pensions for means testing, then maybe I will listen.
If he was a true conservative on the economy, he would be figuring out ways to make America prosperous once again and bring the jobs home. Not trying to figure out how to redistribute the wealth.
I feel like Cruz made a fool out of his base. I was with him when he filibustered, but I now think that was for show. I will not vote for Bush, Christie, or Cruz.
Toast Cruz, PROVEN Obama supporter and enabler on ObamaTRADE,
is obviously no Ronald Reagan. He is a Scott Brown.
Ronald Reagan would NOT have given Obama more power,
would NOT have spit in his voters' and supporters' faces,
and would NOT have voted for something SECRET.
Let that day come quickly.
Ted Cruz may not be spot on every time, but damn, give the guy some credit for pissing off the RINO’s in the Senate and reaching out to conservatives in the house.
He’z not marched to the RINO drumbeat since the very moment he walked into the Senate. Trust me on this one. If Ted Cruz would not have defeated David Dewhurst in the run for that senate seat...you'd have one more good ol boy RINO politician sitting where Cruz sits now.
Dewhurst was a greedy, conniving, wild bill used car salesman running for that Texas senate seat. Thank yo lucky stars we got at the very least an imperfect CONSERVATIVE Senator.
Yes. Perhaps- is there is another equation?
Since the Fast Tracked 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement revealed what really was at stake with the arcane Nixon-era procedure, getting any Congress to delegate years of blank-check Fast Track authority has been a very hard sell. Since 1988, only Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush persuaded Congress to grant the multi-year Fast Track delegation President Barack Obama seeks.
Hahahaha!
Thank you ServantB7....
You stating the leadership in the house and Senate HATE conservatives....is absolutely correct. Bohenor punishes those who don’t tow his line, removing them from committee’s etc. They all know he does so...
None of these “Whips” should have power to remove people from their committee’s as that.
Further...We know hoe politicians work in WAshington....but we don’t see the games, deals and the underhandedness that happens.
I tell ya...the more I watch Cuz “operate” in that cesspool the more impressed I am. But that also means the more he’s going to be hated and opposed. The good old boys still want their gravy for playing nice.....
The way that the term “troll” is being thrown around, its completely losing it’s meaning.
You seem to think I’m a troll. OK. My suggestion is the same as its been for years now. If you think that I’m a troll, then by all means you need to send a complaint to the owner of this website and outline your rationale. After 11 years and 12,000 plus posts, if there was a concern, I think I would have been banned long ago. But who knows? Maybe the boss hasn’t gotten around to it. Maybe this’ll be the day. Maybe you’ll be the one who gets lucky. Give it your best shot.
More to the point, your constant insinuations that those who don’t agree with you have some sort of secret malevolent intent are tedious in the extreme. So sorry thst we don’t all agree that Ted Cruz is the second coming of Reagan. This is about the last place you’re going to find unanimity of opinion on anything, particularly political candidates.
What has been lost in all this is that Ted Cruz actually did a good thing today. He didn’t vote for an incredibly bad bill. Maybe it was too little too late. Maybe he got snookered, and maybe he didn’t That doesn’t change the fact that he did the right thing and changed his mind and his vote on obamatrade. He deserves that acknowledgement if not praise.
I would fawn over a dog turd before I’d put any trust in a politician. Too bad there are so many idiots like yourself that haven’t learned anything from watching the crooks and liars in DC that keep offering you promises from heaven.
It’s absolutely horrible. We have no representation. We went to the polls and expressed our displeasure and a bunch of Republican horses’ asses are ignoring us. Right now I’m especially disgusted with Crybaby Boehner. If I were in his district I would campaign for his opponent. On a personal level, I’d like to slap him in the face.
Yeah, that’s about the kind of drooling screed I’d expect from a Trump fan.
Has your boy made any amazing proclamations tonight? Maybe he has, and you can roll on your back in paroxysms of awe.
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