Fran O'Sullivan: TPP - a good idea facing a rocky road

[unhappycamper]

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/opinion/news/article.cfm?c_id=466&objectid=11280927



Domestic difficulties for Obama and reluctance from other nations are adding to trade deal stumbling blocks.

Fran O'Sullivan: TPP - a good idea facing a rocky road
5:00 AM Wednesday Jun 25, 2014

It's an even bet that Barack Obama will finally lift the lid on the details of the highly secret text of the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement and put it in front of the American public in November.

Obama's indication that he is preparing to take Americans into his confidence that month came during his informal remarks at the White House after meeting John Key in Washington on Friday, and is a sign that he is finally prepared to step up and make the case to Congress and the US public at large that the TPP is a deal worth signing.

"Our hope is that by the time we see each other again in November, when I travel to Asia, we should have something we have consulted with Congress about, that the public can take a look at, and we can make a forceful argument to go ahead and close the deal," Obama said.

The extreme secrecy over the negotiating text has been contentious, and plenty of objections have been made to revelations contained in leaked versions.

[djean111]

1. And so it begins. Getting it out of the way before Hillary makes her move, likely.

If the leaks are accurate, the TPP is a piece of ordure.