TPP is in trouble, thanks to public interest

The public debate over the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership has been a lot more robust and educational than the one that preceded the passage of the North American Free Trade Agreement more than two decades ago. During that fight, then-Washington Post editorial page editor Meg Greenfield didn’t see a problem with a six-to-one ratio of space for pro- vs. anti-NAFTA editorials. “On this rare occasion when columnists of the left, right, and middle are all in agreement ... I don't believe it is right to create an artificial balance where none exists.”

Today there are more economists in the news debunking the arguments put forth to promote the TPP, and this has contributed to the collapse of some of these talking points.

This week, economists Dean Baker and Paul Krugman warn that people should be suspicious of any agreement that leads its proponents to lie and distort so much in order to sell it. They called attention to President Barack Obama’s former Chief of Staff William M. Daley, who made the ridiculous claim in a New York Times op-ed that it is “because our products face very high barriers to entry overseas in the form of tariffs, quotas and outright discrimination” that the U.S. ranks 39th of the 40 largest economies in exports as a share of GDP. As Baker and Krugman pointed out, it is actually because the U.S. is a very large economy, and therefore the domestic market is sufficient for many U.S. companies.

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http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/5/tpp-runs-into-trouble-thanks-to-public-interest.html

After 5 Big Banks Plead Guilty to Crimes, Sanders Says Wall Street Business Model is Fraud

WASHINGTON, May 20 – Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) issued the following statement today after five big banks agreed to pay more than $5 billion and plead guilty to crimes:

“Despite weak financial regulatory systems around the world, it seems that every week we hear about another multi-billion scandal involving a major financial institution. Today, we learn that JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup and other huge banks were fined $5 billion for rigging interest rates and manipulating currency exchanges. Sadly, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Since 2009, huge financial institutions have paid $176 billion in fines and settlement payments for fraudulent and unscrupulous activities. The reality is that seven years after too-big-to-fail banks crashed the economy, fraud still appears to be the business model on Wall Street.

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http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/after-5-big-banks-plead-guilty-to-crimes-sanders-says-wall-street-business-model-is-fraud

Vermont Governor Peter Shumlin endorses Hillary Clinton

Bill To Repeal Nebraska Death Penalty Approved 32-15

Nebraska lawmakers gave final approval Wednesday to a bill abolishing the death penalty with enough votes to override a promised veto from Gov. Pete Ricketts.

The 32-15 vote on LB 268 was bolstered by conservative senators who oppose capital punishment for fiscal, religious and pragmatic reasons. If that vote holds in a veto override, Nebraska would become the first conservative state to repeal the death penalty since 1973.

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http://www.wowt.com/home/headlines/WATCH-LIVE-Death-Penalty--304414871.html

Clinton campaign hires former DREAMer as head of Latino outreach

Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign has hired a prominent immigration activist -- a former "DREAMer" who was, for a time, a sharp critic of President Obama's immigration policy -- to serve as the team's national director of Latino outreach.

Lorella Praeli joins the Clinton campaign from United We Dream, an immigration advocacy organization with a broad national network, where she served as the director of policy and advocacy. Praeli, who came to the United States with her family from Peru at the age of 10, was among President Obama's most vocal critics on immigration before he took executive action on the issue in November.

Earlier this month, Clinton voiced her support for an immigration reform package that would ensure undocumented immigrants could one day gain full citizenship. She also indicated that she would go even further than the president did if Congress fails to act on the issue, notably putting her to the left of many within her party.

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/05/20/clinton-campaign-hires-former-dreamer-as-head-of-latino-outreach/

Bernie Sanders Rejects Negative Campaigning, Says He Likes Hillary Clinton

During a Sunday interview on CNN, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) discussed the issues he will be championing during his 2016 presidential campaign. Significantly, the Vermont Senator also revealed that he plans to run a positive campaign, by praising rather than trashing his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. During the interview, Sanders stated:

[quote] "I’ve never run a negative political ad in my life…I believe in serious debates on serious issues. I’ve known Hillary Clinton for 25 years. Maybe I shouldn’t say this. I like Hillary Clinton. I respect Hillary Clinton.

Will the media, among others, allow us to have a civil debate on civil issues? Or is the only way you get media attention by ripping apart somebody else?" [/quote]

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http://www.politicususa.com/2015/05/19/bernie-sanders-rejects-negative-campaigning-likes-hillary-clinton.html

(HRC) is as liberal as Elizabeth Warren and barely more moderate than Bernie Sanders.

A bunch of reporters have recently discovered a shocking truth: Hillary Clinton is liberal! (I heard a rumor that Columbo has been helping with the investigation.)

We’ve gotten this raft of “Clinton is liberal” exposés as Clinton has revved up her 2016 campaign, speaking out in support of gay marriage, a pathway to citizenship for immigrants in the U.S. illegally, and criminal justice reform. But what many of these articles miss is that Clinton has always been, by most measures, pretty far to the left. When she’s shifted positions, it has been in concert with the entire Democratic Party.

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Clinton also has a history of very liberal public statements. Clinton rates as a “hard core liberal” per the OnTheIssues.org scale. She is as liberal as Elizabeth Warren and barely more moderate than Bernie Sanders. And while Obama is also a “hard core liberal,” Clinton again was rated as more liberal than Obama.

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http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/hillary-clinton-was-liberal-hillary-clinton-is-liberal/

Sen. Bernie Sanders Introduces Bills for Free Education to Rebuild and Heal America with a Robin Hoo

Broad Coalition Welcomes Senate Wall Street Speculation Bills

Washington, D.C. – A broad coalition of nurses, students, religious and civil rights groups, environmentalists, labor and housing advocates today enthusiastically welcomed plans by Sen. Bernie Sanders to introduce two new Senate bills Tuesday that would impose a small fee on Wall Street speculation to pay for college education for all and other critical community needs.

Sen. Sanders will unveil the legislation at a Capitol Hill press conference Tuesday, May 19 at 11:30 a.m. at the Senate Swamp. Student leaders, as well as nurses and long time advocates of the Wall Street fee, also known as the Robin Hood tax, will also attend.

Sanders’ landmark education bill would eliminate undergraduate college tuition fees for students attending public colleges and universities, reform student loans, and expand work-study programs. The bill is a critical step to eradicating student debt, currently pegged at nearly $1.2 trillion and the fastest growing form of consumer debt, as well as expanding educational and employment opportunity.

It also puts the U.S. on a path embraced by other nations that already provide free college education including Brazil, Chile, Finland, France, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Sweden.

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http://www.robinhoodtax.org/media/sen-bernie-sanders-introduces-bills-free-education-rebuild-and-heal-america-robin-hood-tax

Sanders takes aim at high drug prices

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.) on Monday introduced a bill aimed at lowering the taxpayer burden for rising generic drug prices.

Brand-name drug manufacturers are required by law to pay a rebate to Medicaid when their drug prices rise faster than inflation. Sanders and Cummings’ bill would extend this requirement to generic drug manufacturers.

Sanders, who is challenging Hillary Clinton from the left for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination, has long made curbing drug prices part of his push to reform what he calls an overly-costly healthcare system. He has also pushed for government-run, “single-payer” health insurance for everyone.

“It is unacceptable that Americans pay, by far, the highest prices in the world for prescription drugs,” Sanders said in a statement. “For years, generic drugs have made it possible for people to buy the medicine they need at lower prices. We need to make certain that generics remain affordable.”

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http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/242415-bernie-sanders-bill-takes-aim-at-high-drug-prices

Obama’s Warren attacks backfire

Source: The Hill

President Obama’s sharp rebuke of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D) over his ambitious trade agenda is backfiring in the House, where the personal attacks are alienating the same Democrats the president is courting for votes.

Warren, a freshman liberal from Massachusetts, has emerged as among the fiercest and most visible opponents of Obama’s trade wish list, which includes deals with countries in Asia and Europe the president is hoping to make a legacy of his White House tenure.

The tough tenor was designed to rally the backing of more Democrats, particularly in the House, where GOP leaders are struggling to find the 217 votes needed to pass the fast-track bill aimed at facilitating those pacts.

Instead, Obama’s rhetoric — he said his critics were “just wrong” in an interview with Yahoo published Saturday — seems to have exacerbated tensions between Democrats and the White House, which could make it tougher to move one of the president’s top legislative priorities through Congress this year.

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Read more: http://thehill.com/homenews/house/242037-obamas-attacks-on-warren-backfire