TAA crushed by House, but the game is not over yet

[politicallefty]

I am glad to see this vote go down as it did, I oppose this bill on the merits. If you need any example that there is something seriously wrong with this trade bill, just note Leader Pelosi's opposition. I cannot honestly recall the last time she stood in active opposition to President Obama. In virtually every instance, even when the party has been divided, Pelosi has stood with Obama. To me, that is absolutely stunning and almost historic. She's basically a bridge between the more progressive wing and the establishment in the party.

I think this is also just another display of John Boehner's failure as Speaker. He is incompetent and totally out of his game. This kind of vote just shows how much power Pelosi has, even controlling a minority of votes in the House. Make no mistake that she still retains the overwhelming confidence of her caucus and the Democratic Party as a whole. The President has severely overstepped his bounds on party orthodoxy. If he has lost Pelosi, his Presidency is effectively over. Whether the bill passes or fails is practically irrelevant in the short-term domestic arena.

[politicallefty]

I agree that Boehner sucks, but this is one of the few instances where he has shown his competence and the Democrats have failed spectacularly. Now we're going to get TPP without TAA, which is basically the worst outcome.

I'm glad to hear you aren't blindly going along with this trade deal. If Pelosi means what she says, I think she may be able to pull some votes away to defeat the bill. If she is actively opposing this bill, I have little doubt it will fail.

I like this President just like you do, but I cannot understand his forcefulness in pushing this bill. I don't reflexively oppose free trade like some do, but there is too much wrong with this deal for me to support it. I truly cannot understand why the President is pushing this bill in the face of so much Democratic opposition. The text of this agreement will allow corporations to eviscerate so many of our regulations designed to protect the American people.