Thread: In Germany, Jeb Bush offers support for Obama’s trade deal, authority

In Germany, Jeb Bush offers support for Obama’s trade deal, authority



Former US Governor Jeb Bush speaks at the Economic Council in Berlin, Germany, Tuesday, June 9, 2015. The Economic Council is a German business association representing the interests of more than 11,000 small and medium sized firms, as well as ... more >

By David Sherfinski - The Washington Times - Tuesday, June 9, 2015

Amid some lingering questions from Republicans on the issue, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush said Tuesday he hopes Congress will grant President Obama so-called “fast-track” trade authority as Mr. Obama negotiates a trade deal with about a dozen Pacific Rim nations.

“The Asia agreement’s important for security reasons as well as economic reasons,” Mr. Bush said during an appearance in Germany at the Economic Council of the Christian Democratic Union’s annual conference.

Mr. Bush said during a question-and-answer session that granting Mr. Obama so-called “trade promotion authority,” which would allow Congress an up-or-down vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership without an opportunity for amendments, is important in the process.

Republicans are not in lockstep on the issue — for example, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, one of Mr. Bush’s potential rivals in the 2016 GOP presidential race, has been a vocal opponent of the deal — but Mr. Obama has also been working to sway members of his own party on it.

“If it helps give you a sense of the political challenges we face, this is actually a place where … the partisanship that overwhelms many of the big issues of our time in the United States doesn’t appear to be the issue, because interestingly, the president’s asking for trade promotion authority, which is essential to be able to get these agreements done, has more support among Republicans than Democrats — a lot more,” Mr. Bush said.

Presidential candidates on the Democratic side such as Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley have come out strongly against the agreement, which is vigorously opposed by labor groups, while former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the 2016 Democratic front-runner, has said she wants to see the final version.

“And so the question is, will he get enough support among House Democrats to be able to get over to the majority, and my hope is that he will,” Mr. Bush said. “If that happens, then I think you’ll see the agreement come relatively fast, and I hope it means also that the efforts will begin more in earnest here as well.”

In his speech, Mr. Bush, who is also traveling to Poland and Estonia in the coming days before an announcement Monday on his 2016 plans, had also advocated for a serious plan to complete the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), a trade deal between the U.S. and the European Union.

“If we complete this partnership, other nations will see the value of TTIP standards, and in time, they can become the trading standards of the world,” he said. “I’m a believer in this partnership, and for the sake of jobs and economic opportunity, I hope that we get this done at warp speed.”

In his address, Mr. Bush also said that “our prosperity underwrites our security” and that strong ties between America and Europe are necessary to deal with threats like Russia, Iran and the Islamic State terrorist group.

“Who else but us will build the global effort to meet the threat of a terrorist army that now holds large parts of Iraq and Syria and Libya?” he said. “None of these threats will go away on their own. To resolve security challenges before they completely unravel, it will take a serious and united effort of the nations in our alliance. If events can be turned in the direction of peace, ladies and gentlemen, then who else but us? The great democracies of the west will do the turning.”

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More proof that the two major parties are just brothers who sometimes squabble over whose turn it is to lead. But on the inside one and the same, nearly worthless to Americans, In stead of keeping track of what those two parties are doing, forming a reputable party would serve America the Beautiful.

More proof indeed! Especially proof beyond any reasonable doubt that we're done being Bushwhacked by the Bush Family and their despicable Globalist trade, immigration, open borders, New World Order, One World Government goals. Republicans, now wake up and put this Bush Wannebe President down. Stop inviting him, stop talking to him, stop polling for him, stop it all. Throw him back to Miami or wherever he lives and keep our party away from him.