Russ Feingold Sides With Sen. Warren, Against Obama On Trade Deal

UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 26: Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., U.S. special envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo, testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Di... UNITED STATES - FEBRUARY 26: Former Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wisc., U.S. special envoy for the Great Lakes Region and the Democratic Republic of Congo, testifies before a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in Dirksen Building titled "Prospects for Peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Great Lakes Region." (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call) (CQ Roll Call via AP Images) MORE LESS
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Former Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), who just announced his candidacy for his old Senate seat, is joining Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) in opposing the trade agreement President Barack Obama has been pushing Congress to approve.

“The economy has definitely been improving, and things like the stock market are doing better,” Feingold said in an interview with Wisconsin’s WISC-TV . “But the economy has to be good for working-class and middle-class families who work every day, send their kids to a school like is in front of my house, and they have to be able to enjoy their lives. That’s why you don’t pass a trade agreement that ships even more jobs overseas.”

The deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has been in the crosshairs of Warren and the liberal wing of the Democratic Party. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, Senate leaders came to an agreement on moving the deal along, only a few days after Democrats blocked Obama on the trade pact. Critics of the agreement have said it undermines Dodd-Frank financial regulations.

Warren over the past few days has strongly voiced her support for Feingold’s chances. She’s sent out fundraising emails to supporters on the former Wisconsin senator’s behalf.

“Just the idea of having Russ by my side in the Senate makes me happy. But I don’t kid myself: We’ve got a really, really big fight in front of us for that to happen,” Warren wrote in one such email on Saturday.

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  1. “The deal, the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) has been in the crosshairs of Warren and the liberal Democratic wing of the Democratic Party.”

  2. Avatar for tao tao says:

    TPP is a suppository sort of agreement that we were never supposed to see until it was implemented.

  3. Most social scientists believe that social revolutions take place when things are getting better. See below:

    "What are the essential conditions required for a revolution to take place?

    Surprisingly, revolutions don’t typically happen when things are bad and getting worse. The classic phrase is “the miserable don’t rebel.” Revolution usually happens when things are getting better but not as fast as people expect, or when things were getting better and have now taken a dive. The key is the gap between reality and expectations."

    The above was from a Q & A session with a current social activist.

    A low point of Barack Obama’s administration was the aftermath of the 2010 Congressional and Gubernatorial/State elections. FOX was insane, the TeaBagging Congress (with only ONE chamber) was nevertheless halting government. The Gerrymandering was intense. Mr. Obama was fighting for a Second Term. The media/message-machine/talking-heads on the Right were non-stop.

    THIS cycle, however, may be different. Mr. Feingold’s candidacy and stances may be an indicator.

    The truly downtrodden do not revolt. People who DO revolt (like the black U.S. returning WWII soldiers who had been exposed to things other than Jim Crow America) say to themselves:

    I DESERVE more.

    We’ll see.

  4. As Obama hones his legacy Warren has increasingly become the voice of the Democratic party. I wonder if Hillary is noticing?

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