The U.S. Senate today passed the fast-track trade bill and sent it to President Obama for his signature. One wonders if Obama will have a triumphant signing ceremony alongside his close allies and collaborators on this bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).
On the other hand, as they say, those who believe in fighting for working men and women should give a standing ovation to Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who waged what The Hill correctly called in a news story her “last stand on trade” — until the next fight begins tomorrow.
Sanders is the presidential candidate who legitimately battles for what one presidential candidate called “hope” and “change you can believe in.” Sanders on trade was the conviction politician, talking the talk and walking the walk for true change you can truly believe in.
{mosads}Warren again lived up to the hopes I had when I supported her election to the Senate. She is indeed the progressive conscience of the Senate, a true leader who fights for working men and women as Sanders does.
While Obama was ridiculing liberals for worrying about jobs lost from trade deals, lobbyists from multinational companies with a history of exporting jobs to low wage nations were lobbying.
Meanwhile, Hillary Clinton’s campaign theme is that she is a fighter for working people. If anyone knows her latest position on fast-track trade legislation, please post it in the comment section; I would be interested in keeping track.
While the president and his Republican allies prepare to celebrate their victory in favor of fast-track trade legislation, I propose — again — a standing ovation for two leaders who are true believers in change we can believe in and true fighters for working men and women: Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren!
Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen (D-Texas) and former Rep. Bill Alexander (D-Ark.), who was then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.