Just to be clear: This is not and never was Hillary Clinton's TPP

Things change. If you watched Showtime's excellent documentary Prophet's Prey last night, you saw that the polygamists moved to Utah because polygamy was not illegal in Mexico.  Then the U.S. annexed Utah and the playing field changed.

Hillary Clinton accepted Barack Obama's request to serve as Secretary of State, served the president's agenda at the pleasure of the president, and did so loyally and as a team player.  The administration's plan was a pivot to Asia, and that is why Hillary Clinton hit the ground running with her first official trip.






The final plan for the Trans-Pacific Partnership was six years in the making and did not come to a final form until six days ago - two years and seven months after Hillary Clinton left the State Department.

International Business

Trans-Pacific Partnership Is Reached, but Faces Scrutiny in Congress

By JACKIE CALMES OCT. 5, 2015
ATLANTA — The United States, Japan and 10 other Pacific Rim nations on Monday reached final agreement on the largest regional trade accord in history, teeing up what could be the toughest fight President Obama will face in his final year in office: securing approval from Congress.

The conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, after years of negotiations and a series of sleepless nights here, was merely “an important first step,” conceded Michael B. Froman, the United States trade representative, as he and other weary officials announced their accord.

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When Hillary Clinton came out with a statement on October 7 that she is not in support of TPP, she neither flipped nor flopped.  She was more than two-and-a-half years removed from TPP negotiations that finally came to a rather noteworthy conclusion (it was breaking news) a few days before.  The trade agreement was a treaty in progress when Hillary was at the State Department and, until only a few days ago, not the fully formed treaty now to be examined, debated, and ratified.

It is not impossible that a great deal has changed in more than two years.  It is also not impossible for people to change positions on issues over time.  As we become informed and communication changes, as we learn, we all can and perhaps should adjust our views, attitudes, and stances.

How did you see Bill Cosby in the 1980s?  How do you perceive him now?

On the Road with Hillary Clinton in Iowa: Mt. Vernon and Council Bluffsship, and PBS News Hour Full Video and TPP Statement

Hillary held a community forum at Cornell College in Mt. Vernon today and a campaign event at Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs.

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton waves as she arrives for a community forum campaign event at Cornell College in Mt Vernon, Iowa, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Scott Morgan

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton shakes hands with supporters after a community forum campaign event at Cornell College in Mt Vernon, Iowa, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Scott Morgan

Wubetu Shimelush, 20, takes a photo as U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a community forum campaign event at Cornell College in Mt Vernon, Iowa, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Scott Morgan

Supporters clap as U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a community forum campaign event at Cornell College in Mt Vernon, Iowa, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Scott Morgan

Cindy Garlock of Cedar Rapids waits for U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton to hold a community forum campaign event at Cornell College in Mt Vernon, Iowa, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Scott Morgan

Janet Ault and Addison Ault of Mt. Vernon applaud U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton as she speaks during a community forum campaign event at Cornell College in Mt Vernon, Iowa, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Scott Morgan

U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton speaks during a community forum campaign event at Cornell College in Mt Vernon, Iowa, October 7, 2015. REUTERS/Scott Morgan

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton holds up a doll that was handed to her from the audience Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, during a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton greets people Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, following a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton poses for a photo Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, following a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, during a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks with supporters Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, following a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton waves as she departs Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, following a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton brushes off a lady bug that landed on her as she speaks Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, during a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton waves to supporters Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2015, before speaking at a campaign stop at the Westfair Amphitheater in Council Bluffs, Iowa. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)

She also sat down with Judy Woodruff of PBS and talked about her position on the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Published on Oct 7, 2015

Hillary Clinton says she's "worried" about the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, and that she can't support it given what she knows at this point. The former secretary of state and Democratic presidential candidate sits down with Judy Woodruff to discuss the major Asian trade pact, gun control, Vladimir Putin and her email.

Judy Woodruff, did you really have to go there?  So ends the integrity of viewer-supported news.  Wow!  Very contentious!

The Briefing

Statements

Hillary Clinton Statement on Trans-Pacific Partnership

I’m continuing to learn about the details of the new Trans-Pacific Partnership, including looking hard at what’s in there to crack down on currency manipulation, which kills American jobs, and to make sure we’re not putting the interests of drug companies ahead of patients and consumers.  But based on what I know so far, I can’t support this agreement.
As I have said many times, we need to be sure that new trade deals meet clear tests:  They have to create good American jobs, raise wages, and advance our national security.  The bar has to be set very high for two reasons.
First, too often over the years we haven’t gotten the balance right on trade.  We’ve seen that even a strong deal can fall short on delivering the promised benefits.  So I don’t believe we can afford to keep giving new agreements the benefit of the doubt.  The risks are too high that, despite our best efforts, they will end up doing more harm than good for hard-working American families whose paychecks have barely budged in years.
Second, we can’t look at this in a vacuum.  Years of Republican obstruction at home have weakened U.S. competitiveness and made it harder for Americans who lose jobs and pay because of trade to get back on their feet.  Republicans have blocked the investments that we need and that President Obama has proposed in infrastructure, education, clean energy, and innovation.  They’ve refused to raise the minimum wage or defend workers’ rights or adequately fund job training.
As a result, America is less competitive than we should be.  Workers have fewer protections, the potential positive effects of trade are diminished, and the negative effects are exacerbated. We’re going into this with one arm tied behind our backs.
I still believe in the goal of a strong and fair trade agreement in the Pacific as part of a broader strategy both at home and abroad, just as I did when I was Secretary of State.  I appreciate the hard work that President Obama and his team put into this process and recognize the strides they made.  But the bar here is very high and, based on what I have seen, I don’t believe this agreement has met it.
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