Democrats in the House of Representatives gave President Obama a stunning defeat, voting against his free trade deal with Asia despite his personal pleas. The president’s only reliable allies, ironically, are the Republicans, who promise to find a new way to advance legislation that fast-tracks the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
From House Democrats rebuff Obama on trade, delivering major defeat – The Washington Post:
House Democrats dealt President Obama a humiliating defeat on his free-trade initiative Friday, derailing a key priority for the president and rebuffing his rare, personal pleas for their support.
The defeat at the hands of his own party placed Obama’s trade agenda in limbo and exposed deep party divisions on economic policy, leaving the pro-trade Democrats marginalized by the anti-corporate wing of the party, which has been on the rise since the 2008 financial collapse. It also exposed the weakening hand of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who had worked for days to avoid a Democratic takedown of the president’s agenda, only to throw her support in with the rank-and-file rebellion at the last minute.