Saturday, July 30, 2005
Potpourri: Interesting Post-CAFTA Vote Fallout
We'll begin with a handful of potent quotes:
"This is not a major trade vote. It's a major political vote."
House and Ways Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Ca.)
Congressional Quarterly Today (7/27/05)
"Whatever the economic merits, the vote on Wednesday night made it clear that the political appeal of the trade agreement was low. Only 15 Democrats supported the measure. And despite intense pressure from President Bush and House Republican leaders, 27 Republicans voted against the deal; many others badly wanted to do so." New York Times (7/29/05)
"The importance of CAFTA all along has been that it would serve as a wind-up to give [the Free trade Area of the Americas] momentum."
Larry Birns
Director, Council on Hemispheric Affairs (Washington-based research group_
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/29/05)
This comes courtesy of Jim Capo (Chair, N.C. Chapter, Citizens Committee to Stop the FTAA) (more on Robin Hayes below):
At the time of the discussion, Keith Larson only knew that Robin Hayes had voted YES. Imagine how much worse this interview would have gone for Congressman Hayes had Mr. Larson known that Hayes had first voted NO and then switched his vote to YES in the closing minutes of the 60 minute long 15 minute vote?
This is an exceptional example of how bad a Demopublican can look if the media is allowed to ask and follow up to real questions.
The CAFTA afterglow is a target rich environment for exposing the vacuous nature of the majority of our Congressmen. As an added bonus I have attached below a report that details how we came so close to victory on this one that there was not even time for the bad guys to make up good lies to cover their tracks...
1) Charles Taylor's "defective voting card" worked fine three times earlier that evening.
2) Jo Ann Davis voted at 5:05pm but immediately drove so far away from the Capitol (IN rush hour traffic) that she couldn't get back in time (AFTER rush hour traffic) to vote by midnight on a critical bill that the whole world knew by 8:00pm was going to happen that night. Yep, let's do the math: There are 3 hours between 5:05 pm and 8:00pm and 4 hours between 8:00pm and midnight.
3) Robin Hayes. Votes NO then switched to YES more a half hour later. Now there's one case where I might agree, "There ought to be a law."
Man, this is going to be so easy to rip the other side. They had to totally expose themselves as criminals.
Jim
P.S. It's so good, let me say this again. The defeat CAFTA forces in North Carolina did such a great job erecting a near inpenetrable defense we forced the powers to be in Washington to sacrifice and spill on the floor what little credibility they had left. NO to CAFTA at 10-2-1 with 5 Republicans in the Nays column had to be the best showing in the nation!
P.P.S. Hey, don't forget to thank all the Congressmen that voted with us.
The Hotline
CAFTA: Large Store Of Convenience?
Congress Daily's Davis and Goode report, "It appears the razor-thin, two-vote victory" on CAFTA should've "been at least one vote tighter" as Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC 11) said 7/28 he voted "no" but "because of a computer glitch, it did not register with the final tally." A Taylor spokesperson said he and Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC 06) voted no, but the computer in the House Clerk's office recorded only Coble's vote." GOP aides said "Taylor cast a no vote with a deactivated voting card, which caused the problem."
The "glitch registered with the Clerk's office, but Taylor had since left the House floor and aides said attempts to locate him during the 62-minute vote were unsuccessful." Taylor has "inserted comments" in the Cong. Record "explaining the error and reiterating his opposition."
A spokesperson for Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA 01), "the only other nonvoting" member, "said she would have voted" no, but was on her way to a Boy Scout Jamboree event, "which was ultimately canceled because of weather." Davis and Taylor's votes would've created a tie, "which would have meant defeat for the treaty unless GOP leaders found an additional" GOPer to "switch a vote."
Davis "was traveling" to her CD "despite warnings and notices throughout the week from the whip operations on both sides of the aisle that attendance was necessary during the CAFTA vote." A spokesperson: "She just didn't get back on time" (7/28).
Calls into Davis' office asking for more details about the timing of the boy scout event (both the original start time and the time the event was cancelled) went unanswered at press time. The last vote Davis cast on 7/27 was at 5:05 pm on H RES 384 (Hotline reporting, 7/29).
A Million Ways To Say "NO", But Not Enough Ways To Vote No?
Taylor's statement on the CAFTA vote: "The Clerk's computer logs verified that I had attempted to no show my 'nay' vote. I am re-inserting my "No" vote in the record. But even with my NO vote, the bill still passed" (7/28).
From a NC Dem Party release, "Despite his vow to oppose the bill", Taylor "suspiciously missed the vote." He "voted earlier in the evening." According the Clerk of the House, "At 8:15 pm, Taylor voted to provide consideration of CAFTA. He also cast procedural votes at 8:06pm and 7:56 pm... From 11:10 until final passage at 12:03 am, Taylor was missing." NC Dem Party chair Jerry Meek: "When it was time to play offense against unfair trade, Charles Taylor wasn't even on the field. The vote was kept open for an hour and Republicans were arm-twisting and dealing, so Taylor's absence was certainly noticed... Maybe they needed him to stay away so CAFTA would pass. Maybe he was on the phone dealing with his shady Russian bank -- it must've been banking hours in Ivano, Russia" (Release, 7/28).
Were They Present For The Same Conversation?
"Assailed by some as a flip-flopper who sold out NC workers" Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC 08) said 7/28 "he changed his CAFTA vote from 'no' to a key, last-minute 'yes'" after Speaker Dennis Hastert "promised to do more for the embattled textile industry." Hayes: "He said, 'You tell me what you need and we're going to do it.'" Just like a trade vote four years ago, Hayes' vote switch "sparked a political firestorm" 7/28 AM among Dems and "talk-radio listeners in and around Charlotte."
The "final vote was 217-215." His office said Hayes case the 216th "yes" vote. Hastert "had a different view" on "what he had done to get Hayes to change his vote." The "speaker attributed Hayes' switch to grassroots pressure, not to any deal." Hastert: "I did have a discussion with Robin Hayes. But Robin Hayes ultimately talked to his textile people. They encouraged him to vote for the bill ultimately" (Funk/Morrill, Charlotte Observer, 7/29).
Hayes: "I was a solid no, going in." Hayes recalled Hastert saying to him: "We've got to have your vote. What do we need to do, for your people, for jobs in your district, for you to vote for the bill?" Hayes said he "needed new protections for his district's textile producers and workers." Hastert said he'd "do his best." Hayes, on GOP leaders: "They've got a proven history of doing what they say" (Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 7/29).
The restrictions Hastert "promised could come soon." Within 10 days, the Bush admin. "is expected to rule on whether to impose import quotas on Chinese sweaters, wool trousers, bras and other goods." Dems charged GOPers "with buying votes and forcing members to vote against their consciences" (Andrews, New York Times, 7/29).
Charlotte Observer editorializes, Hayes' constituents are "entitled to ask what the heck happened. Rep. Hayes, send us 800 words of so explaining exactly what benefits your district will get for your vote, and we'll tell them" (7/29).
Labor Going Afta CAFTA
UT labor unions "are upset with" Rep. Jim Matheson's (D) vote in favor of CAFTA. UT AFL-CIO pres. Ed Mayne: "We have withheld our endorsement from Democratic candidates before. ... There are more than a few (union leaders) back here who are very, very disappointed" in Matheson. Matheson: "the bottom line for me is that CAFTA will create jobs here in Utah by boosting opportunities for our exporters. Removing trade barriers to Utah products is a good thing for our state's economy and employees" (Bernick, Deseret Morning News, 7/29).
Pelosi's Throwing Punches
Roll Call's Billings writes that House Min. Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) "called a last-minute, Members-only meeting" 7/28 "to review the early-morning balloting and the reasoning behind defector's votes." Sources in the room "said Pelosi was furious at the outcome and the votes of some of the 15 Democrats -- notably some in safe districts --who joined the Republicans to pass the bill." One Dem aide: "I've never seen her like that."
Pelosi "told Members ... that there are 'expectations' that come" with top cmte assignments. She "said both privately and publicly that the votes would be reviewed on a 'case-by-case basis,'" since "many of the 15 defectors needed to vote for the bill given their districts and political situations."
Pelosi also "told reporters the House floor turned into an episode of 'Let's Make a Deal' and that for days ... Members had 'offers made' to them" even "charging that ethics rules may have been broken."
Pelosi: "Republicans turned the floor of the House of Representatives into a "Let's Make A Deal" set. It was reminiscent of what happened at the time of the Medicare prescription drug legislation that evening. And again this time they kept the vote open a long time. But many of the overtures that were made to members was made before even going to the floor. So this is about, again, an abuse of power, in an unethical way of passing legislations. And depending on what members decide to do, may require further attention" ("IP," CNN, 7/28).
Not Joined In A Happy Union Anymore...
Madison Capital Times' John Nichols writes that Dems have "relied heavily on labor support to win and hold competitive seats in the House, and its Democratic representatives cannot hide behind the excuses of White House pressure or political necessity that Republicans enjoy." In this vein, leaders of "some of the largest unions in the country indicated that they will not be backing" Dems who voted for CAFTA, including those under the "Frontline" initiative that "seeks to fill the campaign coffers of the 10 House incumbents who are likely to face the toughest challenges" in '06.
They also "urged the campaign committee to drop Frontline efforts for members who support the deal." Reps. Melissa Bean (IL), Jim Matheson (UT) and Dennis Moore (KS) were "identified in [a] letter" sent to Senate Min. Leader Nancy Pelosi, among others, before the vote. The letter acknowledged "that the party and House Democrats are not homogeneous" but said it is "unacceptable" to support incumbents who "are poised to desert labor on this core issue" (7/28).
Good "Welcome Home" Coverage For August Recess
Chicago Tribune editorializes, Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL 08) "bucked her party to vote for this trade treaty because she believes it will help create jobs and expand markets for companies in her district. ... Good for her. The freshman... took a brave and principled stand on CAFTA" (7/29).
The "threat hung over" Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS 03) "for days, a game of chicken between" the Rep. and "some of his most important allies, with all-too-real consequences." But Moore walked off the House floor "with his principles intact" after casting a "yes" vote (Stearns, Kansas City Star, 7/29).
Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH 18) "stood suprisingly alone as the sole" OH GOP House member voting against CAFTA. That's "because the supposedly firm stance of Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH 14) shifted. LaTourette "confirmed" he'd "cast the final 'yes' vote" (Riskind, Columbus Dispatch, 7/29).
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC 02) "who for months had opposed CAFTA," voted for it 7/28, infuriating "sectors of the textile industry that had fought to defeat CAFTA." He said he concluded that "side agreements to the treaty would protect SC textile jobs." And "he said he became increasingly convinced in the past week that CAFTA is needed to bolster security and stability within and beyond CAFTA nations" (Markoe, Columbia State, 7/29).
Correction
The list of CAFTA votes in the 7/29 Hotline mistakenly identified Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV 02) as a Dem.
END
Article from North Carolina:
News & Record, Greensboro, NC
Business
Friday, July 29, 2005
Hayes’ switch passes CAFTA
By Donald W. Patterson
Staff Writer
Textile leaders who opposed the Central America Free Trade Agreement went into Wednesday’s late-night vote in the House thinking they had the numbers needed to defeat the controversial treaty.
They came up one vote short.
The House approved CAFTA 217-215. A tie would have defeated the agreement, which lowers trade barriers between the United States and the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The agreement became a referendum on the Bush administration’s trade policies.
“We had a majority going into the vote,” said Lloyd Wood, a spokesman for the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition in Washington. “The CAFTA proponents squeezed the blood out of the turnip.”
One of those who got squeezed, it appears, was North Carolina congressman Robin Hayes, a Republican from the 8th District.
Hayes initially voted against CAFTA Wednesday, but later changed his vote to yes.
Bloomberg News reported Thursday that “a 40-minute delay in the vote was broken after the Republican leadership convinced (Hayes) to switch his vote.”
Hayes said he was not pressured to do so.
He said House Speaker Dennis Hastert came to him after he had voted and made a late pitch for the congressman’s support.
“He basically said, 'We need this vote very badly,’” Hayes recalled. “'We have exhausted all our potential sources and we need your vote. In order for you to vote for us we will do whatever we need to do in your district for people to keep their jobs.’
“That was a very strong promise from a very honorable man. It was an easy decision at that point.”
After switching his vote, Hayes said he got assurances from Hastert, a representative from the White House and the office of U.S. Trade Representative that the administration would take a tougher stance against China.
“China is the big play here,” Hayes said. “Everybody knows China cheats.”
Hayes said Thursday he had gotten calls from officials at Greensboro-based International Textile Group, which has two plants in his district, indicating their support for CAFTA.
One of those calls came Wednesday from Joe Gorga, ITG’s chief executive officer, who said the agreement would benefit the company’s plants in Hayes’s district.
“I laid out the business dynamics in support of CAFTA and we won very narrowly,” Gorga said. “I think Robin made the right decision and I think our industry will benefit from that. For the politics behind it, you are asking the wrong person.”
Only one other member of North Carolina’s House delegation, Sue Myrick, a Republican from the 9th District, voted for the agreement.
Rep. Howard Coble, a Republican whose 6th District includes part of the Triad, voted against CAFTA because of his late mother, Johnnie Holt Coble, who used to work in a textile mill.
“Because of my mama, I know the importance of textile jobs to North Carolina’s economy and a way of life that is all-too-fast disappearing,” Coble said in a statement released prior to the vote. “I fear that CAFTA will accelerate the demise of these domestic textile jobs.”
CAFTA supporters say the treaty will help maintain U.S. textile jobs by providing a strong industry presence in this hemisphere — one that can compete with China.
But because of the loopholes in the agreement, opponents say it will destroy textile jobs.
Coble’s office said 80 percent of the letters, e-mail and calls from constituents were opposed to CAFTA.
Many of those communications came from people in small textile companies.
Generally, textile companies that have operations in Central America or plan operations there supported the agreement. Those that do not — generally the smaller companies — opposed it.
“In my opinion, Congress and the president turned their backs on the American worker,” said Nim Harris, the head of Pickett Hosiery Mills in Burlington, which has seen its work force drop from 150 to 100 this year. “I firmly believe there will be retribution at the polls for those who voted for CAFTA.”
Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or donpatterson@news-record.com
END
Courtesy of the John Birch Society:
AFTER A BRUISING BATTLE TO DEFEAT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (CAFTA), THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY GEARS UP TO STOP THE FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA)
July 29, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From: Jaclyn Strelka, Public Affairs
PO Box 8040 Appleton, WI 54912
920-749-3780
jstrelka@jbs.org
AFTER A BRUISING BATTLE TO DEFEAT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (CAFTA), THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY GEARS UP TO STOP THE FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA)
It was a brutal battle on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Complete with arm twisting, badgering, and backroom deal making, the final vote landed in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). At 12:03 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28, the pro-CAFTA forces pushed through a razor-thin victory of 217-215.
Designed to bring about continued job loss, increased illegal immigration – but more importantly – the continued erosion of American independence to a faceless international bureaucracy, CAFTA is simply the dress rehearsal for a larger and more destructive agreement: the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The FTAA, if passed, will encompass 34 countries of the Western Hemisphere, and has been correctly referred to as “NAFTA on steroids.”
Each time the United States approves another agreement, everyday-Americans are punished with job losses and entire industries shipped overseas, increased numbers of illegal immigrants, and a flood of new rules and regulations imposed from governments outside our borders. The FTAA would dramatically accelerate this economic race to the bottom and erosion of our nation’s independence.
However, there is great reason to be optimistic. This hard-fought CAFTA battle, even in defeat, has greatly improved our chances for defeating the FTAA. The John Birch Society has been aggressively fighting so-called “free trade” agreements for years, and has awakened many Americans to the threat they pose. The closeness and fierceness of the CAFTA battle points to the growing opposition to these “free trade” pacts. Now the momentum is swinging our way.
As the Establishment power elite prepares for a final push on this “winner take all” agreement, honest and loyal Americans can be assured that the most effective way to fight this battle is as a member of a chapter of The John Birch Society. It will take organization and a sound plan of action to help Americans overcome the forces we have just confronted over CAFTA.
Since 1958, the John Birch Society has been fighting for the freedom and liberty of all Americans. This next battle against the FTAA may very well be a deciding one in the war for American independence.
END
Article by Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt
THE ROBOTIC CAFTA VOTE
By Charlotte Iserbyt
July 28, 2005
NewsWithViews.com
http://www.newswithviews.com/iserbyt/iserbyt28.htm
Just what exactly is the significance of the CAFTA vote as it relates to our ability as American citizens to shape our destiny?
When promises of "pork" are made to congressmen to change their votes, is this not bribery? Isn't the use of positive/negative reinforcement operant conditioning (rewards and punishment) basically what the Russian Ivan Pavlov and the American B.F. Skinner recommended as the method to change animal behavior and to create robots? Such conditioning bypasses the brain with all the important functions which distinguish man from an animal: memory, conscience, imagination, insight, and intuition, functions by which human beings know absolutes and truths and are able to know God.
Unfortunately operant conditioning works, whereas trying to persuade a human being to change his mind/vote using reason, logic, etc. does not always work since one is up against an individual's free will and conscience. Have you ever known a dog (an animal without free will or conscience) who would not drool and sit when he is assured of getting a dog biscuit?
The Congressmen who changed their votes from UNDECIDED to YES were victimized by the use of Pavlovian/Skinnerian operant conditioning.
In fact, most of the Congressmen and Senators who voted yes were undoubtedly victims of this inhumane method of controlling behavior through the promise of goodies (pork) for their congressional districts, in which case their constituents will reward them by re-electing them the next time around. Click here to see vote.
The more this animal training method (positive/negative reinforcement) is used on Americans, the more we will see of conscienceless, robotic actions at all levels in our society. I doubt that the Congressmen and Senators who voted yes and those who caved in even know what I am talking about since they have been through the government schools which use the Skinner method K-12 (especially computers), have been exposed to the media's constant conditioning, especially via TV and videos which are Skinnerian operant conditioning machines, and have been lead to believe that it is perfectly normal to make a decision based on the assurance of a reward. Example: In my town of Bath, Maine, the Community Oriented Policing System (COPS) has instituted a program which calls for the police to give medals (rewards) to citizens who do good deeds, the police themselves determining what is a "good" or a "bad" deed! This information is stored in a data bank at the state capitol.
In our anguish over this sovereignty-busting vote we must not forget to thank all who voted NO on the CAFTA. Pick up the phone and get busy making thank you calls. And be sure to ask them to vote NO on the forthcoming FTAA. Congressional switchboard number is: 202-224-3121. Special thanks should go to those who were "undecided" and refused to succumb to the offers of funding for bridges, roads, etc. Yesterday's list of the "undecideds" can be accessed by going to thelibertycommittee.org. Find out from today's media coverage which of the "undecideds" held firm in their convictions.
This is just the beginning of our assault on the traitors in Washington who are selling our birthright for a mess of pottage. They are the Judases of the 21st Century. Judas betrayed our Lord to the pharisees for thirty pieces of silver. Our Congressmen have betrayed their constituents in exchange for lucrative deals promised by the White House.
All of us who fought this battle so valiantly will NOT stop now. We are fortunate that we have one more chance to take a stand for America and all that she represents. If we came this close to victory in the Senate and the House, there is no reason under the sun, except laziness and lack of focus, that we cannot defeat the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) when it comes up for a vote. Stay tuned by going to www.stoptheftaa.org.
Cicero in the year 42 B.C. discussed what is going on in the Halls of Congress when he said:
A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the galleys, heard in the very hall of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor—he speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and wears their face and their garment, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation—he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city—he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared.......Cicero, 42 B.C.E.
© 2005 Charlotte T. Iserbyt - All Rights Reserved
Charlotte Iserbyt is the consummate whistleblower! Iserbyt served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, during the first Reagan Administration, where she first blew the whistle on a major technology initiative which would control curriculum in America's classrooms. Iserbyt is a former school board director in Camden, Maine and was co-founder and research analyst of Guardians of Education for Maine (GEM) from 1978 to 2000. She has also served in the American Red Cross on Guam and Japan during the Korean War, and in the United States Foreign Service in Belgium and in the Republic of South Africa.
Iserbyt is a speaker and writer, best known for her 1985 booklet Back to Basics Reform or OBE: Skinnerian International Curriculum and her 1989 pamphlet Soviets in the Classroom: America's Latest Education Fad which covered the details of the U.S.-Soviet and Carnegie-Soviet Education Agreements which remain in effect to this day. She is a freelance writer and has had articles published in Human Events, The Washington Times, The Bangor Daily News, and included in the record of Congressional hearings.
Website: www.deliberatedumbingdown.com
E-Mail: dumbdown@blazenetme.net
"This is not a major trade vote. It's a major political vote."
House and Ways Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Ca.)
Congressional Quarterly Today (7/27/05)
"Whatever the economic merits, the vote on Wednesday night made it clear that the political appeal of the trade agreement was low. Only 15 Democrats supported the measure. And despite intense pressure from President Bush and House Republican leaders, 27 Republicans voted against the deal; many others badly wanted to do so." New York Times (7/29/05)
"The importance of CAFTA all along has been that it would serve as a wind-up to give [the Free trade Area of the Americas] momentum."
Larry Birns
Director, Council on Hemispheric Affairs (Washington-based research group_
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (7/29/05)
This comes courtesy of Jim Capo (Chair, N.C. Chapter, Citizens Committee to Stop the FTAA) (more on Robin Hayes below):
At the time of the discussion, Keith Larson only knew that Robin Hayes had voted YES. Imagine how much worse this interview would have gone for Congressman Hayes had Mr. Larson known that Hayes had first voted NO and then switched his vote to YES in the closing minutes of the 60 minute long 15 minute vote?
This is an exceptional example of how bad a Demopublican can look if the media is allowed to ask and follow up to real questions.
The CAFTA afterglow is a target rich environment for exposing the vacuous nature of the majority of our Congressmen. As an added bonus I have attached below a report that details how we came so close to victory on this one that there was not even time for the bad guys to make up good lies to cover their tracks...
1) Charles Taylor's "defective voting card" worked fine three times earlier that evening.
2) Jo Ann Davis voted at 5:05pm but immediately drove so far away from the Capitol (IN rush hour traffic) that she couldn't get back in time (AFTER rush hour traffic) to vote by midnight on a critical bill that the whole world knew by 8:00pm was going to happen that night. Yep, let's do the math: There are 3 hours between 5:05 pm and 8:00pm and 4 hours between 8:00pm and midnight.
3) Robin Hayes. Votes NO then switched to YES more a half hour later. Now there's one case where I might agree, "There ought to be a law."
Man, this is going to be so easy to rip the other side. They had to totally expose themselves as criminals.
Jim
P.S. It's so good, let me say this again. The defeat CAFTA forces in North Carolina did such a great job erecting a near inpenetrable defense we forced the powers to be in Washington to sacrifice and spill on the floor what little credibility they had left. NO to CAFTA at 10-2-1 with 5 Republicans in the Nays column had to be the best showing in the nation!
P.P.S. Hey, don't forget to thank all the Congressmen that voted with us.
The Hotline
CAFTA: Large Store Of Convenience?
Congress Daily's Davis and Goode report, "It appears the razor-thin, two-vote victory" on CAFTA should've "been at least one vote tighter" as Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC 11) said 7/28 he voted "no" but "because of a computer glitch, it did not register with the final tally." A Taylor spokesperson said he and Rep. Howard Coble (R-NC 06) voted no, but the computer in the House Clerk's office recorded only Coble's vote." GOP aides said "Taylor cast a no vote with a deactivated voting card, which caused the problem."
The "glitch registered with the Clerk's office, but Taylor had since left the House floor and aides said attempts to locate him during the 62-minute vote were unsuccessful." Taylor has "inserted comments" in the Cong. Record "explaining the error and reiterating his opposition."
A spokesperson for Rep. Jo Ann Davis (R-VA 01), "the only other nonvoting" member, "said she would have voted" no, but was on her way to a Boy Scout Jamboree event, "which was ultimately canceled because of weather." Davis and Taylor's votes would've created a tie, "which would have meant defeat for the treaty unless GOP leaders found an additional" GOPer to "switch a vote."
Davis "was traveling" to her CD "despite warnings and notices throughout the week from the whip operations on both sides of the aisle that attendance was necessary during the CAFTA vote." A spokesperson: "She just didn't get back on time" (7/28).
Calls into Davis' office asking for more details about the timing of the boy scout event (both the original start time and the time the event was cancelled) went unanswered at press time. The last vote Davis cast on 7/27 was at 5:05 pm on H RES 384 (Hotline reporting, 7/29).
A Million Ways To Say "NO", But Not Enough Ways To Vote No?
Taylor's statement on the CAFTA vote: "The Clerk's computer logs verified that I had attempted to no show my 'nay' vote. I am re-inserting my "No" vote in the record. But even with my NO vote, the bill still passed" (7/28).
From a NC Dem Party release, "Despite his vow to oppose the bill", Taylor "suspiciously missed the vote." He "voted earlier in the evening." According the Clerk of the House, "At 8:15 pm, Taylor voted to provide consideration of CAFTA. He also cast procedural votes at 8:06pm and 7:56 pm... From 11:10 until final passage at 12:03 am, Taylor was missing." NC Dem Party chair Jerry Meek: "When it was time to play offense against unfair trade, Charles Taylor wasn't even on the field. The vote was kept open for an hour and Republicans were arm-twisting and dealing, so Taylor's absence was certainly noticed... Maybe they needed him to stay away so CAFTA would pass. Maybe he was on the phone dealing with his shady Russian bank -- it must've been banking hours in Ivano, Russia" (Release, 7/28).
Were They Present For The Same Conversation?
"Assailed by some as a flip-flopper who sold out NC workers" Rep. Robin Hayes (R-NC 08) said 7/28 "he changed his CAFTA vote from 'no' to a key, last-minute 'yes'" after Speaker Dennis Hastert "promised to do more for the embattled textile industry." Hayes: "He said, 'You tell me what you need and we're going to do it.'" Just like a trade vote four years ago, Hayes' vote switch "sparked a political firestorm" 7/28 AM among Dems and "talk-radio listeners in and around Charlotte."
The "final vote was 217-215." His office said Hayes case the 216th "yes" vote. Hastert "had a different view" on "what he had done to get Hayes to change his vote." The "speaker attributed Hayes' switch to grassroots pressure, not to any deal." Hastert: "I did have a discussion with Robin Hayes. But Robin Hayes ultimately talked to his textile people. They encouraged him to vote for the bill ultimately" (Funk/Morrill, Charlotte Observer, 7/29).
Hayes: "I was a solid no, going in." Hayes recalled Hastert saying to him: "We've got to have your vote. What do we need to do, for your people, for jobs in your district, for you to vote for the bill?" Hayes said he "needed new protections for his district's textile producers and workers." Hastert said he'd "do his best." Hayes, on GOP leaders: "They've got a proven history of doing what they say" (Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 7/29).
The restrictions Hastert "promised could come soon." Within 10 days, the Bush admin. "is expected to rule on whether to impose import quotas on Chinese sweaters, wool trousers, bras and other goods." Dems charged GOPers "with buying votes and forcing members to vote against their consciences" (Andrews, New York Times, 7/29).
Charlotte Observer editorializes, Hayes' constituents are "entitled to ask what the heck happened. Rep. Hayes, send us 800 words of so explaining exactly what benefits your district will get for your vote, and we'll tell them" (7/29).
Labor Going Afta CAFTA
UT labor unions "are upset with" Rep. Jim Matheson's (D) vote in favor of CAFTA. UT AFL-CIO pres. Ed Mayne: "We have withheld our endorsement from Democratic candidates before. ... There are more than a few (union leaders) back here who are very, very disappointed" in Matheson. Matheson: "the bottom line for me is that CAFTA will create jobs here in Utah by boosting opportunities for our exporters. Removing trade barriers to Utah products is a good thing for our state's economy and employees" (Bernick, Deseret Morning News, 7/29).
Pelosi's Throwing Punches
Roll Call's Billings writes that House Min. Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) "called a last-minute, Members-only meeting" 7/28 "to review the early-morning balloting and the reasoning behind defector's votes." Sources in the room "said Pelosi was furious at the outcome and the votes of some of the 15 Democrats -- notably some in safe districts --who joined the Republicans to pass the bill." One Dem aide: "I've never seen her like that."
Pelosi "told Members ... that there are 'expectations' that come" with top cmte assignments. She "said both privately and publicly that the votes would be reviewed on a 'case-by-case basis,'" since "many of the 15 defectors needed to vote for the bill given their districts and political situations."
Pelosi also "told reporters the House floor turned into an episode of 'Let's Make a Deal' and that for days ... Members had 'offers made' to them" even "charging that ethics rules may have been broken."
Pelosi: "Republicans turned the floor of the House of Representatives into a "Let's Make A Deal" set. It was reminiscent of what happened at the time of the Medicare prescription drug legislation that evening. And again this time they kept the vote open a long time. But many of the overtures that were made to members was made before even going to the floor. So this is about, again, an abuse of power, in an unethical way of passing legislations. And depending on what members decide to do, may require further attention" ("IP," CNN, 7/28).
Not Joined In A Happy Union Anymore...
Madison Capital Times' John Nichols writes that Dems have "relied heavily on labor support to win and hold competitive seats in the House, and its Democratic representatives cannot hide behind the excuses of White House pressure or political necessity that Republicans enjoy." In this vein, leaders of "some of the largest unions in the country indicated that they will not be backing" Dems who voted for CAFTA, including those under the "Frontline" initiative that "seeks to fill the campaign coffers of the 10 House incumbents who are likely to face the toughest challenges" in '06.
They also "urged the campaign committee to drop Frontline efforts for members who support the deal." Reps. Melissa Bean (IL), Jim Matheson (UT) and Dennis Moore (KS) were "identified in [a] letter" sent to Senate Min. Leader Nancy Pelosi, among others, before the vote. The letter acknowledged "that the party and House Democrats are not homogeneous" but said it is "unacceptable" to support incumbents who "are poised to desert labor on this core issue" (7/28).
Good "Welcome Home" Coverage For August Recess
Chicago Tribune editorializes, Rep. Melissa Bean (D-IL 08) "bucked her party to vote for this trade treaty because she believes it will help create jobs and expand markets for companies in her district. ... Good for her. The freshman... took a brave and principled stand on CAFTA" (7/29).
The "threat hung over" Rep. Dennis Moore (D-KS 03) "for days, a game of chicken between" the Rep. and "some of his most important allies, with all-too-real consequences." But Moore walked off the House floor "with his principles intact" after casting a "yes" vote (Stearns, Kansas City Star, 7/29).
Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH 18) "stood suprisingly alone as the sole" OH GOP House member voting against CAFTA. That's "because the supposedly firm stance of Rep. Steven LaTourette (R-OH 14) shifted. LaTourette "confirmed" he'd "cast the final 'yes' vote" (Riskind, Columbus Dispatch, 7/29).
Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC 02) "who for months had opposed CAFTA," voted for it 7/28, infuriating "sectors of the textile industry that had fought to defeat CAFTA." He said he concluded that "side agreements to the treaty would protect SC textile jobs." And "he said he became increasingly convinced in the past week that CAFTA is needed to bolster security and stability within and beyond CAFTA nations" (Markoe, Columbia State, 7/29).
Correction
The list of CAFTA votes in the 7/29 Hotline mistakenly identified Rep. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV 02) as a Dem.
END
Article from North Carolina:
News & Record, Greensboro, NC
Business
Friday, July 29, 2005
Hayes’ switch passes CAFTA
By Donald W. Patterson
Staff Writer
Textile leaders who opposed the Central America Free Trade Agreement went into Wednesday’s late-night vote in the House thinking they had the numbers needed to defeat the controversial treaty.
They came up one vote short.
The House approved CAFTA 217-215. A tie would have defeated the agreement, which lowers trade barriers between the United States and the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
The agreement became a referendum on the Bush administration’s trade policies.
“We had a majority going into the vote,” said Lloyd Wood, a spokesman for the American Manufacturing Trade Action Coalition in Washington. “The CAFTA proponents squeezed the blood out of the turnip.”
One of those who got squeezed, it appears, was North Carolina congressman Robin Hayes, a Republican from the 8th District.
Hayes initially voted against CAFTA Wednesday, but later changed his vote to yes.
Bloomberg News reported Thursday that “a 40-minute delay in the vote was broken after the Republican leadership convinced (Hayes) to switch his vote.”
Hayes said he was not pressured to do so.
He said House Speaker Dennis Hastert came to him after he had voted and made a late pitch for the congressman’s support.
“He basically said, 'We need this vote very badly,’” Hayes recalled. “'We have exhausted all our potential sources and we need your vote. In order for you to vote for us we will do whatever we need to do in your district for people to keep their jobs.’
“That was a very strong promise from a very honorable man. It was an easy decision at that point.”
After switching his vote, Hayes said he got assurances from Hastert, a representative from the White House and the office of U.S. Trade Representative that the administration would take a tougher stance against China.
“China is the big play here,” Hayes said. “Everybody knows China cheats.”
Hayes said Thursday he had gotten calls from officials at Greensboro-based International Textile Group, which has two plants in his district, indicating their support for CAFTA.
One of those calls came Wednesday from Joe Gorga, ITG’s chief executive officer, who said the agreement would benefit the company’s plants in Hayes’s district.
“I laid out the business dynamics in support of CAFTA and we won very narrowly,” Gorga said. “I think Robin made the right decision and I think our industry will benefit from that. For the politics behind it, you are asking the wrong person.”
Only one other member of North Carolina’s House delegation, Sue Myrick, a Republican from the 9th District, voted for the agreement.
Rep. Howard Coble, a Republican whose 6th District includes part of the Triad, voted against CAFTA because of his late mother, Johnnie Holt Coble, who used to work in a textile mill.
“Because of my mama, I know the importance of textile jobs to North Carolina’s economy and a way of life that is all-too-fast disappearing,” Coble said in a statement released prior to the vote. “I fear that CAFTA will accelerate the demise of these domestic textile jobs.”
CAFTA supporters say the treaty will help maintain U.S. textile jobs by providing a strong industry presence in this hemisphere — one that can compete with China.
But because of the loopholes in the agreement, opponents say it will destroy textile jobs.
Coble’s office said 80 percent of the letters, e-mail and calls from constituents were opposed to CAFTA.
Many of those communications came from people in small textile companies.
Generally, textile companies that have operations in Central America or plan operations there supported the agreement. Those that do not — generally the smaller companies — opposed it.
“In my opinion, Congress and the president turned their backs on the American worker,” said Nim Harris, the head of Pickett Hosiery Mills in Burlington, which has seen its work force drop from 150 to 100 this year. “I firmly believe there will be retribution at the polls for those who voted for CAFTA.”
Contact Donald W. Patterson at 373-7027 or donpatterson@news-record.com
END
Courtesy of the John Birch Society:
AFTER A BRUISING BATTLE TO DEFEAT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (CAFTA), THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY GEARS UP TO STOP THE FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA)
July 29, 2005
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
From: Jaclyn Strelka, Public Affairs
PO Box 8040 Appleton, WI 54912
920-749-3780
jstrelka@jbs.org
AFTER A BRUISING BATTLE TO DEFEAT THE CENTRAL AMERICAN FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (CAFTA), THE JOHN BIRCH SOCIETY GEARS UP TO STOP THE FREE TRADE AREA OF THE AMERICAS (FTAA)
It was a brutal battle on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives. Complete with arm twisting, badgering, and backroom deal making, the final vote landed in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). At 12:03 a.m. on Wednesday, July 28, the pro-CAFTA forces pushed through a razor-thin victory of 217-215.
Designed to bring about continued job loss, increased illegal immigration – but more importantly – the continued erosion of American independence to a faceless international bureaucracy, CAFTA is simply the dress rehearsal for a larger and more destructive agreement: the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). The FTAA, if passed, will encompass 34 countries of the Western Hemisphere, and has been correctly referred to as “NAFTA on steroids.”
Each time the United States approves another agreement, everyday-Americans are punished with job losses and entire industries shipped overseas, increased numbers of illegal immigrants, and a flood of new rules and regulations imposed from governments outside our borders. The FTAA would dramatically accelerate this economic race to the bottom and erosion of our nation’s independence.
However, there is great reason to be optimistic. This hard-fought CAFTA battle, even in defeat, has greatly improved our chances for defeating the FTAA. The John Birch Society has been aggressively fighting so-called “free trade” agreements for years, and has awakened many Americans to the threat they pose. The closeness and fierceness of the CAFTA battle points to the growing opposition to these “free trade” pacts. Now the momentum is swinging our way.
As the Establishment power elite prepares for a final push on this “winner take all” agreement, honest and loyal Americans can be assured that the most effective way to fight this battle is as a member of a chapter of The John Birch Society. It will take organization and a sound plan of action to help Americans overcome the forces we have just confronted over CAFTA.
Since 1958, the John Birch Society has been fighting for the freedom and liberty of all Americans. This next battle against the FTAA may very well be a deciding one in the war for American independence.
END
Article by Charlotte Thomson Iserbyt
THE ROBOTIC CAFTA VOTE
By Charlotte Iserbyt
July 28, 2005
NewsWithViews.com
http://www.newswithviews.com/iserbyt/iserbyt28.htm
Just what exactly is the significance of the CAFTA vote as it relates to our ability as American citizens to shape our destiny?
When promises of "pork" are made to congressmen to change their votes, is this not bribery? Isn't the use of positive/negative reinforcement operant conditioning (rewards and punishment) basically what the Russian Ivan Pavlov and the American B.F. Skinner recommended as the method to change animal behavior and to create robots? Such conditioning bypasses the brain with all the important functions which distinguish man from an animal: memory, conscience, imagination, insight, and intuition, functions by which human beings know absolutes and truths and are able to know God.
Unfortunately operant conditioning works, whereas trying to persuade a human being to change his mind/vote using reason, logic, etc. does not always work since one is up against an individual's free will and conscience. Have you ever known a dog (an animal without free will or conscience) who would not drool and sit when he is assured of getting a dog biscuit?
The Congressmen who changed their votes from UNDECIDED to YES were victimized by the use of Pavlovian/Skinnerian operant conditioning.
In fact, most of the Congressmen and Senators who voted yes were undoubtedly victims of this inhumane method of controlling behavior through the promise of goodies (pork) for their congressional districts, in which case their constituents will reward them by re-electing them the next time around. Click here to see vote.
The more this animal training method (positive/negative reinforcement) is used on Americans, the more we will see of conscienceless, robotic actions at all levels in our society. I doubt that the Congressmen and Senators who voted yes and those who caved in even know what I am talking about since they have been through the government schools which use the Skinner method K-12 (especially computers), have been exposed to the media's constant conditioning, especially via TV and videos which are Skinnerian operant conditioning machines, and have been lead to believe that it is perfectly normal to make a decision based on the assurance of a reward. Example: In my town of Bath, Maine, the Community Oriented Policing System (COPS) has instituted a program which calls for the police to give medals (rewards) to citizens who do good deeds, the police themselves determining what is a "good" or a "bad" deed! This information is stored in a data bank at the state capitol.
In our anguish over this sovereignty-busting vote we must not forget to thank all who voted NO on the CAFTA. Pick up the phone and get busy making thank you calls. And be sure to ask them to vote NO on the forthcoming FTAA. Congressional switchboard number is: 202-224-3121. Special thanks should go to those who were "undecided" and refused to succumb to the offers of funding for bridges, roads, etc. Yesterday's list of the "undecideds" can be accessed by going to thelibertycommittee.org. Find out from today's media coverage which of the "undecideds" held firm in their convictions.
This is just the beginning of our assault on the traitors in Washington who are selling our birthright for a mess of pottage. They are the Judases of the 21st Century. Judas betrayed our Lord to the pharisees for thirty pieces of silver. Our Congressmen have betrayed their constituents in exchange for lucrative deals promised by the White House.
All of us who fought this battle so valiantly will NOT stop now. We are fortunate that we have one more chance to take a stand for America and all that she represents. If we came this close to victory in the Senate and the House, there is no reason under the sun, except laziness and lack of focus, that we cannot defeat the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas (FTAA) when it comes up for a vote. Stay tuned by going to www.stoptheftaa.org.
Cicero in the year 42 B.C. discussed what is going on in the Halls of Congress when he said:
A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and he carries his banners openly. But the traitor moves among those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the galleys, heard in the very hall of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor—he speaks in the accents familiar to his victims, and wears their face and their garment, and he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation—he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of a city—he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to be feared.......Cicero, 42 B.C.E.
© 2005 Charlotte T. Iserbyt - All Rights Reserved
Charlotte Iserbyt is the consummate whistleblower! Iserbyt served as Senior Policy Advisor in the Office of Educational Research and Improvement (OERI), U.S. Department of Education, during the first Reagan Administration, where she first blew the whistle on a major technology initiative which would control curriculum in America's classrooms. Iserbyt is a former school board director in Camden, Maine and was co-founder and research analyst of Guardians of Education for Maine (GEM) from 1978 to 2000. She has also served in the American Red Cross on Guam and Japan during the Korean War, and in the United States Foreign Service in Belgium and in the Republic of South Africa.
Iserbyt is a speaker and writer, best known for her 1985 booklet Back to Basics Reform or OBE: Skinnerian International Curriculum and her 1989 pamphlet Soviets in the Classroom: America's Latest Education Fad which covered the details of the U.S.-Soviet and Carnegie-Soviet Education Agreements which remain in effect to this day. She is a freelance writer and has had articles published in Human Events, The Washington Times, The Bangor Daily News, and included in the record of Congressional hearings.
Website: www.deliberatedumbingdown.com
E-Mail: dumbdown@blazenetme.net
