MORNING MESSAGE
TPP Is Dead. What Did We Learn From This Great Progressive Victory?
It showed that We the People CAN win — CAN overcome corporate domination. It took years but progressives educated, drove awareness, organized and won. There’s a lesson there ... there is a better path forward on trade. Next, we work together to make our government renegotiate trade deals like NAFTA. But not the Trump way.
NO MANDATE
Only 29 percent say Trump has a mandate. Politico:“Less than 30 percent of Americans say Donald Trump has a mandate to carry out as president the agenda he proposed on the campaign trail, according to new Washington Post/Schar School poll … 59 percent said he should compromise with Democrats … Fifty percent of Americans said President Barack Obama had a mandate when he was first elected to the White House in 2008…”
Sen. Rand Paul reminds Senate could reject cabinet picks. Bloomberg:“Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky was the first out of the gate putting Trump on notice Tuesday, warning against picking former Ambassador John Bolton or Rudy Giuliani as secretary of State … The [foreign relations] panel has a narrow 10-9 Republican majority, meaning a single senator could join with the panel’s Democrats to block a nomination. The same could happen in other committees.”
Trump transition memo sketches out trade policy for “first 200 days.” CNN:“On Day 1, Trump would … have the US Trade Representative notify Mexico and Canada that the US intends to propose some amendments to the treaty, which could include measures on currency manipulation, lumber, country of origin labeling and environmental and safety standards … By Day 100, the plan says, Trump would continue NAFTA renegotiations, would pursue cracking down on China by seeing if they could be labeled a currency manipulator and through bilateral trade negotiations … By Day 200, Trump would be considering formally withdrawing from NAFTA and continuing to pursue bilateral trade agreements …”
TRANSITION TEAM OVERHAULED
Pence reportedly ousts lobbyists from transition team. WSJ:“… Mr. Pence ordered the removal of all lobbyists from the transition team, said one transition team member with knowledge of the decisions … [Former Rep. Mike] Rogers was told he was being replaced because everyone who was brought in by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, the transition team’s original chairman, was being ousted … On Tuesday night, Mr. Trump tweeted: ‘Very organized process taking place…'”
Industry lobbyists under consideration for EPA. Reuters:“Top contenders for the job include Jeff Holmstead, an energy industry attorney at Bracewell law firm who was assistant administrator for the EPA’s Office of Air and Radiation from 2001 to 2005, and Mike Catanzaro, a lobbyist for CGCN who was an associate deputy administrator at the EPA from 2005 to 2007 … Myron Ebell, a prominent climate change skeptic … has been leading Trump’s EPA transition team, but sources said he is not likely to become the administrator.”
Anti-Muslim Frank Gaffney joins transition. TPM:“Gaffney is known for extreme anti-Muslim statements and has claimed that ‘creeping Sharia’ poses a threat to the United States. He has accused members of the Obama administration of being part of the Muslim Brotherhood, specifically Hillary Clinton aide Huma Abedin.”
PELOSI MAY FACE CHALLENGE
House Dems could oust Nancy Pelosi. The Hill:“House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday pushed her party’s leadership elections past Thanksgiving … she got an earful Tuesday morning from a long list of lawmakers urging a longer timeline to allow ‘an internal conversation’ about the party’s path back to power … The riled-up lawmakers stopped short of calling for a change in leadership, but the two-week delay conceivably gives time for a challenger to emerge and lobby for support. Rep. Tim Ryan (D) is weighing such a challenge.”
Sanders may not want leadership post. The Hill:“…Sanders told reporters Wednesday evening that he is not interested in serving as chairman of the Democratic Policy and Communication Center … Asked whether he will serve in leadership, Sanders said it ‘remains to be seen.’ … Senate Democrats say the top two leadership positions in their caucus are settled … Sanders told reporters during a conference call Wednesday that he would not challenge Schumer or Durbin.”
Movement builds to target right-leaning Democrats. Politico:“[Some are] planning to channel the energy unleashed last week into electoral politics, starting with Democratic primaries … ‘Our big goal is to support primary challenges against those Democrats who negotiate with Donald Trump,’ said the organizer, Waleed Shahid, a veteran of Bernie Sanders’ campaign who is working for a group called AllofUs … Progressive groups are planning to combine that tactic with direct actions like marches and sit-ins to more seamlessly merge an anti-Trump protest movement with electoral politicking … But the prospect of unifying disparate opposition groups under a single command structure remains a daunting one.”
Senate Dems “come out swinging” reports Roll Call:“Democrats have said that they are willing to work with Trump on areas of common ground. But Minority Leader Harry Reid used floor remarks on Tuesday to assail the real estate mogul, accusing him of sparking ‘a wave of hate crimes.’ … four Democratic senators and a newly elected colleague stood next to a poster with ‘Fire Bannon’ in large white letters …”
STANDING ROCK PREPARES FOR WINTER
Volunteers continue to feed Standing Rock protesters. NYT:“As the number of teepees and yurts built to withstand the brutal North Dakota winter has grown, so, too, have the camp kitchens. No one is directly in charge of the chaotic but robust network of what amounts to several free restaurants, which reflect both the broad spectrum of the nation’s diet and its battles over food politics.”
Dakota pipeline fight heralds new day for indigenous sovereignty movement movement, says American Prospect’s Jason Mark:“Native American leaders and historians say the current wave of indigenous activism represents the most muscular and cohesive push for indigenous sovereignty since the 1970s heyday of the American Indian Movement … While it seems unlikely that Trump would continue Obama’s reconciliation agenda, the shift in the balance of power will be difficult to reverse … The indigenous sovereignty movement is proving to be the most vigorous and well-articulated, anti-capitalist effort on the far side of Bernie Sanders.”
Obama could still protect Arctic. KTOO:“Environmentalists want Obama to place the Arctic off limits to offshore drilling, in part to combat climate change. The oil industry is lobbying to keep it open. A decision is expected any day. And depending what Obama does, it might not be so easy for a Trump administration to override it.”
Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's Action.more »
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