Mediaboss Marketing

Story highlights A new Pacific Rim pact is giving liberal critics of 1990s free trade deals a new reason to target Hillary Clinton The debate could hamper Clinton with the Democratic base if she launches a 2016 presidential bid

Labor unions and liberal activists are preparing to highlight free trade an issue central to Bill and Hillary Clinton's political brand in the early 1990s if she opts to run for president in 2016.

Driving their anger: The Trans-Pacific Partnership, a massive new pact that that would usurp the Clinton-era North American Free Trade Agreement's place as the biggest-ever free trade agreement. President Barack Obama's administration has been negotiating the Chile-to-Japan deal for years, and it's increasingly drawing scrutiny from the Democratic base as the talks near completion.

The new deal has reminded labor halls across the country of the old one and that it was their biggest problem with the Clintons.

Compounding the problem is that free trade, particularly NAFTA, is an issue that Clinton has vacillated on since her husband's administration.

As first lady, Clinton backed NAFTA and spoke highly of it at stops for the administration. But once she was elected to the Senate and later ran for president, her support of free trade -- and her husband's landmark agreement -- began to wane. On the campaign trail, Clinton acknowledged that NAFTA has "hurt a lot of American workers" and advocated for broad reform of trade policy. President Barack Obama's campaign even used the flip-flop against Clinton during the 2008 primary.

But after Clinton lost the nomination and agreed to serve as the President's Secretary of State, she began to warm up to free trade, and particularly the TPP.

Hillary Clinton's stance on President Barack Obama's Trans-Pacific Partnership will be closely watched if she runs for the White House in 2016.

In her memoir, which Clinton's spokesman said was her most updated statement on the TPP, Clinton wrote, "It's safe to say that the TPP won't be perfect. No deal negotiated among a dozen countries ever will be - but its higher standards, if implemented and enforced, should benefit American businesses and workers."

That history worries some labor leaders who are prepared to hold Clinton to a standard that includes her support of free trade agreements.

See more here:
Can Hillary Clinton step out of Bill's NAFTA shadow? - CNN.com

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) criticized former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in an interview with Katie Couric for Yahoo News, saying her policies are "20th century relics."

"If we don't begin to address 21st century problems with 21st century ideas, we're going to leave millions of people behind permanently," Rubio said. "We can't afford that. That would be a death blow to the American dream."

That line comes from the introduction to Rubio's new book American Dreams, which comes out Tuesday.

Rubio also discussed the potential 2016 field with Couric, offering his thoughts on former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R), Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and 2012 presidential candidate Mitt Romney (R).

"The good news about the Republican Party is that we have so many people who could be very credible candidates and formidable candidates," Rubio said. "The Democrats apparently only have one, and I think that speaks to the strength of our party."

But despite a growing number of potential GOP 2016 contenders, Rubio said he's sure he could launch a successful run for the White House.

"If I decide that the best place for me to achieve this agenda is as president of the United States, I am confident that we can raise the money and put together the organization we need to be competitive and to ultimately win."

Couric confronted the senator about some of his views that many may see as "unappealing," including his opposition to gay marriage and questions about climate change. Rubio also addressed some of his more controversial beliefs, including his view that life begins at conception and "all life is worthy of protection, especially innocent human life."

"I recognize that it's a very difficult issue. I've never claimed that it's an easy issue. You have a young girl who's 16 years old and becomes pregnant, she's scared to death. And I understand what a difficult and painful issue... and I recognize the arguments that the other side makes on it. I just personally believe that all human life is worthy of the protection of our law."

Watch Rubio discuss the presidency and more with Couric above, and see more of his interview here.

See more here:
Marco Rubio: Hillary Clinton As President Would Be A ...

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, pictured in October 2012, has become one of the most powerful people in Washington. Here's a look at her life and career through the years:

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Before she married Bill Clinton, she was Hillary Rodham. Here, Rodham talks about student protests in 1969, which she supported in her commencement speech at Wellesley College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Rodham, center, a lawyer for the Rodino Committee, and John Doar, left, chief counsel for the committee, bring impeachment charges against President Richard Nixon in the Judiciary Committee hearing room at the U.S. Capitol in 1974.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton helps first lady Rosalynn Carter on a campaign swing through Arkansas in June 1979. Also seen in the photo is Hillary Clinton, center background.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Bill Clinton embraces his wife shortly after a stage light fell near her on January 26, 1992. They talk to Don Hewitt, producer of the CBS show "60 Minutes."

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight With Hillary, Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton waves to the crowd at his victory party after winning the Illinois primary on March 17, 1992.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Al Gore, Tipper Gore, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton wave to supporters at the Chautauqua Institution in Chautauqua, New York, after they gave speeches on family values on August 23, 1992.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Clinton gestures at a campaign rally November 3, 1992, in Denver. After taking office, President Clinton chose his wife to head a special commission on health care reform, the most significant public policy initiative of his first year in office.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Bill and Hillary Clinton have a laugh together on Capitol Hill in 1993.

Hillary Clinton's career in the spotlight Clinton pours herself a cup of tea in 1993 while testifying to the Senate Education and Labor Committee about health care reform.

Read the rest here:
One month without a Hillary Clinton headliner

The Clinton 2016 camp is growing.

John Podesta, a senior White House adviser for President Obama, will step down from his post next month to serve in a senior role in Hillary Clinton's likely 2016 presidential bid, the Wall Street Journal first reported Tuesday.

Mr. Podesta, who served as Chief of Staff in former President Bill Clinton's second term, would likely take on the role of a campaign manager, according to reports, sending signals about Clinton's nascent campaign.

In Democratic circles, Podesta is a heavyweight.

"Few figures in the Democratic Party constellation carry as much intellectual heft as Mr Podesta," concluded the UK's Independent.

After serving under Mr. Clinton, he founded the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington, DC. The Obama administration brought him on as a special counselor to the President about a year ago to help reinvigorate Mr. Obama's political fortunes.

Podesta has counseled Obama in both foreign and domestic policy, advising him on matters including Ebola, immigration, and climate change. He was the surprise force behind negotiations with the Chinese government aimed at reducing greenhouse-gas emissions.

He is, as Politico once put it, "the quintessential Washington wise man."

Which is why Clinton is bringing him on her team.

And a Podesta hire sends clear signals.

Visit link:
John Podesta joins Clinton campaign: What that means for Hillary 2016 (+video)

It was Jeb Bush who kicked everything off.

As soon as the former Florida governor and establishment hopeful began making overt moves towards a presidential candidacy, all the other potential candidates naive timetables for casual late-spring/summer announcements jumped up a few months. Mitt Romney went from nowheresville to Please please please dont forget about me, rich donor people! overnight. Rep. Paul Ryan decided hed be better off attending to his duties as Ways and Means chairman after Romney made his intentions clear.Chris Christie, for whom there may not be enough space left, is nevertheless moving forward with the preparation of money receptacles.

Over in the Real Conservative/Evangelical bracket, Mike Huckabee quit his Fox News show in preparation for a run centered around insultingBeyonc.The 2012 GOP presidential primary runner-up, ex-Sen. Rick Santorum, is ready to go, dismissing his rivals in the nutcase corner as bomb-throwers.Rand Paul is putting things together, as is Ted Cruz.Scott Walker, Rick Perry, John Kasich, Mike Pence, Bobby Jindal, Ben Carson (go Ben!) and approximately 6,534 other candidates that I cant think of right now have yet to make their decisions. Marco Rubio yes.Theres a cattle call in Iowa next weekend, hosted by Rep. Steve King. Its all happening.

Do you notice something similar about all of the candidates above? Theyre all dudes correct. But theyre also all Republicans. This general rundown of presidential candidate news was not intended to focus solely on the Republican side; it was supposed to encompass all the movements on each side. And it does. Its just that there is nothing happening on the Democratic side.

Well, maybe there is one thing.And it speaks volumes to the lack of drama in the 2016 Democratic presidential nominating contest that this one thing, this extraordinarily tiny development, could put an end to the possibility of any drama arising on the Democratic side through the presidential primary season. It is this two-line bit of dialogue from a new Fortune magazine Q&A:

[FORTUNE:] So are you going to run for President?

[ELIZABETH WARREN:] No.

There it is, everyone! The last twinkle of drama and serious doubt about the outcome of the Democratic presidential nominating process disappeared when Sen. Elizabeth Warren offered a flat no to a future-tense query about whether she will run for president. Previously she had kept her responses to the present tense I am not running leaving the window cracked open one tenth of an inch that she wouldbe running in the future. Now we have:

[FORTUNE:] So are you going to run for President?

[ELIZABETH WARREN:] No.

Read more:
Elizabeth Warrens big no: Is the field clear for Hillary Clinton?