If those 15 Democrats had voted "no" on CAFTA.............

[Old and In the Way]

Does anyone think that the Republicans would have found 15 more Republican "yes" votes?

Republicans like to fuck with our heads. They got it passed, but they wanted to make sure they created an illusion that the Democrats could have won it. Just for us.

[Erika]

1. This was a Bush bill n/t

[sojourner]

2. Oh god they COULD be that damned devious. But are they?

How would we know whether the ones who voted against it were really "for" it but were part of a "feint" for democratic constituency?

[ispeculate]

3. Of course, they couldve gotten those 15 and if they really had to they

could have pried up a couple more dem votes too.

Only a fool plays a game that he cannot possibly win and thats what we are doing.

[tritsofme]

4. This is how free trade bills have worked in the House for the past 15

years or so.

The GOP leadership releases some of their membership to vote against free trade agreements, because they know there will be enough Vichy Democrats to make up the difference.

[Don1]

5. This is not about Dems versus Repubs.

It is about corporations versus the people. The corporations got their votes from the Repubs not Bush. They also got their votes from the DLC. If the corporations really wanted to, they could have gotten all DLC and all Repubs to vote for CAFTA. BUT that would make the people upset...so they got just enough votes not to get the people too upset with their politicians.

So, yes, there is an illusion that the Democrats could have won...just not for the reasons that you think.

[Old and In the Way]

6. We know there are at least 15 pro-corporate Democrats.

But we only think there may be 15 pro-people Republicans. By all means, we should target those Dems in the primaries....but we need target all Republicans in the general election.

[anitar1]

7. They are bought and paid for. Creatures of the

corporations. Sirota had a couple of articles about it today. Same traitors over and over again.

[AmericanLiberal]

8. Those 15 "Dems" are out

They might as well join the GOP

[JohnnyRingo]

9. If the republicans hadn't snagged enough votes to pass it....

...They would STILL be there, postponing the vote until they strongarmed or bribed more Repubs to achieve the goal.

That's how they work.

[Disturbed]

10. Amerika has been an Oligarchy for many years.

Amerika is now a full fledged Corporate state.

Multi-Corps are the wave of the future and Amerika will have a shrinking Middle Class. The ranks of the Working Poor will mushroom.

[elperromagico]

11. Close only counts in horseshoes.

Whether they won it by 500 votes or five votes, they won it.

The damage is done.

[ulysses]

12. maybe they would have,

but those fifteen of ours still voted for a BAD bill.

[IndianaGreen]

13. Those Democrats condemned HIV/AIDS victims to death!

CAFTA is a death sentence for people with HIV/AIDS. If passed by Congress, The Central American Free Trade Agreement would make it much harder for the 275,000 HIV-infected people in the region to get access to the medicines they need to live. Thousands of lives are at stake.

“The situation for access to medicines in Guatemala is awful, it is terrible. Regarding HIV/AIDS, there are approximately 1,500 people receiving antiretroviral treatment in Guatemala at present, MSF is treating almost one-third of them. We buy quality generics. If there is any compromise on the possibility of buying such generics, then it will become almost impossible to treat HIV/AIDS patients in Guatemala. If only originator ‘brand-name’ drugs are available to treat HIV/AIDS, virtually no patients will receive treatment.”

Luis Villa, Médecins Sans Frontiéres
head of mission in Guatemala,

From a moral perspective, it is clear that CAFTA fails John Paul II’s test that those who can intervene to safeguard the dignity of the person must do so. Instead, CAFTA intervenes to preserve the profits of pharmaceuticals, at the expense of human life itself.


“YOU CANNOT SERVE GOD AND WEALTH.” – Matthew, 6: 24

CAFTA IS A RIGHT TO LIFE ISSUE.


www.catholicsforfaithfulcitizenship.org