Obama Lobbied Corporate Leaders to 'Say Positive Things' About TPP Trade Deal

By Paul Gottinger and Ken Klippenstein, Reader Supported News

11 June 15

he White House invited senior members of the Sony Corporation to make statements in favor of the controversial Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, according to an internal Sony email published by Wikileaks. The email, sent by Sony’s executive vice president Keith Weaver to its CEO and other executives, mentions a “meeting with Froman [Obama’s trade representative, Michael Froman] and your peers at the White House last year.” The email then alludes to President Obama’s apparent efforts to lobby the business sector to make statements in support of the TPP: “the President/Froman want key industries saying positive things about the [TPP’s] benefits.”

The email seems to suggest that Obama asked the heads of powerful corporations, like Sony, to help him sell the TPP to the American public. In May, Obama made a highly televised speech from the headquarters of Nike, where he pitched the supposed benefits of the TPP to Americans. At the same event, Nike announced it would create 10,000 jobs in the US if the TPP passed.

Many of the leaked Sony emails demonstrate that leaders of Sony were in communication or on friendly terms with a number of influential Democratic senators, Congressional representatives, US ambassadors and even President Obama.

Another email published by Wikileaks shows journalist Jonathan Alter, who has written two books about Obama, telling the CEO of Sony about the president’s fondness for him: “At White House Xmas party, gene Sperling [Obama’s assistant for Economic Policy] said the president really likes you.And He was telling me how much he dreaded calling you on SOPA.” SOPA, short for “Stop Online Piracy Act,” was a controversial bill that would have curtailed Internet freedoms. Following widespread protest, SOPA failed to pass.

Like SOPA, the TPP is no stranger to widespread opposition, with many of the world’s most respected organizations, from the AARP to Amnesty International, voicing disapproval. The AARP (American Association of Retired Persons), along with Doctors Without Borders, criticized the TPP’s “emphasis on drug industry priorities at the expense of consumer and patient needs.” Doctors Without Borders went a step further, with the organization’s US Access Campaign manager, Judit Ruis Sanjuan, stating, “Make no mistake, in terms of health, the TPP remains the most damaging trade agreement we’ve ever seen.” Ms. Sanjuan also warned that the trade deal will disproportionately impact the poor in the countries negotiating the TPP. “This is a massive, far-reaching trade deal that is putting lives at stake,” she said.

Amnesty International shared these concerns about the TPP’s impact on public health, stating, “No one has the right to trade away our hard-fought legal protections for free speech and the right to health, and much less to do it behind closed doors.”

The TPP’s effect on the environment is also a cause for concern, drawing criticism from environmental groups like the Sierra Club and 350.org. As the Sierra Club warned, “the TPP could lead to increased stress on natural resources and species including trees, fish, and wildlife.” Sierra Club also noted, “The TPP may allow for significantly increased exports of liquefied natural gas without the careful study or adequate protections necessary to safeguard the American public. This would mean an increase of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.”

350.org had even harsher words: “This bill is a climate disaster, and amounts to nothing more than a taxpayer-funded handout to corporations. We’ve seen leaked text showing that TPP would allow fossil fuel companies like Exxon to sue any member country that dares to act on climate, and hold up any law or regulation that hurts their bottom line.”

The ACLU also condemned the TPP on freedom of speech and privacy grounds, stating, “We are concerned that an overly broad policy to crackdown on copyright infringement would allow for the takedown of non-infringing content as well, in violation of the First Amendment, which was the same concern presented by SOPA and PIPA. We also have strong concerns over any provision that would create legal incentives for ISPs to step up surveillance of Internet communications in search of suspected copyright infringement, which would potentially endanger the privacy of users.”

A vote on giving President Obama “fast track” authority, whereby he can bypass Congress in negotiating the terms of the TPP, is set for tomorrow in the House. The authority has already passed in the Senate.

After much lobbying from the White House, the bill seems poised to pass in the House. Nineteen Democrats have said they are leaning toward voting for “fast-track,” while only 30 Republicans have stated they will vote against it.

Paul Gottinger is a staff journalist at RSN whose work focuses on the Middle East and the arms industry. He can be reached on Twitter @paulgottinger or via email.

Ken Klippenstein is a staff journalist at Reader Supported News. He can be reached on Twitter @kenklippenstein or email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

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