http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/obama-butters-up-labor-because-theyre-about-to-lose-on-trade-116121.html?hp=rc4_4Obama butters up labor — because they're about to lose on trade
Unions aren’t happy the president is going to cut a deal with Republicans on fast-track authority.
By David Nather
3/17/15 5:37 AM EDT
Updated 3/17/15 5:37 AM EDT
If you think President Barack Obama has been going out of his way recently to say nice things about unions, you’re not wrong.
The timing isn’t a coincidence: He’s about to have a fight with them over trade, which the labor groups are going to lose.
Obama wants to smooth over the bad feelings as much as possible. So the White House is looking for every opportunity it can find for Obama to emphasize the issues where they’re on the same page – including Obama’s statement smacking Scott Walker around last week, his frequent reminders of the importance of unions, and his speeches that call for stronger labor laws.
The goal: Remind labor groups about all the issues they have in common, even though Obama is going to try to cut a deal with Republicans on fast-track trade authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which unions vehemently oppose.
“When you know you’re about to have friction on one issue, it’s only right to remind them about all the other issues you agree on. It’s the smart thing to do,” said one White House official.
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http://www.politico.com/story/2015/03/obama-butters-up-labor-because-theyre-about-to-lose-on-trade-116121.html#ixzz3UeNhynqh
