Obama Campaign Alumni Form New Astroturf Group to Promote TPP

Obama campaign alumni Mitch Stewart, the Battleground States Director for Obama's 2012 re-election campaign, and Lydia Tran, the former National Press Secretary for Organizing for America, just launched a new astroturf campaign to promote the fast-track authority and the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Their efforts will focus on Oregon and Washington at first because they are both export-heavy states--and because Ron Wyden (D-OR) is the top Democrat on the Senate Finance Committee.

Their firm, 270 Strategies, is the Democratic-aligned PR firm behind Democrat-in-name-only Ro Khanna's congressional campaign against Mike Honda (CA-17) and Educators for Excellence, a Gates-funded front group that advocates against teacher tenure and for teacher evaluation systems that rely on the use of standardized test scores.

Here is their press release, written in Newspeak:

Congress set to debate concrete measures for strengthening the American economy this year, the Progressive Coalition for American Jobs (PCAJ) is launching today to pave the way to trade promotion authority for President Obama and to help pass the Trans-Pacific Partnership. PCAJ is kicking things off with a significant digital advertising effort in Oregon and Washington State and will expand to other key states in weeks to come.

PCAJ will bring together progressive voices across the activist, advocacy, and business communities to share information about the benefits of this groundbreaking trade agreement—which is expected to support hundreds of thousands of new jobs in the United States.

Mitch Stewart, Battleground States Director for the 2012 Obama for America Campaign, and his fellow partner at 270 Strategies Lydia Tran, are coordinating the public launch and will provide strategic counsel for the coalition.

“Put simply, this is about ensuring America is competitive in the global economy, about expanding the market for ‘Made in America’ goods, about leveling the playing field to protect American workers and jobs,’ said Stewart. “We know that 95 percent of the world’s markets are beyond our borders—and that every $1 billion in exports supports between 5,200 and 7,000 jobs here at home. The Trans-Pacific Partnership will strengthen our economy while allowing us to determine the rules for engagement, instead of letting China and others set weaker policies in the fastest-growing markets in the world.”  

“It’s time for a modern take on the global economy—we absolutely can have trade that is both free and fair,” said Tran. Giving trade promotion authority to the President and enacting the Trans-Pacific Partnership has the potential to do more to advance progressive ideals and values around the world than any other trade agreement in history. The TPP will move us forward while setting incredibly tough rules on wages, workplace safety, and the environment.”

PCAJ is the first major effort by Democrats to shore up support for the Trans-Pacific Partnership and will employ digital, grassroots, and grasstops organizing—as well as comprehensive communications strategies—to make the progressive case for free and fair trade.

The Progressive Coalition for American Jobs wants to progressively outsource American jobs.