I wonder how many people have heard about the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Not many, I suspect, and that wouldn’t be surprising. Just as has been the case in pushing “free” trade agreements in the past, President Barack Obamaa is trying to get “fast track” authority from the Congress that would limit debate and amendments, and keep the bill’s troubling contents away from our prying eyes.

According to Wikipedia, the president’s push for this authority has “drawn criticism and protest from the public, advocacy groups and elected officials, in part due to the secrecy of the negotiations, the expansive scope of the agreement, and controversial clauses in drafts leaked to the public.”

Why on Earth does the American public have to get its information about what its government is doing through “leaks”? We can rest assured that the corporations that will gain from another “free” trade agreement don’t have to get their information from “leaks.” In fact, it’s likely that they’ve written much of this “agreement.”

The money in Washington creates a stench that continues to poison the fantasy of living in a democracy. American citizens have to get off their butts and stop electing anyone, at any level of government, who won’t pledge to make removing money from politics a top priority. Then, and only then, is there any possibility of putting the brakes on the rapid redistribution of benefits from our resources, labor and wealth toward the top 1 percent.

Chris WrightSolon