The debate about tobacco and the TPP is spreading out of the back room: Wash Post, SF Supervisor, and Senator Brown weigh in

In my experience Big Tobacco usually wins when the policy discussion is out of sight, in behind-the-scenes backroom negotiations.  And that is certainly where the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations have been happening.

Things started to change a couple weeks ago when the  Sacramento Bee  critized Obama for backing down on his already-tepid attempt to protect tobacco regulations from Big Tobacco.  Things accelerated substantially when the New York Times published an op-ed by NY Mayor Bloomberg crititizing Obama's back down, followed by a strong New York Times editorial supporting Malaysia's tobacco carve out from the TPP (and citicisim Obama for not supporting Malaysia).

Now the Washington Post has taken a similar position.  And yesterday, the San Francisco Chronicle published a thoughtful op-ed by San Francisco Supervisor (the local legislature) Eric Mar on how the TPP could help tobacco companies fight state and local tobacco control policies.

Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) also gave a strong speech on the Senate floor on the issue.  (It was Brown announcing his opposition to Larry Summers that helped sink Obama's ill-conceived plan to appoint Summers to head the Federal Reserve.)

The national health organizations, which have been working this issue, should activate their state and local affiliates to generate more press and editorial attention to the TPP and press President Obama to simply endorse the Malaysian proposal to carve tobacco out of the TPP.