--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Now Barack Obama, who campaigned for…" description: "\"Now Barack Obama, who campaigned for transparency, is the President defending secret negotiations on new trade agreements that are largely being writte..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bill-moyers-2625_agreement_now-barack-obama-who-campaigned-for-tran_687309.jpg" --- # Now Barack Obama, who campaigned for transparency, is the… ![“Now Barack Obama, who campaigned for transparency, is the President defending secret negotiations on new trade agreements that are largely being written by corporate lawyers and lobbyists. He would give corporations the key to the treasury while he gets the authority to fast track another…” quote by Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bill-moyers-2625_agreement_now-barack-obama-who-campaigned-for-tran_687309.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bill-moyers-2625_agreement_now-barack-obama-who-campaigned-for-tran_687309.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51b/bill-moyers-2625_agreement_now-barack-obama-who-campaigned-for-tran_687309.jpg) > “Now Barack Obama, who campaigned for transparency, is the President defending secret negotiations on new trade agreements that are largely being written by corporate lawyers and lobbyists. He would give corporations the key to the treasury while he gets the authority to fast track another hammering of working people and the environment. Yet the only people who get a real tongue-lashing from this President's White House are progressives around town who dare to call him on the carpet for abandoning his promises.” [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker criticizes perceived hypocrisy in a leader’s shift from transparency to secretive deals benefiting corporations over people and environment. **In simple terms:** Criticizing a leader’s broken promises and corporate favoritism. Key Takeaway Hold leaders accountable for broken promises. Themes politics transparency corporate influence Mood concerned urgent Type political critical When to use this quote - voter education - activism - policy reform Key Concepts hypocrisy policy environmental impact Questions to Reflect On - How can citizens demand transparency? - What alternatives exist to corporate‑driven policy? A Different Perspective Complex issues may involve nuanced trade‑offs beyond simple good vs. evil. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Agreement](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agreement/) [Authority](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/authority/) [Corporate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate/) [Corporations](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporations/) [Environment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/environment/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Lawyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lawyer/) [Lobbyists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lobbyists/) [Negotiation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/negotiation/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [President](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/president/) [Promise](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/promise/) [Secret](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/secret/) [Trade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade/) [Trade agreements](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trade-agreements/) [Transparency](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/transparency/) [White house](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/white-house/) [Working people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/working-people/) ## Related quotes > [President Barack Obama campaigned on a promise to stop endless wars. The military-industrial complex had other ideas, including launching an invasion of Libya and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mollie-hemingway/president-barack-obama-campaigned-on-a-promise-to-stop-endless-wars/) [Mollie Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mollie-hemingway/) > [We expect candor and transparency from the president, from the administration.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitt-romney/we-expect-candor-and-transparency-from-the-president-from-the/) [Mitt Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitt-romney/) > [Despite a campaign that was based on a very powerful promise of transparency, President Obama, and again in my view quite correctly, has used…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hayden/despite-a-campaign-that-was-based-on-a-very-powerful-promise-of/) [Michael Hayden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hayden/) > [Using the greatest business people in the world, which America has, I am going to turn our bad trade agreements into great trade agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/using-the-greatest-business-people-in-the-world-which-america-has-i/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [Now then, if we were to go the lowest road and plaster my face on the bottle of oil and vinegar dressing just to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-newman/now-then-if-we-were-to-go-the-lowest-road-and-plaster-my-face-on-the/) [Paul Newman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-newman/) > [In May 2007, congressional Democrats and the Bush administration agreed to a plan to include environmental and international labor standards in upcoming trade agreements.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nina-easton/in-may-2007-congressional-democrats-and-the-bush-administration/) [Nina Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nina-easton/) > [We're a trading nation. 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This is a lesson we learned…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-boustany/our-engagement-through-international-economics-trade-these-trade/) [Charles Boustany](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-boustany/) ## More by Bill Moyers > [If the watchdog doesn't bark, how do you know there's a burglar in the basement? And the press is supposed to be a watchdog.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/if-the-watchdog-doesn-t-bark-how-do-you-know-there-s-a-burglar-in-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [David Rockefeller is the most conspicuous representative today of the ruling class, a multinational fraternity of men who shape the global economy and manage…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/david-rockefeller-is-the-most-conspicuous-representative-today-of-the/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [They're counting on your patriotism to distract you from their plunder. 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You hope it matters to let a little more truth loose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/it-s-very-difficult-to-measure-the-impact-on-policy-of-any/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Democracy works when people claim it as their own](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/democracy-works-when-people-claim-it-as-their-own/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Sure enough, as merger has followed merger, journalism has been driven further down the hierarchy of values in the huge conglomerates that dominate what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/sure-enough-as-merger-has-followed-merger-journalism-has-been-driven/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [Unless you're willing to fight and refight the same battles until you go blue in the face, drive the people you work with nuts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/unless-you-re-willing-to-fight-and-refight-the-same-battles-until-you/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [This is the first time in my 32 years in public broadcasting that PBS has ordered up programs for ideological instead of journalistic reasons.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/this-is-the-first-time-in-my-32-years-in-public-broadcasting-that-pbs/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [If being tolerant of differing opinions, if believing that America has to make it as a pluralistic nation, if being civil, if that makes…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-moyers/if-being-tolerant-of-differing-opinions-if-believing-that-america-has/) [Bill Moyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-moyers/) > [“Civilization is but a thin veneer stretched across the passions of the human heart. 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