Yesterday, Canadian TV reported that an advisor to Obama and (a little more loosely) a Clinton contact had assured the Canadian embassy that all the NAFTA-bashing in Ohio was just campaign hoo-ha. Obama and Clinton both denied it, as did the Canadian embassy.
Today, a revision: CTV reports that the Obama contact involved economic advisor Austin Goolsbee and the Canadian consul's office in Chicago.
It reported that there was a "conversation on this matter." Clinton spokesman Howard Wolfson today demanded answers: Has Austin Goolsbee had "any contact" with the consul's office saying Obama's stance was insincere?
Obama's campaign: "This story is not true. There was no one at any level of our campaign, at any point, anywhere, who said or otherwise implied Obama was backing away from his consistent position on trade."
Goolsbee denies it too: “It is a totally inaccurate story. I did not call these people and I direct you to the press office.”
Comments (4)
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Except now there is a memo and the AP has the sory. Gollsbee did meet with the Canadian Government. Burton and Goolsbee liar liar pants on fire.
I think the critical part of this story is not so much what the candidate's positions are on NAFTA, but instead about Obama's campaign saying one thing in public and another thing behind closed doors. Obama's campaign is largely based on how he will transcend beyond "politics as usual" and will lead instead with hope, honesty and inspiration. Obama claims his strong suit is his ability to unite people with straight talk and exercise good judgment in spite of what is convenient within the realm of political positioning. If Obama's platform is true, this closed door meeting between Obama's top economic advisor Austan Goolsbee and Canadian officials is in direct contradiction with his primary campaign rhetoric. This meeting sounds like the usual political game playing that happens behind the scenes and he's certainly not being a straight shooter to the American public. Both Obama and Clinton believe in globalization and free trade (both are far from being protectionists). They also agree that NAFTA has not been favorable to certain parts of America, particularly in places like Ohio where thousands of manufacturing jobs have been lost. The Canadian memo has no reason to embellish or misconstrue what was said in the meeting with Goolsbee. The American public and media has been so enthralled with Obama's speeches that they are not realizing that although inspirational, Obama is still a politician and is not always doing what is "right"- he is doing what is convenient. It is worse that something like this would happen in Obama's campaign compared to any other candidate because it seems that his whole campaign is based on his holier than now rock star image.
I think it's just another example of how easily American's are duped and how lazy they are about investigating their candidates. Both Obama and Clinton are members of the Council on Foreign Relations (so is McCain). It's a globalist organization, it supports and espouses the benefits of so called "free trade" which is doublespeak because it's anything but free, it's managed trade. Trade managed by multi-national corporations and multi-national organizations.
The only candidate Democratic or Republican who actually says he will pull out of all of the lopsided screw the American worker trade deals and organizations is Ron Paul.
Hillary's representatives also spoke to the Canadians to give the same assurances. The fact that there hasn't been a memo produced is probably because the Canadians would prefer Hillary over Obama since Bill was instrumental in shoving NAFTA down our American throats.
Wake up sheeple! Youtube and watch from Freedom to Facism. Google Alberta Canada and NAFTA Super Highway, North American Union. The Council on Foreign Relations is all for it.