NAFTA Rhetoric? 'It Didn't Happen'

[OhioChick]

Source: ABC News

February 28, 2008 12:09 PM

ABC News' Jennifer Parker Reports: A senior Canadian Embassy official in Washington, D.C. disputes a report by the CTV Canadian television network that an Obama campaign staffer telephoned Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States, to reassure him that campaign rhetoric against NAFTA should not be taken seriously.

"It didn't happen," said Roy Norton, who heads up the congressional, public and intergovernmental affairs portfolio for the Canadian embassy.

Norton said none of the three campaigns for Sen. Barack Obama, Sen. Hillary Clinton, or Sen. John McCain have contacted the embassy.

"Neither before the Ohio debate nor since has any of the U.S. presidential campaigns called Ambassador Wilson or the Canadian embassy to raise NAFTA," he said.

CTV reported last night that two unnamed Canadian sources said a "senior member" of Obama's campaign team called Wilson in the last month to warn him that Obama would be ratcheting up rhetoric against the North American Free Trade Agreement, but that he should "not be worried about what Obama says about NAFTA" and "Its just campaign rhetoric...Its not serious."




Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/canadian-embass.html

---

But who cares about the truth?

Courtesy of Babylonsister. Great Find.

[OhioChick]

1. Obama Camp Calls Canadian TV Report "Inaccurate"

Obama Camp Calls Canadian TV Report "Inaccurate"
By Greg Sargent - February 28, 2008, 11:32AM

The Obama campaign has formally responded to the report on Canadian TV saying that a Canadian official claims a senior Obama person privately told him that Obama's anti-NAFTA talk on the stump was just "campaign rhetoric."

From Obama spokesperson Bill Burton:

“The news reports on Obama's position on NAFTA are inaccurate and in no way represent Senator Obama’s consistent position on trade. When Senator Obama says that he will forcefully act to make NAFTA a better deal for American workers, he means it. Both Canada and Mexico should know that, as president, Barack Obama will do what it takes to create and protect American jobs and strengthen the American economy -- that includes amending NAFTA to include labor and environmental standards. We are currently reaching out to the Canadian embassy to correct this inaccuracy."

It will be interesting to see whether the Ohio press -- not to mention the big news orgs -- run with the story despite the denial.

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/02/obama_denies_canadian_report_a.php

Again, Courtesy of Babylonsister. :toast:

[madmom]

2. Just like they run with the story about the Obama pic, dispite the denial

[mac2]

6. Of course they did

Obama voted for the Peru Trade Agreement, etc. He's a globalist. I believe that "whistle blower".

He also gave that "terrorist fear" speech on CSPAN2. I don't care if it is a real concern of his...he spread fear. I don't think what our government tells us is even the truth about 911 and who did it. Why does he? He was on the Intelligence Committee.

As of recently my CSPAN2 Comcast network (Senate) is off my cable TV. Imagine that just prior to the election?

[ChromeFoundry]

3. Figured it was a BS story to begin with.

Recommended

[madrchsod]

4. so who planted the story?

[OhioChick]

18. Makes One Wonder..... n/t

[denverbill]

5. I would assume someone at CTV will be 'Dan Rathered' for this.

Or at minimum, be required to divulge his 'sources'.

[liberalnurse]

7. I am hearing this too.

This is what I found.......



Barack Obama has ratcheted up his attacks on NAFTA, but a senior member of his campaign team told a Canadian official not to take his criticisms seriously, CTV News has learned.

Watch the Video here. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAJYMgX4JuU)

[axordil]

12. You've got them confused, sorry

The report from "unnamed sources" you quote is effectively and categorically denied by the official Canadian embassy spokesperson, as the OP states. No one from the campaigns of Obama nor of Clinton (nor of McCain for what it's worth) contacted anyone in the embassy, including the Ambassador.

[liberalnurse]

15. It's from the Canadian News Network. It certainly is serious .

Nothing is wrong with this story....they researched their sources...loud and clear, they said "Ambassador Michael Wilson" was contacted by the Obama Campaign to issue the heads-up/ wink-wink warning.,.

This is what I am reading too........


Barack Obama has ratcheted up his attacks on NAFTA, but a senior member of his campaign team told a Canadian official not to take his criticisms seriously, CTV News has learned.

Both Obama and Hillary Clinton have been critical of the long-standing North American Free Trade Agreement over the course of the Democratic primaries, saying that the deal has cost U.S. workers' jobs.

Within the last month, a top staff member for Obama's campaign telephoned Michael Wilson, Canada's ambassador to the United States, and warned him that Obama would speak out against NAFTA, according to Canadian source.

[axordil]

16. You keep repeating that as if it will magically change the facts

The facts being, in this case, that the Canadian embassy is calling the story a lie. Not a campaign shill for anyone, but the official spokesperson for the Ambassador and his staff.

So you have a story based on "unnamed sources" being denied by an official spokesman who isn't on anyone's payroll or anyone's side. If that's not enough to dissuade you, then nothing will.

[ConcernedCanuk]

19. Our "Canadian Embassy" as you emphasize is just made up of, umm - PEOPLE!

.
.
.

Thanks to another DUer who pointed out their surprise on my ignorance of OUR Ambassador - I researched him.

In a very short period, I have put him into my "Do Not Trust Bin".

I'm a proud Canadian, but not blind to the fact that we have had, and still do have more than a few bad apples in our political basket.

I won't make you do the hours of research I did

- but among other things, the fact that Harper appointed him, displacing the Ambassador we had in place didn't impress me,

But I think the fact that Michael Wilson was close to Bush 1 AND his advisers sent my alarm bells off

But probably was wee tid-bit of his "resume" that excited our Stevie boy.

So I don't take as gospel anything just becomes from "Our Embassy" or our Government for that matter.

In my mind, it is quite conceivable that everything CTV said is true -

Obama, Clinton, NO-ONE can REALLY know if any of their staffer's leaked anything.

Harper got our Nuclear Watchdog Commission president demoted BECAUSE SHE WENT BY THE RULES

I don't trust Harper, and so I won't trust his appointees Especially when they get under pressure.

Harper is OUR Bush - King of the mountain, "the decider".

Harper replaces staff constantly.

It's his way, or the highway.

[superconnected]

22. Uh that spokes person is on the payroll for the ambassador.

Let's not be so gullible here.

Obama has big backing, and it likely is nafta. What he and hillary are omitting to say - that they will turn back the nafta trade policies, points to them being supporters and not opponets of nafta.

The little hillary and obama have said is harmless to nafta. It's rhetoric about bringing jobs back to america that they stated in factory communities while campaigning for votes in them. They did not state how they would bring back jobs and they were careful not accuse foreign labor and h1 visas for the job loss. Even McCain will address jobs going over seas and foreign labor, but not those two. They pretended those issues don't exist.

Nafta is a HUGE sleasy conglomerate of corporations. You're suggesting we "trust" a spokes person for them. They got where they are by buying politicians.

Hillary and Obama are NOT saying the right things. I think it's very obvious that we can not trust them either now.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

8. The CTV report was the last thing I read before calling it a day yesterday

I figured it wasn't true. It was completely outside the norm of the Obama campaign and it's candidate. But I thought if it was true, that would mean the end of the Obama run.

Lesson? Prepare for more.

[Bragi]

11. CTV is quite right wing

That news may not surprise anyone.

- B

[NikolaC]

17. Yes

The truth is that CTV and Global News lean heavily to right. I wonder whether they even investigated the story a little more before airing it.

[superconnected]

23. How is it outside the norm for him?

This is right up obamas alley, and hillary's.

[philly_bob]

9. Not sure whether NAFTA failed because of Bush...

or because globalization is a bad idea.

I mean, we don't say that a federal emergency office is a bad idea because Bush so badly handled Katrina.

Bush style globalization certainly did NOT work, witness offsourcing of jobs, drop in dollar, loss
of manufacturing capacity, reduction in workforce skill sets due to decline in public education, government nonenforcement of workforce visa requirements. You know, the whole "jobs that American won't do" mindset.

Could NAFTA have worked under Hypothetical President Gore?

I honestly don't know.

[acmavm]

10. Interesting. I wonder what the truth is. Maybe, just maybe Barrie

should be given the benefit of the doubt on THIS one.

Maybe.

[BigD_95]

13. Im sure

Hillary was behind this

[axordil]

14. I'm not

And I'm an Obama guy.

I think it more likely, given that both Clinton and Obama were mentioned in the initial report, that someone sympathetic to the GOP planted the story.

[CHIMO]

20. It Didn't Happen

He disputes it.

They haven't contacted the embassy.

Please read and parse everything for what is stated.

[superconnected]

21. Like they'd admit it if it did happen.

[donheld]

24. Wonderful K & R