Canadian Embassy DENIES report about Obama and Nafta

[jezebel]

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2008/02/canadian-embass.html#comments
Canadian Embassy on Obama Staffer Downplaying NAFTA Rhetoric Report: 'It Didn't Happen'
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Share 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."

During a debate in Ohio this week, where NAFTA is blamed for job losses, both Obama and Clinton said that as president, they would opt out of the trade deal unless it could be renegotiated.

Late Wednesday when asked about the CTV report, Obama's campaign spokesperson didn’t deny contact had been made, but said the warning sounded implausible.

"Senator Obama does not make promises he doesn't intend to keep," Obama spokesperson Robert Gibbs told ABC News.

The Canadian embassy is proactively reaching out to the campaigns "all the time," Norton said, to try to meet with aides who might form the foreign and economic policy teams of any future administration.

"We talk about the whole range of Canada-U.S. issues which we think it's critically important that the presidential candidates be aware of including the number of jobs that depend in the United States on Canada-U.S. trade."

[Alter Ego]

1. I kinda figured.

[MadBadger]

2. I'm done with Canada.

[Cant trust em]

3. So I guess American media is biased against Clinton,

and Canadian media is biased against Obama

[DUyellow]

4. Doesn't count

[GoldieAZ49]

5. I hope this is true, because the seeds of doubts have been planted

Late Wednesday when asked about the CTV report, Obama's campaign spokesperson didn’t deny contact had been made, but said the warning sounded implausible.

doesn't make sense, at this point, at least not until he is the nominee.

[TwilightGardener]

6. It didn't sound right.

[City Lights]

7. K&R.

Thanks for posting this.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

8. That is a legitimate denial, so I'll accept that

[Coexist]

9. ....

[Coexist]

13. kick

[leftofcool]

10. I will accept this

as a legitimate denial. Was just waiting on it.

Left of Cool

[OhioChick]

11. I Figured This Story Was BS.

K&R
:kick:

[Marie26]

12. So where's Obama's denial? nt

[FrenchieCat]

14. no, he didn't beat his wife........

and no, he doesn't need to write you a denial. :eyes: