Breaking Proof: Bill Clinton Backed Columbian Trade Deal

[Bigleaf]

Courtesy of a Dailykos Diary Entry:

"We need your help to expedite the signing of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the EU is very important to give a clear signal of what the relations between the two countries should be," President Alvaro Uribe said yesterday to the former president of the EU Bill Clinton, during Expogestion 2005.

"I will raise your point when you return to the United States," Clinton replied. "I am in favor of the free trade agreement and it is my hope that we will find the right formula to reach the agreement."

The story also reports that Clinton received a two-minute standing ovation after "applauding Colombia's perserverence for the progress made in the Free Trade Agreement negotiations with the United States."

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/4/8/155951/7982/918/492329

and found in the comments below the diary(transcribed from Spanish link below):

"I don't agree with all the positions adopted by the U.S. in these negotiations, and if I were you I'd try to reach a good agreement, and if I had to wait six more months, or after the 2006 elections, it wouldn't matter..."

"All I can say is that it would be a big mistake for the US not to reach a free trade agreement with the Andean countries... so I say, try to do it, but if you can't do it this year, don't throw in the towel -- think 'it's not the best time, but we're moving in the right direction and we're going to keep working until we get there."

http://www.lanacionlatina.com/index.php?idcategoria=746

And as an added Bonus of this same comment section, you get Hillary's Top 10 Whoppers

1. Claimed she had to avoid sniper fire in Bosnia
CBS Exposes Hillary Clinton Bosnia Trip - CBS
http://www.youtube.com/...

2. Claimed she opposed NAFTA
Hillary Clinton's NAFTA Story Exposed - MSNBC
http://www.youtube.com/...

3. Claimed she opposed war in Iraq before Obama
In Oregon, Clinton Makes False Claim About Her Iraq Record Vs. Obama's
http://blogs.abcnews.com/...

4. Claimed she "was instrumental" in negotiating peace in Ireland
Hillary's Just Making It Up As She Goes Along
http://www.bloomberg.com/...

5. Claimed she helped Kosovo refugees escape to Macedonia
Hillary's Just Making It Up As She Goes Along
http://www.bloomberg.com/...

6. Claimed she created SCHIP
Obama Camp's Response: Bosnia, SCHIP, FMLA
http://time-blog.com/...

7. Claimed she passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Obama Camp's Response: Bosnia, SCHIP, FMLA
http://time-blog.com/...

8. Claimed she was first to call Darfur genocide
Hillary's Lies: Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia
http://blogcritics.org/...

9. Claimed she intervened in Rwanda
Hillary's Lies: Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia
http://blogcritics.org/...

10. Planted questions in her own town hall meetings
CNN Interviews Student Who asks Hillary a Planted Question
http://www.youtube.com/...

[Cleita]

1. Yep, there's nothing like the facts up there in dayligh and

fresh air. Thanks for your work in putting those links together for all to see.

[MethuenProgressive]

2. You have "breaking proof" of something that was in the news in 2005?

What's next? Breaking news that the Beatles broke up?

[Kurovski]

8. A great deal has happened since then...

Paris' problems, Britney's problems, A few editions of American Idol, it's hard to keep track of everything.

K&R.

[superkia]

10. I missed the whole thing! Did he say he didnt and then something...

come out showing that he lied or something?

[C_U_L8R]

3. Just when you think that it couldn't

get any funnier...

oh boy.

[AtomicKitten]

4. The Clintons' duplicity is out loud now.

[Zachstar]

5. Your links are a bit messed up. Look at the HTML table and use the code for links.

[quantass]

6. good investigation

[Catherina]

7. Clinton's hypocrisy on Colombia needs to be front and center for the working class

The Uribe regime, after all, continues a chummy friendship with Bill Clinton, granting him the government’s “Colombia Is Passion” Award last June. That, during the same 2007 spring when former vice president Al Gore cancelled his appearance at a Miami environmental conference because he did not want to share a podium with Uribe, the hemisphere’s poster boy for state-sponsored terrorism, narco-trafficking, and assassinations of opposition political, labor and social movement leaders. Angela Montoya, representing the awards committee, told AP that former president “Clinton is Colombia’s best tourism minister because every time he opens his mouth to talk about the country he’s helping to improve our country’s image without even realizing it.”

Colombia to honor Bill Clinton amid growing Democrat scrutiny
The Associated PressPublished: May 24, 2007


BOGOTA, Colombia: Colombia will honor former U.S. President Bill Clinton for his efforts to reverse the country's image for violence and drugs at a gala event next month in New York City.

The June 8 event may become a political lightning rod for Democrats who are increasingly scrutinizing the human rights record of Washington's closest ally in Latin America.

That's because President Alvaro Uribe is expected to hand Clinton the "Colombia is Passion" award "for believing in our country and encouraging others to do the same," according to the event's organizer in Bogota.

Last month, Clinton's vice president, Al Gore, backed out of an environmental conference in Miami to avoid appearing alongside Uribe, who has struggled to defend himself against charges that members of his family and government supporters collaborated with murderous right-wing militias.

A spokesman for Sen. Hillary Clinton said in an e-mail the presidential candidate will not attend the event, which is being held at a Manhattan hotel. Philippe Reines, Clinton's senate office spokesman, did not say why the New York Democrat had declined the invitation. Clinton's campaign hasn't released her June schedule, although candidates in the Senate often leave for Iowa or New Hampshire on Fridays.

...

Prominent Democrats on the guest list include former Clinton strategists Dick Morris and Vernon Jordan, former Clinton Cabinet members Lawrence Summers and Madeleine Albright, and several Democratic congressmen, Montoya said.

The Colombian government is trying to counter its negative image among Washington Democrats and secure congressional passage of a free trade agreement signed by Uribe and the Bush administration last year, a deal Uribe considers his biggest foreign policy achievement.

Colombia agreed this month to pay US$300,000 (€223,000) to public relations firm Burson-Marsteller to help "educate members of the U.S. Congress and other audiences" about the trade deal and secure continued funding for Plan Colombia, the U.S.-backed counter-narcotics program that has cost American taxpayers more than US$5 billion (€3.72 billion) since 2000.

And last month, Uribe's government put The Glover Park Group, a lobbying firm that includes former Clinton spokesman Joe Lockhart, on a US$40,000 (€29,744) a month retainer.

Montoya said the idea to honor Bill Clinton came last year, "before President Uribe was re-elected and all of Colombia thought the free trade agreement was a fact, not an issue."

"Clinton is Colombia's best tourism minister because everytime he opens his mouth to talk about the country he's helping to improve our country's image without even realizing it," she said.

...

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/05/25/america/LA-GEN-Colombia-Clinton.php

Bill Clinton returned the favor by hosting Uribe as a “featured attendee” at the Clinton Global Initiative annual meeting in New York last September.

...

http://www.narconews.com/Issue52/article3055.html

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe with former US president Bill Clinton at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York, September 2007.
D.R. 2007 Reuters

Gives you the warm fuzzies doesn't it?

”I will oppose the Colombia Free Trade Agreement if President Bush insists on sending it to Congress because the violence against unions in Colombia would make a mockery of the very labor protections that we have insisted be included in these kinds of agreements.” Barack Obama

Colombia's President Criticizes Obama

[Zachstar]

9. The working class continues to be screwed over in this country.

Looking forward to Obama and a filibuster proof congress working together to turn the tide.

[1776Forever]

11. Not the 1st time HRC & Bill have been at odds - but who is kidding who???

When Bill's money throwing buddies signed him up to promote the Dubai Ports Deal - for which he is still owed $20 Mil - Hillary was out in the Senate saying it was a bad thing for the country!

Now how in the H can anyone say they want someone in the White House who is married to a lobbyist who sides with NAFTA, CAFTA, and Dubai/Saudi interests? Not only that but Hillary & Bill love to give their East Indian friends perks! Vin Gupta and many others got favors and turned around and gave Bill more millions!

Come on people - are you really telling me you don't care about that?

Well maybe if you don't why don't you ask your Kids & Grandkids! And if you're not old enough to have Grandkids think about what you will have to tell them someday if these people get back in the White House!

As for VP I sure don't want HRC for that office either! She has cooked her goose and it is burnt!

:kick:

[Major Hogwash]

12. Bubba got $800,000 for his help with Columbia

He sold out a long time ago.
Bubba is an influence peddler.