Obama Camp: Clinton Owes Apology Over NAFTA Comments

*** NEW UPDATES BELOW ***

Yesterday, with the release of Sen. Clinton's schedule as the former first lady, ABC reported:

One interesting event in Sen. Hillary Clinton's just-released schedules from the 1990s comes on Nov. 10 1993, when the former first lady was to serve as the closing act during a briefing on NAFTA, the trade agreement she now assails....

Two attendees of that closed-door briefing, neither of whom are affiliated with any campaign, describe that event for ABC News. It was a room full of women involved in international trade. David Gergen served as a sort of master of ceremonies as various women members of the Cabinet talked up NAFTA, which had yet to pass Congress.

"It wasn't a drop-by it was organized around her participation," said one attendee. "Her remarks were totally pro-NAFTA and what a good thing it would be for the economy. There was no equivocation for her support for NAFTA at the time. Folks were pleased that she came by. If this is a still a question about what Hillary's position when she was First Lady, she was totally supportive of NAFTA.

This contradicted earlier claims by Sen. Clinton that she had not supported NAFTA while in the White House, and it ran counter to her statements made during the heated run-up to the Ohio primary.

The Obama camp has wasted no time responding, with David Axelrod saying he has "to wonder if this was one of the reasons she was reluctant to get these records out there on a timely basis." He also called the issue a "question of character." Politico reports:

On a campaign conference call just now chief strategist David Axelrod said Clinton "owes an apology to the people of this country" for suggesting that she hadn't been involved in passing NAFTA when her schedules provide "direct, incontrovertible evidence that Senator Clinton was involved on this issue."

UPDATE: The Clinton camp has responded to Sen. Obama's camp demanding an apology:

Once again the Obama campaign is demonstrating that Senator Obama's words can't be trusted. Last year, Senator Obama said that he would not engage in personal attacks. Now, after losses in Ohio and Texas, the Obama campaign is explicitly attacking Senator Clinton's character. Instead of attacking Senator Clinton, Senator Obama should explain to the American people why his top economic policy advisor was telling the Canadians that his promise to fix NAFTA shouldn't be taken seriously. The fact is that independent accounts make clear that Senator Clinton did not support NAFTA and that she is the candidate Americans can trust to fix it.

Comments

[StephenS]

If Clinton was a NAFTA supporter, she a very timid one during a crucial time.

So far, ABC has found Clinton spent 15 minutes doing a First Lady "drop-by" to conclude a NAFTA briefing. That's during the 9 months between becoming First Lady and the crucial Nov 17, 1993, House vote on NAFTA.

I checked the entire month from Oct 17 through Nov 17, and I found also a 15-minute, open to the press, satellite feed to the American Trucking Associations Annual Management Conference that *might* have been to reassure American truckers about NAFTA. Might have been health care.

On the day Clinton did her 15 min "NAFTA Briefing Drop-by", she also spent 75 min with the Wednesday Message Group (lunch included), 30 min at the Women's Vietnam Memorial Presentation, 30 min with AARP, 15 min at a health care meeting, and 15 min with House leadership.

From Oct 17 through the NAFTA vote, Clinton met about health care on 22 separate days: Oct 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, Nov 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17. Some of those were days devoted almost exclusively to health care; a couple of those days were on weekends.

[JoshMiami]

ofcourse Obama is another kind of politician
he never lies even when he first did not hear and then he did hear
even when he never knew about it in 2007 and than he did know about it ...
it seem that people will convince themselves of whatever they want the reality to be
now finally i can understand how Bush got elected twice ....

[KINOKO]

Excuse me, but one of the highest officials in Canadian politics has proven without a shadow of a doubt that Hillary Clintons campaign people were the ones to contact them and give them the old "wink wink" about HRC's debate lies. And furthermore, how is catching this patholigical liar HRC IN YET ANOTHER LIE ( "I wasn't a proponent of NAFTA" , yet I hosted promotional events in the Whitehouse for it) a "personal attack"?
How many times can Howard Wolfson and the rest of his Coven insult my intelligence and spin this crap around? Stop trying to mesmerize me, Hillary...I don't watch NASCAR, and I did graduate high school...ok?

[Tranquility]

This is an outright lie. Canada has confirmed only one camp consulted them and it was Obama's economic advisor, Goolsbee.

[Didi47]

Kinoko:

And what fantasy highest Canadian official might that be? I am Canadian and even our Prime Minister admitted that the OBAMA Camp was the one that contacted us... and reiterated at least three times in writing that Hillary had NOT. So stop your pathetic skewing and outrageous defamatory lies about Hillary. It's making Obama look even more like a total idiot

[lodipete]

Both Clintons ought to apologize for NAFTA, maybe WalMart too.

[Didi47]

lodipete:

And you ought to apologize to the Clinton's big time!

[MrFiskar]

I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN I APOLOGIZE NOW ITS YOUR TURN---------IS THERE A PATTERN HERE??????????????

[gwhizz]

One word:
CANADA.

Stop trying to hide, Obama

[patriotscholar]

He hasn't hidden. He has told the truth. On the other hand, who was the person purportedly representing Hillary Clinton that called the Canadians and reassured them about NAFTA? The Clinton campaign states they never had a meeting with the Canadians. That is how they spin, because they called them instead. Semantics. Then, after the meeting, one of the persons at the meeting where the call was heard accuses Obama of a meeting about NAFTA which was not true, and has been clarified by the Canadians, but which has been perpetuated by the Clinton campaign. That's why the Canadian government is investigating. Apparently, whomever called them from the Clinton camp was a very high-up person and the Canadians want to avoid a brouhaha.

[in4success]

exactly, the canadian thing's been debunked and it has been discovered that it was actually the clinton camp that promised no NAFTA changes yet hillary continues to lie about obama -- the tactic depends on the un/misinformed electoral.

what lowly frauds the clintons are.

[Tranquility]

This is a complete untruth. As Canada admitted when the Clinton camp demanded a name if they'd contacted them, because they knew they had not, the person who planted the rumour said he can't remember ever saying it. I encourage anyone unsure of who to vote for, to research this and then make up your mind about your candidate. There's a pattern of lies and smears and it isn't coming from the Clinton campaign. I'm so disgusted.

[Didi47]

patriotscholar:

You'd better hone up on your "scholar" skills.. and stop lying. The Canadian government and Canadian network has firmly stood by the report because Obama's paper trail could not be denied. I suppose you think people have also forgotten that even Obama admitted it was true? Think again, and go do some real homework for a change.. Your anti Hillary accusations are not only defamatory... I would think they are running real close to criminal conduct, if they haven't fallen into that category already. It's pathetic that that's what you have to do to try to get Obama elected.

[Jacee]

You will need more words. This makes no sense.

[in4success]

look at the handle: gwhizz...

totally incoherent, just like the real g.w.

"whizz" heh... and delusional.

[Didi47]

Okay jaycee:

More than one word. Obama knowingly lied to the American public about NAFTA. And then when he got caught because CTV CANADA'S major and reliable news network reported it... he lied again. And then Obama supporters got busy screeching at CANADA and Canadians for daring to tell the truth ! They then went on to attack CTV, the Canadian government, Canadians in general and anyone else they possibly could - using their usual witch hunt, lynch mob tactic - on anyone who dares not worship Obama.

[karela]

Four words----CANADIAN NOTES OF MEETING-----prove that advisor said privately only what Obama said publicly, i.e. not throw out trade agreement, but negotiate safeguards for American business. Mrs. Clinton KNOWS THIS and yet her campaign tried to drag out that tired old lie again today.That's why polls now show that 6 out of 10 Americans believe that she is not trustworthy or honest.---­-------It'­s not an attack to hold your opponent to the truth of their statements and positions. Mrs. Clinton's campaign hoped she could kneecap Obama with lies and he would just lie down and allow it. There's a difference between being positive and being a doormat and the Clinton campaign is learning about that.--------She used those lies to trick Ohio voters. I bet Pennsylvania with a heads up will be a bit more discerning.

[itsafreakingame]

A lot of Abomination oops Obombu fans seem to think that everything bad that happens to Obama is because Hillary got hold of it and released it to the press. Even if the Clintons released the tape of the Rev. Wright spewing hate, Hillary didn’t have her hand up the Reverends ass, she is a very talented lady but she isn’t a ventriloquist. She didn’t super glue Obama’s ass to the pew for 20 years either, he managed that on his own. Obama got involved with Rezko because he needed money to finance his bid for the Illinois Senate and he needed a very expensive house, that he couldn’t afford and lucky for him Rezko’s wife had a strong desire to take up flower farming so Rezko bought a plot of land that cost over $400,000 right next to Obama house. Rezko’s wife also needed fertilizer for her new passion so her family and the Obama’s decided to spread their brand of manure on this story. The kicker is that the Obombusbots believed Obama can do no wrong, I guess that happens when your head is so far up Obama’s ass that it cuts all the oxygen off from the brain

[itsafreakingame]

Obama is trying to get the America public to focus on NAFTA, because he is in hot water over the Rev. Wright debacle! Obama is just another dirty politician doing anything to win!

[BDunne]

forreal? or is that the story you tell yourself because you prefer another candidate?

[treadway123]

You haven't heard that ALL REV.WRIGHT SPEECH AS BEEN FINALLY RELEASED! AND IT'S SHAME ON FOX NEWS TIME! They took a 12 second snippit and made it into a racial descenty, when in reality if you listen to the whole speech----­------EVER­Y ONE IN AMERICA NOW KNOWS THE SHAME THAT IS UPON FOX AND ANY ONE WHO TOOK PART IN TAKEING WORD OUT OF CONTENT IN THAT SPEECH AND MADE IT ABOUT RACE, INSTEAD A SERMON ABOUT GOD, AND THE WORLD HISTORY OF RACE AND THE BIBLE! So if Clinton had any thing to do with this----------Shame on her! it's bad enough she lied about NAFTA and Stole Votes from the Ohio people. We'll they made a mistake---------and know it's all comeing to light against the clintons and they have no one to blame but themselfs! I feel sorry for those who supported clintons, but it's time know to get on to the white house and put our enegy in getting there. If Richards can read the writting on the wall----------so should the rest of us get smart and move on. I say good luck to Hillary, and hope she can now end this farce she's been perpertrateing on the people and back the party at long last. She's done enough damage now.

[northeast73]

And to just to clear up a MYTH. It WAS Obama NOT Clinton that spoke to Canadian govt.

The reason the story about it being her was DROPPED is because there was no proof.

There was NAME of an Obama advisor and a MEMO. Ya got zip on Clinton.

Obama Camp just gets more and more desparate.....

[debwarot]

There may of may not have been someone from the camp of Senator Clinton who spoke to someone in the Canadian government. You are correct to say that nothing was ever proven one way or the other.

HOWEVER, you are dead wrong about Senator Obama! HE did NOT speak to the Canadian government about NAFTA. A member of the Canadian Consulate in Chicago initiated contact, inviting one of his economic advisors to a meeting. And this person was subsequently named in a memo conveniently 'leaked ' to the press under circumstances that are questionable, to say the least. . However, the Canadian government later issued at least two statements saying the content and subject matter of the meeting had been inaccurately reported by the press. Please get your facts straight.

[Didi47]

debwarot:

Boy oh boy, talk about spin! I mean how desperate can you Obamayts get? Don't you know that anyone who can read - can verify Obama's NAFTA , Rezko, and Wright's lies in a couple of minutes?
And don't you understand that the more you deny his lies and the more people find out the truth, the more foolish and inept Obama and his followers look? The blame Hillary game has gotten real old and the hate filled anti Hillary rhetoric - coupled with the hate filled anti white - anti- American icing on the cake is turning people off faster than you can shake a stick. The icing on the cake was Obama's "The typical white person (woman) crosses the street when she is alone on the street with a black man"! Well I've got news for you... The typical WOMAN will cross the street - when she's alone on the street with ANY MAN who looks suspicious - and color has nothing to do with it! Talk about disgusting!

[Tranquility]

You're wrong. Please go back and research. It was Goolsbee. First they denied it happened, then the memo got leaked, then they said the wording wasn't correct. You all are in for a rude awakening if your guy gets in and the red sea parts to win him the presidency. There will be a whole lot of wailing going on when he reveals himself to be the corporate yes man he is. Brought to you by the same media who brought you George W Bush.

[American4America]

The MYTH, is that it ever happened. Keep up with the news. This rumor was categorically denied by the Canadian Government.

[Didi47]

American4America:

It's you who should keep up with the news my friend. The documents of Obama's chief financial officer meeting with the Canadian's were shown all over the air waves. After denying it, and then being caught in another lie, Obama claimed he had 'no idea' the meeting held place. So where were you when all this was made public, on the moon? Same place as Obama, while his henchmen were busy trying to blame Hillary for another one of his fiasco's?

[karela]

On that Canadian memo? There were also notes of the meeting which absolutely prove the fact that the advisor said privately only what Obama said publicly i.e. that the aim was not to throw out the trade agreement but to negotiate changes to protect American business--the same position Clinton took. She "won" Ohio on that lie but I bet I bet PA with a heads up will be a bit more discerning. She now KNOWS that it's a lie, but she pulled it out again today. ----------

[mrdontplay]

Clinton owes everyone an appology for her inexcusable behavior.

Its hillarious that their closest advisors have decided that Obama is a better choice.

Richardson was very close to them and decided its smarter to stay with Obama.

[Mollye]

Don't take comfort from that...Richardson has NO loyalties. He endorsed Obama after learning that for 2 decades Obama and his family have soaked in the ideology of Jeremiah Wright, that is even more disgusting.

[Didi47]

mrdontplay:

Obama owes ALL AMERICANS a huge apology for HIS insulting and inexcusable behaviors!

[Purple Girl]

Ah didn't the Canadians state it was HER campaign who Reassured them Not Obamas'???
and Yes I was conscious (conscience) when Both Clintons pushed for NAFTA. I'm from Michigan, and I supported Bill 2x's. Knew NAFTA was a double edged sword even then. But I felt they had put stop gaps into their TradeAgreement- Hindsight is 20/20 they did not- and why? Both were intellegent enough to know (and savvy) that any Holes would lend themselve to the further Fleecing of US!
so I can only deduct they did not care.
Hell haveth No Fury like an Ol MI Dem's Scorn. We ahve always been the Canary in the Coal mine and the Clintons helped feed the Fumes which have caused US (all now) to fall over gasping. If she had any real Patriotism left in her she would admit the error and would Have been working for th eLast 6 yrs undoing the Damage, instead she has either sat idle or helped keep the pilaging going.

[beerguy]

Operation CHAOS continues

[Nonamnesiac]

HuffPost's Pick

This is really funny. Obama, a pro-NAFTA politician (he supported expansion of NAFTA to Peru just a few months ago), is attacking Hillary for being pro-NAFTA (which she has strongly supported since its inception, despite her lies to the contrary.)

How stupid do Hillary and Obama think we are? There is no difference between Obama, Hillary and McCain on NAFTA or unbridled free trade at the expense of U.S. workers. All 3 strongly support screwing US workers in favor of NAFTA and its clones and progeny,.

[gallo146]

Obama pro-nafta? hmmm...A Clintonite misinformation?

[outnow]

The comment was a "pro-Hillary" pick..

[Nonamnesiac]

You really have to learn to distinguish between the truth and being pro-Hillary. I've written all over this blog that Hillary is a lying warmongerer with a limited world view who is not qualified to be President.

That doesn't mean that Obama is not pro-NAFTA. Obama proved he was pro-NAFTA when he supported expanding NAFTA to Peru a few months ago. It doesn't mean that Obama is not a warmongerer -- as he refused to commit to inmediate, safe withdrawal of all US troops and contractor forces from Iraq upon his election, even though McCain will win because of his ability to portray Obama's plan (reduce troops, but leave some in Iraq) as one that will lead to increased US casualties, as when the US had fewer troops there prior to the surge, there were greater US casualties than there are now -- all while continuing to destroy the economy by the Iraq expenditures Obama's continued troop presence will cost. It doesn't mean that Obama (like Hillary) is not in the pocket of the health care industry when he refuses to support single-payer, universal health care.

He and Hillary are two peas in a pod, and despite their rhetoric as opposed to the interests of US workers as McCain.

Pointing out the awfulness of Hillary does not make Obama more progressive or less bad than she is. They are peas in a pod.

[outnow]

Obama is attacking the tax breaks for sending jobs to subsidiary corporations overseas. "Free trade" is a slightly different issue. If Company A sets up Company B in China, then sells widgets to Company A at an inflated cost, then little or no federal income tax is payable by Company A. Company A also borrows money in the US and the capital is invested in China. Company B pays no taxes in China. So you have a rich CEO in New York and all workers are in China not contributing to social security. Interest on the loan is a write off in America.

NAFTA is a shorthand way of criticizing the arrangement above but technically refers to elimination of tariffs between trading partners. Protective tariffs have been used to prevent cheap overseas goods from overcoming a domestic market in the interests of local manufacturing. Also, dumping of cheaply manufactured goods can be used to destroy local manufacturing creating a monopoly in effect. Then prices can be raised. Against the charge of "protectionism," there are legitimate reasons for tariffs. Lincoln favored tariffs as did all the presidents on Mount Rushmore.

There is a security interest in protecting manufacturing because the strength of our nation depends on the capacity and the employment.

[Jacee]

I believe the issue is that Sybil McClinton LIED about her support of NAFTA. I believe that the issue is one of character and not policy.

[JoshMiami]

NonAmnesiac it is refreshing to see your posting here .. so many blogers have set their mind on a canidate and stoped looking at reall hard fact mixing fantasy with reality

[SEQUOIABISON]

The Bit*h lied what else is new, and this is supposed to be a surprise.

[cybersense]

This IS another SPIN.

She stated she supported her husband, and that later she could see problems with NAFTA.

Just because you read it now doesn't make it new news.

[mrdontplay]

Dude she signed NAFTA into law as co-prez.

You caint have it both ways.

On one side claim you were the GD co-POTUS but when something you dont like comes out then you were just the lowly wife.

Get the phuk out of here.

She is a liar and you are dishonest for not calling he on it.

NAFTA was signed by the CLINTONS. There is no debating it.

Its like saying BUSH didn't start the IRAQ war.

But what else should be expected from someone who chooses Clinton after all the garbage she has already delivered.

[outnow]

HRC is throwing the kitchen sink in against Obama. The passport had better not have been her doing or she won't have to worry about her mischaract­erizations about her support of NAFTA in the past. She wants the Supers to bail out her candidacy. Her position on NAFTA was in writing and on video. Like the Bush supporters, the Clintonites cannot see reality.

[itsafreakingame]

Dude your the only one trying to have it both ways. You can't claim she didn't do anything good while Bill was in office then blame her for everything you don't like. NAFTA was started by the first Bush and Bill Clinton supported it. It was a campaign promise that Bill had to make because, (one of the few to have ever been kept by a candidate) it was the only way he could get the votes needed to win the White House. The Obama nuts seem to always forget the when Bill Clinton was President we had jobs, we were not in a war, and we had a surplus of money. I don't know maybe havning old man Bush win twice would have made you happy, but I'm glad Bill Clinton won despite NAFTA

[itsafreakingame]

Dude you are the only one trying to have it both ways by blaming everything you dislike about Bill’s presidency onto Hillary while at the same time ignoring anything good that happened while Bill was in office. Bill Clinton did not start NAFTA, the first Bush started NAFTA. Bill did make it into law however, had he not made a campaign pledge to the independent voters to support the NAFTA Bill he would have lost his bid for the white house. Obama supporters always forget the good things that was going on during President Clinton’s term in office. There were jobs, there was a surplus of money, and he didn’t start any wars.

[ms.understood]

And actually, since Republicans think that Regan was so great, he is the one who started the trade agreement phenomenon in the 1980's with his agreements with Canada. H.W. Bush was just finishing what he started. Republicans always figure out ways to screw up the economy!