Clinton Gets Caught Again on NAFTA

Barack Obama is today criticizing Hillary Clinton on her efforts to pretend she never supported NAFTA. Just as a follow-up to my post on Friday, I want to remind folks who claim Hillary Clinton never praised NAFTA that, in fact, she did praise NAFTA - repeatedly.

According to NBC's Meet the Press, in 2004, Clinton said, "I think, on balance, NAFTA has been good for New York and America."

In her memoir, Clinton trumpeted her husband's "successes on the budget, the Brady bill and NAFTA."

And in 1998, Bloomberg News reports that she praised corporations for mounting "a very effective business effort in the U.S. on behalf of NAFTA." Another direct quote.

I went over two of these three quotes - and some more - in my recent syndicated column, which you can read here. And, as predicted, this issue has now become the central focus in the Ohio primary - the primary that could decide the Democratic nomination.

However you feel about NAFTA - and if you are a typical American, polls show you likely do not like it - Clinton now trying to lie and say she never really supported NAFTA is an absolute insult. It further suggests that on really important economic issues, she's more than happy to lie about provable facts when it suits her political needs.

UPDATE: Here's another direct quote from Hillary Clinton on NAFTA. The Associated Press reported on 3/6/96 that she said, "NAFTA is proving its worth" and later praising NAFTA as "a free and fair trade agreement."

Comments

[clemo]

Thanks for finding the evidence. A good point about the lying too. I think she's maybe learned too much in Washington these last 7 years and appears to be more and more of exactly what we don't need.

[presto]

Factcheck.org says:

"We take no position here on whether NAFTA is a boon to the economy or a detriment, and note only that there are plenty of arguments on both sides. We do judge that the Obama campaign is wrong to quote Clinton as using words she never uttered, and it has produced little evidence that she ever had strong praise of any sort for NAFTA's economic benefits."

[BUSHsurvivor]

NAFTA expansion David?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/breaking-obama-says-he-w_b_67780.html

[TuffPosh]

At that link, Sirota himself discusses that "Obama is the first presidential candidate to officially declare his/her support for the NAFTA expansion moving through the Congress."

Not only that, but Obama supports Bush's SPP spp.govv), aka "NAFTA on steroids":

http://lonewacko.com/blog/archives/007494.html

[PTTY]

BILL, HILLARY, JOHN McCAIN AND BUSH and their WAR have ruined our Country.
As Bill Clinton's Vote for NAFTA has ruined our Economy.

Hillary's "Experience" is Bill's Legacy ...
NAFTA, Welfare Reform, (GATT94)WTO, Telecommunications Act of 1996, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act ..

These were the achievements of the Clinton Presidency ... She can't say she has "Experience" and say she didn't support any of the efforts that defined Bill's Presidency ...

If she supported them, it shows poor judgment on her part ... if she was against them, it shows that she didn't have influence with her husband regarding her disagreements with these issues ...

So what is it? Poor Judgment or inability to influence people to accept her position?
Either way, those traits do not benefit the United States if they are displayed by the President

NAFTA signed into law by President Bill Clinton. [12/08/93]. They were Co-Presidents then, of course she supported it.

They are trying to revise History because Bill Clinton signing that NAFTA Bill has caused America's economy to be in the horrible condition it is in

[mommadona]

Just like she said....

Her actions are:

"Right out of Karl Rove's Handbook".

Herding Cats #122:

When you have stepped in kitty doo-doo

You:

1) try to tell yourself it is something different, and ignore the smell.

2) point out that your opponent knows what doo-doo smells like too.

3) try to wipe it off as fast as you can-preferably onto your opponent.

[vanessa04]

So, is anybody going to ask Obama why, if he finds NAFTA so abhorrent, he kept voting to continue it?

No, I didn't think so.

The tough questions are reserved for Hillary, and Hillary alone. I hope for your sake the GOP is using your playbook for the general. Oooops! Maybe they didn't get the memo!