Obama Camp & Canadian Embassy Strongly Repudiate NAFTA Story (UPDATED)

This news report from Canadian Television is pretty disturbing:

"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...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 sources. The staff member reassured Wilson that the criticisms would only be campaign rhetoric, and should not be taken at face value."

It's hard to see any problem with Obama's campaign making contact with the Canadian embassy. But there is a huge problem if a top staff person for Obama's campaign really did "reassure [the embassy] that the criticisms would only be campaign rhetoric, and should not be taken at face value."

Right now, Hillary Clinton is trying to pretend she never supported NAFTA, when the historical record clearly shows she did. Obama's past record is much more clear -- he has always said he opposed the NAFTA trade model, even drawing criticism for that position from his hometown paper, the Chicago Tribune.

But this CTV report is troubling, in that it implies he's deliberately trying to fool voters on this issue. We'll see if Obama's campaign issues a statement telling us what happened. Again, I see no problem with Obama's campaign contacting the Canadian embassy and giving them a heads up about his campaign message. The real issue would be if the campaign officially told the Canadians that the candidate's campaign promises on NAFTA are lies.

UPDATED: I've updated the headline here, because Obama's campaign has just issued a forceful statement in response to the CTV story. Here it is:

"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," said Obama spokesman Bill Burton.

On balance, I'm strongly inclined to believe the Obama camp on this one. He's a guy who has said he's been against NAFTA since he was a candidate for the Senate, and has taken heat for it. The Canadian officials quoted are conservative, pro-NAFTA politicians with an interest in tamping down the push to reform our trade policies. And the article itself is very thinly sourced. My guess is Obama's campaign at some point contacted the Canadian embassy as a courtesy, and that was spun into this story - without direct quotes, of course - claiming his rhetoric would not be followed through on.

Bottom line, however - this story, though likely inaccurate, highlights the need for us all to keep the pressure on both candidates, and ultimately, on the new Democratic administration and Congress in 2009. If we want to reform trade policy, we're going to have to really hold all politicians' feet to the fire.

UPDATE II: From the Politico's Ben Smith - a repudiation of the story now from the Canadian embassy:

A spokesman for the Canadian Embassy to the United States, Tristan Landry, flatly denied the CTV report that a senior Obama aide had told the Canadian ambassador not to take seriously Obama's denunciations of Nafta.

"None of the presidential campaigns have called either the Ambassador or any of the officials here to raise Nafta," Landry said.

He said there had been no conversations at all on the subject.

"We didn't make any calls, they didn't call us," Landry said.

"There is no story as far as we're concerned," he said.

Comments

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

I see absolutely no differences between Obama and Clinton on NAFTA at all. They both support either making the necessary changes to NAFTA or getting rid of it. They have both said good and bad things about NAFTA in the past as stated in the debate. They have both recognized that NAFTA has been beneficial to some areas of the country and detrimental to others.

Here are the only differences I have seen.

The pundits rarely if ever report that Cliton, as stated by Gergen, was skeptical about NAFTA when Bill was president. The press usually reports that she fully supported NAFTA during Bill's term.

Obama continues to send out a mailer that attributes a quote about NAFTA to Clinton that she never said. It has been reported that his mailer is wrong, he knows it's wrong but he continues to use it.

[AnninCA]

Hillary succeeded, and it was a tough one, getting to Obama admit that his NAFTA position is no different than hers.

Here is what I dislike about his attack on her about NAFTA. It's the classic cheap shot.

It's Ohio. I get it.

This is a state devastated by loss of jobs. It's not Texas.

It's not the states that have benefitted.

So he makes NAFTA into an attack point, pulling up a video of her when she was the First Lady out helping her husband.

Now, he's created a real problem.

Let Obama talk his way out of this, I say.

No more enabling.

Let him truly get down to the truth.

Hillary already has done so.

It's his turn.

NAFTA isn't going to be turned back. Those mad about it?

Sorry.

We need solutions for more jobs.

Let Obama be mature and explain, convincingly, that he even understands the issues.

So far? He's batting zero on this.

[nepat]

Another smear. Hey press - stop being so credulous. Clinton has already admitted she's giving Obama the kitchen sink treatment until March 4. That's a hint to you that you shouldn't take any negative Obama story on its face. Do a little digging before you breathlessly report every ridiculous assertion as though it were being imparted by Moses on Mt. Sinai, will you?

[OhPlease2007]

* Obama -&- NAFTA ... It's The Same Old Okie-Doke?! *

Stop pushing Obama on us as some kind of progressive ... we aren't buying into it!!!

"They're trying to bamboozle you. It's the same old okie-doke. Y'all know about okie doke, right? ... They try to bamboozle you. Hoodwink ya. Try to hoodwink ya. Alright, I'm having too much fun here."

-Barack Obama, ripping off Malcolm (power/freedom by any means necessary)X, without giving him proper credit in speeches

So, *once again*, let's see if we understand the F'd-up fuzzy logic from the Obama camp. It's O.K. for the Obama camp to "hoodwink and bamboozle" others (NAFTA), because, after all,.. it's all about 'power by any means necessary' Right?, ... but it's *not* o.k. for others to do the same. Got it.

I'm a hustler baby, and I gots to have it!

I'm a hustler baby, and I gots to grab it!

The REAL Progressives in this fight need to pull their heads out of their arses, wake the hell up, and realize that Obama is no more a progressive than George W. Bush!

Progressive trust is earned, ... not given. Obama has NOT earned the necessary credentials to prove that he is a true progressive. The *only* reason Obama got more union support and MoveOn.org endorsements *IS* because John Edwards -&- Dennis Kucinich dropped out of the race;fact!

Stop pushing Obama on us as some kind of progressive ... we aren't buying it!!!

[personalpolitical]

Ahhh, you have to love the smell of denial.

[cambio]

Dennis Kucinich, yes, his positions are more progressive than any of the other candidates'. Edwards? Oh no my friend, talk about hoodwinked, you need to look a little closer past your boy's 2008 campaign rhetoric and a little closer at his actual voting record, and his pre-2008 campaign rhetoric, and his big $6 million mansion, none of which reflect the populist knight you people want to believe he is. Also the fact that he hasn't had the backbone to step up and support the change candidate (Obama) against the status quo (Hillary), despite all his talk about change and anti-war and anti-lobbyists just shows that he doesn't have the integrity he pretended to have during the campaign. Grow up and quit accusing others of being duped when you know little about the candidates or progressive values.

[OhPlease2007]

On Global Warming, MoveOn Voters Pick Edwards

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/on-global-warming-moveon-voters-pick-edwards/

[OhPlease2007]

New York TImes: On Global Warming, MoveOn Voters Pick Edwards

http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/07/11/on-global-warming-moveon-voters-pick-edwards/

[stonepier]

How interesting that the Canadian embassy denies this - hmmmmm, great timing, a few days before the primaries. I wonder about the real source of this article...

[nuana]

The Canada call is a fake. Here's the report from ABC as reported by Politico.
FAKE FAKE FAKE.
The Canadian embassy strongly denies any calls made. No calls were places at all.
Here's the link.
http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0208/Canadians_deny_Obama_call.html#comments
So is this a part of Hillary's kitchen sink strategy??
How pathetic!!!

[Democrat08]

nuana....

Ahh, not disappointed...knew it would only be a matter of time before someone said it was Senator Clinton's fault.

[nacilbuper]

yeah! because they're soooooooooo above doing anything like this.

if it looks like a duck.....

[amberglow]

NY Times too-- "... both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama have checkered records in the Senate on trade agreements. Both voted against the Central American Free Trade Agreement but supported a trade pact with Peru last year, citing the inclusion of labor and environmental provisions that were not part of Nafta.

Opponents, however, said crucial provisions in Nafta that led to jobs being shipped overseas were also part of the Peru agreement. Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama were also among only a dozen Senate Democrats who voted for a trade agreement with Oman in 2006. ..." --- http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/28/us/politics/28nafta.html

[nuana]

So joining the fake rumor-mongering are you??
By the way Michael Wilson, the guy who faked the story is a Canadian GOP hack. So Hillary has made a pact with the rich pro-Iraq war hack(in other words the devil himself).

[Didi47]

nuana: He's the Ambassador.. not a fake.. he's a real ambassador. Your Obama is the fake, my friend.

[maggieb]

I am not surprised by the report, I know Obama is the King of election rhetoric/promises and change, on and on. What is surprising is that Huffpo carried the report.

[Didi47]

maggie.. I'm surprized as well. Maybe they do have some ethics here. Wouldn't the whole truth be wonderful! Think it may be possible?

[Eternal]

http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/

Funny..... the Canadian's have responded, saying they have not had any discussions on the topic.

/poof

[6thVenom]

Thanks for that link. Now maybe this discussion can be over and the bashers will go elsewhere.

[mostest]

"Again, I see no problem with Obama's campaign contacting the Canadian embassy and giving them a heads up about his campaign message. The real issue would be if the campaign officially told the Canadians that the candidate's campaign promises on NAFTA are lies."

You are good. So, the issue is a "he said she said" thing because you have already provided cover for the contact. I guess that can be proven,phone records and such. Oh My, but how do we prove who is telling the truth?

Another round of the increasing popular game of W.O.R.M.

Popcorn anyone?

[Dazedandamazed]

W.O.R.M?

Is that What Obama Really Meant?

[Dazedandamazed]

This reminds me of Bush's tactics reguarding the AUMF telling the people he will use it as a bargaining chip to force Iraq to comply with the inspectors, then calling Halliburton and Blackwater telling "lets roll". Obama is just the same old same old with prettier talking points.

[RISEUPAMERICA]

Prime example of how Obamas words are nothing but lofty "full of hot air" rhetoric and the American People are being duped by this man who also said he was not a "muslim" and that he didn't go to a madrasa....

pssssssst! can you believe him?

[nepat]

Maybe not so prime an example. Charges rebuked. Canadian embassy denies it. Time to find another non-issue to make your non-point.

[frustratedinohio]

Some people need a primer.

During the debate, Hillary said that if Mexico and Canada didn't agree to the changes she wanted she would get rid of NAFTA. Obama then said the same thing. No surprise there. But then he supposedly called the ambassador from Canada to let them know he would not do that. He said supposedly that he was just using campaign rhetoric. You know Just Words!

[enoughalready13]

HIS ENTIRE EXISTENCE IS RHETORIC. Obama is in way over his head. He is another unqualified Bush, this time in Democratic sheep's clothing.

[personalpolitical]

Obama trying to fool anyone isn't his M.O., and no unsourced story should give anyone any reason to question his wish to retool NAFTA. If the Obama campaign did in fact say anything to the Canadian government, it was in no way an assurance that they would not act on NAFTA, but instead an assurance to not get overly worked up over such things like Tim Russert's will you kill NAFTA comments. Obama has been clear that he intends to make changes to NAFTA, and the Canadians and the Mexicans have expressed displeasure about the anti-NAFTA debate, so if someone did try to tell the Canadians to calm down for now, I see nothing wrong with that. And again, there is no evidence that anyone with authority to speak for Obama said anything like that to the Canadians.

This story has less proof in it than the McCain piece in the Times that everyone has been denouncing from the right to the left.

[ray3]

This story is not updated to read the response from Obama use the link to Daily Kos you will find the article about Nafta and Obama updated. It appears to be a misunderstanding on the part of the Canadian news. Good to keep track of though.

[soupcity]

Where in the DailyKos version does it say there was a misunderstanding? The updated version has the Obama camp's statement in which they do not deny the call, they just reiterate his "stand" on NAFTA.

[frustratedinohio]

I believe the story's source is the canadian ambassador.

[AnninCA]

Of course, the entire NAFTA issue is fake. It's Rovian tactics employed by the man who loves to point the finger and warn against the diabolical Clinton campaign.

Clinton put out one flier early on regarding the Planned Parenthood stuff, and since then...not one of her ads has been criticized for being outside facts.

Him? It's been constant.

He's been running a highly negative campaign since day 1, while preaching unity and hope from the stage.

Such hypocricy!

[myskylark]

Why do you oversimplify Hillary Clinton's position on NAFTA? David Gergen said when he was in the White House he witnessed Hillary Clinton's great scepticism about NAFTA. As soon as she got to the U.S.Senate, she took the position that NAFTA was flawed and required correction. Meanwhile, Obama took the same position she did.