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.
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He's already said he'd be willing to renegotiate Nafta to include safety regulations ect- so really this report says little.
so then why are we going on and on about hillary and nafta when obama is going to support it with corrections?
the safety regulations are only for foreign workers and do nothing to help workers here who lose their jobs.
Higher labor and environmental standards increases costs. One of the ways in which foreign sites can undercut the USA is by having lower labor and environmental standards. Insisting on higher standards would reduce that advantage, which would make the USA relatively more competitive.
It's not a complete solution in itself, but I'd say it's certainly the right thing to do - both for the above and for ethical reasons.
I am an Obama supporter. And I don't drink kool-aid so I want to know what is going on with this b/c NAFTA is one of the most important things on my list of "Dumb Ass Policies" right behind "No Child Left Behind" - So as a supporter I want to know what is behind all this. Obama needs to put out a strong statement - NOT HIS AIDS but him.
Good post! Thanks for the info
Obama camp response:
"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.
In the debate he pledged to withdraw from NAFTA if Canada and Mexico did not grant us the concessions he request. Now he is back tracking on that. The statement released confirms he is hedging on that pledge.
No he isn't. Note this part: 'that includes amending NAFTA to include labor and environmental standards'. Canada and the USA already have similar labor and environmental standards. There's not going to be an issue with amending NAFTA in that regard as far as Canada is concerned.
those standards are only for foreign workers. they do nothing for us or to help us.
I really don't believe anything the media says anymore. CTV is the Viacom of Canada, wouldn't surprise me if there are ties somewhere. There are A LOT OF PEOPLE within our government and others who do not want to see our government "change" - too much $$ at stake, of course they will try anything. It just seems too perfectly scripted to fit within all of the other attacks on "his rhetoric." Fits perfectly doesn't it? Who knows, we'll see if this blows up or not.
I don't see that '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"'.
NAFTA's members are the USA, Canada AND MEXICO. Now if they told Mexico it's rhetoric as well, THEN there's an issue, but otherwise it just suggests that, while Canada and Mexico are both being mentioned (as the other members of NAFTA), the issues are seen as being with Mexico, not Canada.
Agreed, but my take is the real trade issue is Free-Trade China, but it is such a cluster-F*** with our currency right now, we can't even discuss China for fear of upsetting the markets and further damaging our economy. The investment in infrastructure that Barack proposes, educating, cultivating and developing the Average American is our only hope.
Excuse me Aengil but I see it as a huge problem and so will everyone with a brain going into the general election. The likely nominee for his party, for the Presdiency of the US, calls (if the story is correct) the Canadians and says in effect we are telling the American people one thing but wink, wink. I would say, again if this story is correct, that this is pretty darn serious. Statements from the campaign are not sufficient, truth is what we need. The source needs to clarify or we are in big trouble.
You're missing my point. I'm saying they're NOT telling the American people one thing and the Canadians the other. They're telling the American people we need to renegotiate NAFTA, which naturally means it needs to be renegotiated with Canada and Mexico because they're the other members. But there isn't actually an issue with renegotiating with Canada - labor and environmental standards are already similar on both sides - only with Mexico, so they're making sure Canada is aware of that to avoid misunderstandings. (Ironically this then leaks out and causes misunderstandings by people too dumb to stop and think about it. C'est la vie.)
And I'm sure this will somehow be made to be Senator Clinton's fault too, right? I'm waiting for it....the media disgusts me.
What I saw said Hillary's people did the same thing. But Hillary's people told the canadian official that he could publicly say if and who he talked to from their camp. So I doubt if they did. But you're right. They will make this all her fault.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE vote for Hillary Clinton in 2008! Let's put smart people back in the White House!!!
lol*...She tried to have a real discussion about NAFTA in the debate. I heard her. And it was actually so good and something people angry about NAFTA need to hear and discuss.
The fact is that although she had reservations, NAFTA has done a lot of good in some areas such as upstate NY and Texas. We cannot throw the baby out with the bathwater.
Did you read about the business community's reaction today? Panic!
Obama has, once again, unwisely turned this into a highly irresonsible talking point.
He won't continue to get by with doing this, either.
His turn at being the "new kid" is over.
He needs to now be more responsible, as McCain and Clinton are.
The "concern" about labor standards and environmental issues hardly applies to the Canadian component of NAFTA. And losses of American jobs have more to do with China than with Mexico or Canada. Mexico,especially is an easy target for politicians of all stripes hoping to win votes in Ohio. And nothing works better in the Excited States than demonizing other countries, especially since so many Americans know so little about the rest of the world.
I just finished reading the updated version of this article but now its gone. Very strange!
and now let the obama haters commence!
Nah*. I've seen him do this repeatedly.
No surprise to me.
I guess Canada must have its own version of Fox Noise.
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