Obama to Canada -- Don't worry NAFTA Talk Just Campaign Rhetoric

[FAR52]

Per the Campaign Spot at NRO:

Team Obama To Canada: Don't Worry, NAFTA Comments are Empty Rhetoric


How reassuring:

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.

But Tuesday night in Ohio, where NAFTA is blamed for massive job losses, Obama said he would tell Canada and Mexico "that we will opt out unless we renegotiate the core labour and environmental standards."

Late Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Obama campaign said the staff member's warning to Wilson sounded implausible, but did not deny that contact had been made.

"Senator Obama does not make promises he doesn't intend to keep," the spokesperson said.

The source for that is CTV, Canada's largest private broadcaster.

[sketch]

Per the Campaign Spot at NRO:

Obama: 'don't worry about it. It's the wetbacks we don't like'

Wilson: 'no problem'

[Razzy]

Who is the staff member? And where is the proof that the staff member said that Obama said this?

Thanks.

[Jeffro]

Who is the staff member? And where is the proof that the staff member said that Obama said this?

Thanks.

One wonders if this would be your reaction if it was a McCain staffer.

[Iowa_Card]

Title should read: Obama staffer to Canada..."

[triggercut1]

"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.

What really happened: campaign staffer talking to low-level embassy diplomatic contact in Canada says "a lot of the environmental and labor standards we want to see in NAFTA are already in place in Canada. If we amend NAFTA, it will probably have a fairly negligible effect on how NAFTA works with your country." Low-level staffer then tells CTV: "He doesn't mean *us*." CTV then reports "This is just campaign rhetoric."

[Razzy]

One wonders if this would be your reaction if it was a McCain staffer.

Did you see my response to the NYT article on McCain?

If you didnt, go read it, and then eat a large plate of STFU.

This is the same kind of crap that was in that article. Innuedo from unverified sources. The real question to ask is why FAR posts this stuff about Obama, but if someone posted a similar article about McCain he'd attempt to shoot it down.

[FAR52]

What really happened: campaign staffer talking to low-level embassy diplomatic contact in Canada says "a lot of the environmental and labor standards we want to see in NAFTA are already in place in Canada. If we amend NAFTA, it will probably have a fairly negligible effect on how NAFTA works with your country." Low-level staffer then tells CTV: "He doesn't mean *us*." CTV then reports "This is just campaign rhetoric."

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.

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/TopStories/ContentPosting.aspx?feedname=CTV-TOPSTORIES_V2&showbyline=True&newsitemid=CTVNews%2f20080227%2fdems_nafta_080227

[Airshark]

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/Top...s_nafta_080227

The fact that it might be pure rhetoric makes me feel better about an Obama candidacy, not worse.

[triggercut1]

http://news.sympatico.msn.ctv.ca/Top...s_nafta_080227

Not sure if you're familiar with the history of Canada and the US in the last 100 years, but if you were going to talk tough (or talk soft on tough public talk) on trade with the Canucks, it wouldn't be to their ambassador--you'd go straight to the Labor Ministry.

[FAR52]

The fact that it might be pure rhetoric makes me feel better about an Obama candidacy, not worse.

[FAR52]

Not sure if you're familiar with the history of Canada and the US in the last 100 years, but if you were going to talk tough (or talk soft on tough public talk) on trade with the Canucks, it wouldn't be to their ambassador--you'd go straight to the Labor Ministry.

Ok -- but the point remains that Obama advised the Canadian government not to take his tough NAFTA talk too seriously -- at least according to this article.

[Iowa_Card]

Ok -- but the point remains that Obama advised the Canadian government not to take his tough NAFTA talk too seriously -- at least according to this article.

No, Obama didn't.

[FAR52]

No, Obama didn't.

Yeah, I'm sure this top staff member had gone rogue on this one.

[Bleacher Creature]

Yeah, I'm sure this top staff member had gone rogue on this one.

How do we really knwo it was indeed a "top" staff member? We're just reading an interpretation of it. You sir are just attempting to throw every bit of crap you can find against Barack, just hoping that one turd will stick to the wall.