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More on that Canadian Television Story About Obama and NAFTA

February 29, 2008 7:56 AM

The latest from Canadian Television (LINK ) on that story that a senior member of Sen. Barack Obama's campaign team had reached out to the Canadian Ambassador to the U.S. to tell him not to take seriously Obama's fiery anti-NAFTA rhetoric includes questions about a conversation on this subject between Obama senior economic adviser Austan Goolsbee and the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago.

"I don't think it's appropriate to go to Ohio and tell people one thing while your aide is calling the Canadian ambassador and telling him something else," Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., told us yesterday as we flew from Houston to Dallas. "I certainly don't think that's straight talk."

ABC News' Jennifer Parker spoke to Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economics professor, Thursday who would not confirm or deny that he had a conversation with Georges Rioux, the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago.

"They contacted me at one point to say 'hello' because their office is around the corner but it is not correct that I contacted them at all," Goolsbee told ABC News Thursday.

Rioux, in meetings this week in Ottawa, would also neither confirm nor deny any conversation took place. Both men did say that they know each other.

Both Obama and the Canadian Embassy have denied that the CTV story is true.

- jpt

February 29, 2008 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (95)

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Its interesting to see How all the arabs are rallying and raising money for him even though he is a "Christian" very interesting. I think they are trying to gain political strength to change US policies and to gain citizen ship. He is will never put USA first.. It will always be ARABS first

Posted by: Muslims for President Hussen | Feb 29, 2008 3:36:58 PM

RJ wrote: "Both stories are based on anonymous sources (one by *canadian* tv i might add), both stories have elicited vehement denials from all involved. So why is this story still rumbling, but we take McCain for his word?"

Pre-S. Canada is our largest trading partner, so expect them to keep on top of this story.

Obama's campaign vehemently denies any conversation took place, meanwhile Austan Goolsbee and Georges Rioux vehemently cannot confirm or deny that any conversation took place. This is a tactic in politics called 'lying.' It's extraordinarily popular, owing to its extraordinary effectiveness. The trick is, you tell a lie that 51% of the voters want to hear.

For instance, "I'm going to withdraw our troops from Iraq." Remember when the Democrats, including Senator Obama, captured both chambers of congress with that mandate? Remember when they pulled our troops out of Iraq, or even really tried? Likewise, NAFTA is not going anywhere (nor should it go anywhere) - Obama knows this, and he sent his top economic adviser to make sure Canada knows it, too. If you don't like it, you can always vote for Nader.

Posted by: honestly | Feb 29, 2008 3:33:06 PM

He is a hack and his wife is worse, I am glad and England are joining in warning us about this fraud. I think he will prioritize muslims for obama first and the rest of the american's going to be last.

He will never defend USA. This guy is a radical closet muslim... I don't believe it for a minute that his a true Christian. He just converted for politics. I think he is wrapped around the Saudis and will bring harm to AMERICA.

Posted by: VOTE HIM OUT | Feb 29, 2008 3:33:04 PM

Carmen - Actually two countries, even the UK is warning about him.

Now whether or not the Canadian story is true, Obama will do nothing to NAFTA, we all know that, he will not be able to!

Posted by: spock | Feb 29, 2008 3:28:40 PM

Our media houses should be ashamed that the foreign press is more open and concerned about who we put in the WH than they are.

Its really sad that it took the Canadians to be so open about Obama and not picking a side with this NAFTA issue, what does that say about our press when they went so far to say Obama camp was not guilty after only taking it from one source.

Hats off for CNTV for standing their ground and calling it as it is.

Posted by: SJ | Feb 29, 2008 3:24:41 PM

It is really SAD THAT IT TAKES ANOTHER COUNTRY TO STEP IN AND STOP THIS MONSTER (OBAMA). Even if Obama wins the nomination, he WILL NEVER EVER WIN THE GENERAL ELECTION AGAINST McCain.

Obama and his campaign thinks that they can BUY EVERYONE BUT NOT EVERYONE IS FOR SALE.

Posted by: Carmen | Feb 29, 2008 3:01:31 PM

Re: the Canadian connection.

CTV stands by its story. My only other comment for all those trying to make hay for Hillary here, is that she issued a denial just like Obama.

So why isn't she all over him on this....

Anti NAFTA rhetoric is a major plank in the Democratic platform regardless of candidate.

I think this one hurts them both. Badly.

Posted by: Bill | Feb 29, 2008 2:28:45 PM

Mark - He didn't do much in the IL senate -- which was under GOP control until 2002, when the majority went to Dems. And for the whole story on just HOW he got that stellar record?

Posted by: Dormaphaea | Feb 29, 2008 2:11:05 PM

TheRizzo. You said Hillary's people challenged CTV to reveal their source - do you have a link on that? I'd like to read it.

The rest of whay I said still stands this one's a Democrat killer either way.

Posted by: Bill | Feb 29, 2008 2:08:51 PM

When you don't stand behind what you say, they are just words. BO truly is all talk and no action...we cannot entrust the presidency to him because we have no idea what he stands for.

Hillary is clear, consistent and strong. We know exactly how she will help this country rebuild and we need her.

TX, OH, VT, RI, WY, Mississippi, and all the rest, please correct the mistakes some of us have made. Vote Hillary.

Posted by: ann | Feb 29, 2008 2:01:12 PM

'just words' on NAFTA from Sen Obama it seems, no intention of keeping his "word" to the American people, esp the voters in OH, what other words were 'just lies'

Posted by: ginaswo | Feb 29, 2008 1:54:16 PM

99% of the Corporate Owned Media is promoting Obama and concealing negative info about him.

IIRC - ABC News is the only network to reveal the Rezko mess and expose Obama's "judgment."

Apparently, ABC News is the only network to expose Obama and the Canadians.


Posted by: JoseyJJ | Feb 29, 2008 1:50:48 PM

Watch Fox News, they won't cover it up, trust me.

Posted by: Jo | Feb 29, 2008 1:50:28 PM

"A Canadian perspective:

Hillary Clinton's campaign is also reported to have made contact with the Canadians. She's not going to say a word. I think the Democrats just lost the election."

Bill, her campaign came out instantly on Wednesday when this story first came out and said it did not happen, and that CTV had blanket immunity from her campaign to expose the supposed supporter of hers that provided that information.

To date CTV has not released a name of the Clinton camp even though they told them to do it if they had it. CTV however did come out with the Obama senior economic adviser Goolsbee.

If CTV had a legit name for the Clinton camp they would have released it at the same time. They did not.

Posted by: TheRizzo | Feb 29, 2008 1:49:56 PM

No one in Clinton's campaign contacted the Canadians!!

Obama is a con.

Posted by: JoseyJJ | Feb 29, 2008 1:47:39 PM

To any of the supporters of Mr. Obama - do not assume that the only possible reason anyone does not support Obama is because they can't handle a black president. Newsflash - Obama is bi-racial , not black. Maybe we just don't trust him, not unlike your blind faith in all matters that are anti-Bush. Please.

Posted by: Don Eskridge | Feb 29, 2008 1:44:41 PM

A Canadian perspective:

Hillary Clinton's campaign is also reported to have made contact with the Canadians. She's not going to say a word. I think the Democrats just lost the election.

But ask yourself this, Harper is very very cozy with George Bush, so if the Canadians "leak" this, then deny it, they have learned their lessons well.

Harper is anti Kyoto, pro NAFTA, pro Afghanistan, wanted to go into Iraq (but was outvoted) and has a vested interest in the political demise of Barack Obama.

Posted by: Bill | Feb 29, 2008 1:41:13 PM

I can't imagine why anyone finds this surprising. The swooning support this man has is a piece of the same sort of double dealing deception.


Obama's recurring claim is to be a post-partisan reach across the aisle candidate and President, a moderate, a centrist. Yet, his liberal supporters are no doubt counting on him repudiating any sort of centrism when it comes to actually governing -- whether the issue be Supreme Court appointments, gay marriage, abortion rights, tax policy, withdrawal from Iraq ... strike that ... retreat / surrender ... in Iraq or any other issue. These people full yexpect ... indeed will demand ... that President Obama will repudiate any suggestion of centrism for pure unabashed FDR / LBJ ACLU liberalism.

The only surprise here is that the door swung the other way first.

Yet there is not one real world fact supporting such a claim by the Senate's most liberal member.

Posted by: Bill | Feb 29, 2008 1:36:25 PM

It figures that it would take the Canadian media to dig out the truth......how sad is that!!

Posted by: Firefighter | Feb 29, 2008 1:27:02 PM

Rebecka,

On the tv, not the website.

Posted by: USVet | Feb 29, 2008 1:21:00 PM

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