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Clinton: 'I'm Just Getting Warmed Up' and NAFTA
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ShareMarch 03, 2008 10:13 AM
ABC News' Kate Snow, Sunlen Miller and Eloise Harper Report: Senator Hillary Clinton says she fully expects to win tomorrow and move on to Pennsylvania and the other states that hold contests beyond tomorrow’s big primary day.
“I’m just getting warmed up,” said a confident Clinton.
Clinton says she has just one measure of success tomorrow -- “Winning.” Asked several times what precisely would constitute a victory on Tuesday (would she need to win big? Win in all four states?) she returned to the same answer four times—“Winning. Winning. Winning. That’s my measure of success. Winning.”
“Ohio is key to winning the presidency,” Clinton told reporters early Monday in Toledo. And having traveled through the buckeye state for the past 24 hours, she said “it feels really good out there”.
But on this day before the big contest, she was also eager to continue to draw contrasts with Senator Barack Obama.
Clinton zeroed in on a new report about a memo written by a member of the Canadian government, which suggested that the Obama campaign had indirectly given members of the Canadian government some assurances that any talk about reforming NAFTA on the campaign trail should be viewed as nothing more than election year politics.
“Well if you come to Ohio and you both give speeches that are very critical of NAFTA and you send out misleading and false information about my position regarding NAFTA and then we find out that your chief economic advisor has gone to a foreign government and basically done the old wink wink, don’t pay any attention this is just political rhetoric. I think that raises serious questions,” Clinton said.
“I would ask you to look at that story. Substitute my name for Senator Obama’s name and see what you would do with that story,” Clinton said, suggesting that the story would be getting more attention if it were about her, rather than about Senator Obama.
The internal document, obtained by the Associated Press, recounts a conversation between a senior economic advisor to the Obama campaign, Austan Goolsbee, and officials with the Canadian consulate in Chicago.
“Goolsbee candidly acknowledged the protectionist sentiment that has emerged, particularly in the Midwest, during the primary campaign. He cautioned that this messaging should not be taken out of context and should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans,” the memo read, according to the Associated Press.
Gooslbee told the AP that the memo was an inaccurate portrayal of his private discussion with the Canadian officials and called it a mis-representation of his words. He also told the AP that he was surprised that such a low-level meeting had created so much controversy.
Later Monday, Obama acknowledged his senior economics adviser did meet with Canadian officials, but disputed the Canadian government memo that said Obama's rhetoric on protectionism shouldn't be taken too seriously.
"It turned out that the Canadian consulate in Chicago contacted my, one of my advisors, Austen Goolsbee, on their own initiative, invited him down to meet with them. He went down there as a courtesy and at some point they started talking about trade and NAFTA," Obama said.
But his said that everything Goolsbee spoke about was in line with his views on NAFTA: "The Canadian embassy has confirmed that he said exactly what I’ve said on the campaign trail which is that I believe in trade but that it is important for us to have labor standards and environmental standards that are enforceable and that I would intend to take modifications in amendments to NAFTA that will make them enforceable," Obama said.
Obama turned this story around on Clinton and said they are the ones fueling the argument: "This notion that Senator Clinton in peddling that somehow there is contradictions or winks and nods has been disputed by all the parties involved. What’s not disputed is that Senator Clinton and her husband championed NAFTA, worked on behalf of NAFTA, called it a victory, called it good for America until she started running for president. That is indisputable. That is a fact. And so I know that the Clinton campaign ahs been true to its word in pulling a kitchen sink strategy."
March 3, 2008 in Bush, George W., Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (32)
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Martha - per an MIT study, there as no correlation to failing the bar exam with regards to classes, states, reviews, etc. The end result as anecdotal at best - anyone can fail a bar exam and failure has nothing to do with intelligence or quality of education. In fact, passing the bar does not guarantee a license to practice.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 1:32:33 PM
Harold - since you have a need for facts, the republican machine spent 40 million tax payer dollars trying to take Hillary Clinton down for the things you mentioned. She was exonerated on all counts and the best they could do was expose Bill's sexual exploits that 60% of Americans did not care about and 80% of Dems did not care about. They lady has been vetted so there is nothing to explain. If you need to educate yourself, the facts are on the Internet and in government documents. You can use the Freedom of Information Act if you want your own copy of available reports.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 1:59:29 PM
Brian - check the transcripts of the last debate, both voting records, and factcheck as well as the WSJ to find out both candidates support NAFTA where it works and want to fix it where it doesnt by renegotiating the agreements. Obama pitched and supported the latest deal with Peru which is identical to NAFTA and Clinton voted against it.
Perhaps you need to do more research using legitimate independent sources instead of campaign websites or blogs. I am a strong believer in uniting the country not just the party by helping each other not be lemmings of campaigns or the biased MSM.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 2:04:49 PM
GOVERNOR ANN RICHARDS: "Well, no wonder. No wonder we can’t figure it out. Because the leadership of this nation is telling us one thing on TV and doing something entirely different."
Posted by: BMurphyNYC | Mar 3, 2008 2:52:29 PM
The man Harold makes a point indirectly that is.
This Rezko thing reminds me alot of the Whitewater accusations. From memory I seem to recall vague assertions and unfounded allegations about the Clinton's tie in to a nefarious real estate deal in Arkansas. But the Grandiose Whitewater allegations was much ado about nothing. Ditto Travel Gate.
Seems that this Rezko thing is starting out a lot like these phony accustations/investigations of the past.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | Mar 3, 2008 2:53:15 PM
Commander Guy - time will tell... I did see that after the FBI Mole information was reported on "several meetings between Rezko and the Governor and Rezko and Obama" and possibly taped secretly by that mole, Senator Clinton's camp asked the Obama camp to release documents regarding communications and meetings with Rezko. Most likely, the Obama camp will not release the documents given their several days of denial until proven guilty by the Canadians with a memo they are currently trying to explain away regarding NAFTA. Of course, they could probably say those documents were release to the FBI and are part of the investigation therefore they cannot comment. LOL
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 3:01:32 PM
sen clinton, i am hoping for a big win for you. i am 71 and a die-hard democrat--my grandfather instilled that in me many years ago. i also would like to see an investigation on obama's background, as to whether he really is a muslum--i am afraid if he gets in he won't last sorry to say. i don't think this country is ready for a african-american president. he may be a good person, but i just don't he is always truthful in what he is going to do. also, can you tell which president encouraged the nafta, and wrote it up for the next president to sign. i was thinking it was president g h w bush. but i just can't remember for sure. i am going to vote for you and all, 7 of my children are. their dad worked for ford motor co had to retire on disability in 81 and then passed in 86, but there are now a lot of workers in all the auto industries are losing jobs and it is sad all their jobs are sourced out to foreign countries so these companies can make bigger profits and if this keeps up i will be left with no pension nor health insurance as will many many others will. thank you and "God Bless" you in winning the election. i admire you so much and pres clinton and chelsea has grown into a very attractive "lady". please have obama's "true" religion as i belive he is a muslum.
Posted by: ramona r stewart | Mar 3, 2008 3:51:39 PM
Yes Ramona, Bush Sr is the NAFTA architect. If I remember right, Bill Clinton in his first 3 years was having trouble with the Republican congress and they wanted that passed in exchange for cooperating on another bill. Hillary Clinton is on record as not being in favor of it in 1993. She stated in the debate that she feels it is good for some parts of the country but bad for other parts and already has a 4 point plan to fix it so it works for everyone. Obama parroted her answer in the debate so they both have the same stand on that issue.
Posted by: DCVoter | Mar 3, 2008 4:26:23 PM
Ohio is key? HILLARY IS A JOKE. Why not Texas? In case she didn't know, Texas has 193 delegates up for grabs and Ohio only has 141! The reason she mentioned Ohio and not Texas is they are now predicting she will lose Texas. Shame on Hillary, if anyone should know better than to not believe the polls, it should be her.
I was feeling bad for her, of course not bad enough to actually vote for her tomorrow. But, I am sick and tired of their spin and moving of the goal post after every single contest.
If she does not win BIG tomorrow, she should drop out. Eventhough I don't support her, I had no problem with her staying in the race but this bull is to much.
As far as the Canada story, OBAMA SHOULD COME OUT AND SAY THE US WILL NOT BE THREATNED. And a vote for him is a vote for Green Tech. and less dependence on OIL! In other words, the Canadians can kiss his and our Amer. you know what. Imagine those little basta/// threatening us......
Anyway, IF HE DOES NOT ADDRESS THIS ISSUE TODAY, HE WILL LOSE TOMORROW. While Hillary is sure she will lose Tex. I am not so sure she will. I don't expect she will win by the huge margin that she NEEDS, but I still don't think she will lose.
Posted by: TRC | Mar 3, 2008 4:45:25 PM
If Hillary Clinton does lose in Texas and Ohio on Tuesday, Barack Obama should send dinner invitations to 10 or 12 journalists(?)who bent over backwards to take shots at Senator Clinton. I believe in Freedom of the Press, but not Freedom of the Mess. And that is exactly what the news media has made of the Democratic Primary rade for president.
Posted by: PJay | Mar 3, 2008 9:24:32 PM
Yes, I guess Hillary is just getting warmed up. The attacks were successful because of Bill visiting CANADA this past weekend. Bill got the ball rolling.
What Hillary and Bill fail to realize is--THEIR CORRUPTION WILL BE DISCLOSED WITHIN A WEEK.
AMERICA needs to see once and for all just how DISHONEST America's most famous COUPLE has become.
Posted by: Gregory | Mar 4, 2008 1:48:47 AM
Bill visited Canada? I suppose he was also at the meeting with Obama's advisor and the Canadian government? No wait, he set the meeting up, right?
LAPTYT!
Posted by: yellowdogdemocrat | Mar 4, 2008 3:24:59 PM
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