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Obama-Clinton: Trade Wars
March 20, 2008 3:29 PM
ABC's Sunlen Miller and Eloise Harper report: Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign went on the offensive today, attacking Sen. Hillary Clinton by saying the records released yesterday detailing her daily schedule while First Lady show that she has been dishonest about her position on trade, calling it “the political equivalent of consumer fraud.”
At issue: Clinton’s stance on the trade agreement NAFTA. Obama campaign chief stagiest David Axelrod and Communications Director Robert Gibbs on a conference call Thursday with reporters said the records demonstrate that while Clinton has been campaigning in favor of NAFTA reform, she was in support of the groundbreaking North American Free Trade Agreement known as NAFTA’s passage in 1993.
They called for her to apologize for saying her record has been consistent on this issue.
“Now Senator Clinton, the people are owed not jut an apology….but they are owed an explanation of what the truth really is. If this is how you treat the truth when you run for office, how will you treat the truth as president?” Gibbs told reporters.
Clinton fired back today to these charges today when she spoke with reporters, reiterating that she has long-opposed NAFTA, even while her husband supported it in the White House.
"I don’t think that’s what you can infer from the release of the schedules. I have spoken consistently against NAFTA and the way it has been implemented at the time as many people have confirmed including (former Clinton aide) David Gergen, who chaired one of the meetings that is referenced on the schedule,” she said.
Indeed Gergen, who was a senior advisor to President Clinton in 1993 told CNN’s Anderson Cooper last month, “I was actually there in the Clinton White House during the NAFTA fight and I must tell you Hillary Clinton was extremely unenthusiastic about NAFTA. And I think that’s putting it mildly. I’m not sure she objected to all the provisions of it but she just didn’t see why her husband and that White House had to go and do that fight. She was very unhappy about it and wanted to move on to health care. So I do think there’s some justification for her camp saying, you know, she’s never been a great backer for NAFTA."
March 20, 2008 | Permalink | User Comments (40)
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Just Because she backed NAFTA Big Time and was at the Festival of Hats when The Irish Peace Negotiations were completed don't mean nothing, man.
Everybody know the "exerience thing" is just a ploy, anyway.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | Mar 20, 2008 3:35:58 PM
This article hardly brings forth the facts. A lengthy memo was realized from the Obama campaign today detailing her support on Nafta. If Americans want to see how they were lied to (before Ohio and Texas), I suggest they read the full memo. I don't have a link to it, but it will be out there within the day I'm sure.
Now, can we please do what we can to make sure we get the tax returns and the contributors BEFORE Pennsylvania?
Posted by: barbara miller | Mar 20, 2008 3:46:45 PM
Cursory readings of former First lady's schedule, I can not believe that the Obama camp can deduced what actually transpired in the meeting's deliberations. They tend to be moronic now to get off from
Rev. Wright's storms that is still raging from remaining ten more states scheduled for primaries and the remorse being
cried out by those voters who voted for him in states that he won. In Iowa, the
sentiment is changing. This is the start of his downfall. It is sad, that these college students who became his avid and rabid supporters, will be frustrated
from a man whom they see HOPE AND CHANGE,but betrayed.
Posted by: Francis Magno | Mar 20, 2008 3:47:40 PM
Okay, so she was unenthusiastic about NAFTA because the documented time she gave to supporting it took her away from her pet project, health care.
That's quite different from not supporting it. The truth is the truth and she isn't giving it.
Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!
Posted by: Jackt51 | Mar 20, 2008 3:47:51 PM
Obama's trying to find a life raft! It's going to get nastier before it gets better.
Posted by: calif | Mar 20, 2008 4:00:36 PM
So let tme get this straight Bill passes NAFTA and allows open borders, which in turn destroys the middle class. And we all know that Hilliary is running with the support of those who supported and agreed with her husband's policy. So why should we expect her to do anything different? And why, if they are such a "team" was this passed while she was out of the country. You can't have it three ways. A: She was instrumential in it's passing. B: She was out of the country and not involved. Or C: She is running against a policy she secretly supported and is just lying to all us. Which is it Hilliary? Don't worry I'm sure you'll tell us after this pesky little election thing works itself out... PLEASE!
Posted by: cba | Mar 20, 2008 4:04:05 PM
We all knew it was a bunch of lies from the start so what the big deal?She is a liar and always will be she knows nothing of the little guy,wait until you see the tax records and tell me how she compares to the middle calss or poor people .She looks down her nose at us.
Posted by: h | Mar 20, 2008 4:10:19 PM
Obama didn't go negative, Hillary did. Now she's gonna fein shock and maybe fake tears when she catches heat about NAFTA. How Presidential is that? The original contact with the Canadians was from her camp and she shoveled that crap over at Obama right before Texas. Now we find that her big victory in Texas may be Rush Limpbaugh Republicans. Great.
Hillary can't claim any more experience than Barack can, unless of course she is designing the test and I guess if that doesn't work for her she will change the questions after the answer sheet is turned in.
Does she really think McCain a better shot for us all than Obama? She will say anything to get the nomination. Maybe she will ask the Supreme Court to step in if she doesn't get it.
No more Clintons!
Posted by: Crazycat | Mar 20, 2008 4:11:42 PM
Per the Toronto Globe and Mail, in a story that was the lead on the paper’s front page March 6 2008, that call to the Canadian embassy was actually from the Clinton campaign, not Obama’s
oops she did it again
Posted by: fred | Mar 20, 2008 4:29:21 PM
cba, get your facts straight. Pres. Clinton didn't pass NAFTA, the two houses of Congress did with the help of the Republicans. Bush ONE signed the trade agreement with Mexico and Canada and at the time, many people thought it a good thing. We need to revisit the agreements and make sure of even dealings in wages and material, etc. All of you Obama people who think that he is so honorable and his campaign leaders are just sending out the truth had best wake up to reality. All of you have been as mean, racial and have lied throughout this campaign. Like I said in another post..... you can do all the checking you care to do but you won't find anywhere where for 20 years she associated with people who hate this and most of the people. Put the Kool-Aid down and look at the facts not the propaganda that Axelrod and Obama are feeding you. There is no way I want a president who wasn't loyal enough to stop listening to this hate ranting pastor. I don't want a first lady who for the first time in her adult life she is proud to be an American and only because her husband is running for office. I think all the reporters who are so eager to get something on Hillary should see exactly what she has been doing. In her anti-American years, did she voice those opinions? Did she do anything to harm this Country by encouraging young people to pledge their support for another Country or write anything which damn this Country? I want to know but I want the truth so I won't take Obama's or her words for anything.
Posted by: Mickey | Mar 20, 2008 4:30:02 PM
Why didn't Obama give Tuesday speech to his church before they gave an award to a known anti-Semite Lois Farrakhan? - Thats the question this democrat wants answered before I vote for McCain!
Posted by: John in Cape May | Mar 20, 2008 4:33:28 PM
Are we on the subject of NAFTA again?? lol I see Obama's campaign is working hard to divert our attention from the real and painful subject of Obama's friendship with a very controversial pastor and close friend....
Posted by: DMK | Mar 20, 2008 4:51:18 PM
SENATOR OBAMA would love to see us change the subject away from the REVEREND JEREMIAH WRIGHT debacle, now wouldn't he. By the way, where does HE stand on NAFTA? I know where HILLARY CLINTON stands, she would like to see it revisited. Shouldn't OBAMA have to take a stand on issues instead of finger wagging? Or is that what REVEREND WRIGHT told him to do?
Posted by: WestCoastMessenger | Mar 20, 2008 4:55:54 PM
Hillary is a big joke, David was there but other people were there also as participants to the NAFTA meeting. Why should we believe that David is telling us the truth and other people are lying. David has put his credibility on the line here and that is not good for him because he is on the same side as a Hillary who has never stood closer to the truth.
Posted by: BKMC | Mar 20, 2008 4:59:18 PM
I think we should elect a new born baby to be president.
Becuse a new born baby has done nothing, thus done nothing wrong, none enemies.
This is Obama's logic. Show me your record, Obama!
Posted by: golfgirlusa | Mar 20, 2008 5:03:41 PM
So let me get this straight, the Obama campaign is railing about Clinton's change of mind on NAFTA after more than 10 years and after viewing it from a pre and post implementation perspective? Then what should we think about his change of position on NAFTA depending on who he is discussing the issue with and after only a few days (Ohio debate to Canadian discussion? I think they are stepping in it with this one.
Posted by: mhhunt | Mar 20, 2008 5:07:40 PM
I have news for all of you. I am Black, and I have a Black Pastor. Like Barack Obama, I can think for myself. The views of my Pastor are not necessarily my views. We do have an ability to think for ourselves despite what you think. Did you or the Bushes disassociate yourselves from Strum Thurmond or Billy Graham? Your double standards are sickening. On another note, some of the remarks that the Pastor made were true! God will damn America for all of the things we've done in this Country and Abroad. Just you wait and see.
Posted by: Nati Town | Mar 20, 2008 5:13:53 PM
To Every one of the americans on this blog speaking out negatively and against Barack Obama's Pastor....You are proving the man right... you are the reason, your statements, your evident position is what jeremiah Wright is talking about and why he is angered. Oh well...I guess the few of you really don't care about change...why not? when I was in College my frigin' roomate turned out to be 'fucin' Aryan nation member...guns and all...try that on for laughs. He use to call me beatbox...I guess it's not hard to understand why I didn't like him much...however do to an inability for my school to find different housing for either of us we were forced to live together for a sememster. Wanna know how that ended? After many days of arguing debating and sometimes enduring angry silence somehow we engaged eachother to a duel. I would have to go to one of his head banging, beer guzzlin, tomato smashin', get bloody and muddy mash parties and in turn he had to go to one of my beep bop, fresh suit, 'hood posin', california smoke puffin'black parties. Oddly enough his acutal interaction with blacks changed his ideals pretty quickly when he realized that they didn't dislike like him personally. of course he had to hide hide that nazi tattoo and stop saying nig... but yeah a few drinks wit the brothas and some groupie love from the sista's and my nazi american roomate suddenly realized that black people don't hate...but we can be angry...likewise it was my first time ever going to a ...mash party and i have to admit ....it was great! It was an opportunity to elbow a few white boys in the chin...without reprisal. But... I soon came to realize that they didn't recognize my aggression as a vent of anger but actually loved me more when I did that...They actually ignored my anger. I was for a moment confused before I too realized that White people don't want to hate... their just angry at times...too. Well... i don't know if that means anything to any of you here on this blog but... to my old college roomate, I know your still a republican and probably spend most of your time on those super right wing blogs but if you by chance happen to see this i want you to know...my clothes are still muddy...I love you William...my brotha from another mutha'...
Posted by: Russell | Mar 20, 2008 5:25:11 PM
How many times can Obama run over grandma in a week? Answer: Two . . . so far.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Mar 20, 2008 5:31:19 PM
David Gergen sounds like a Hillary Clinton surrogate. Hillary Clinton has too many skeletons in her closet and out of her closet to be electable in November the Republicans will have a Fields Day.
Obama wont be stopped
Posted by: Lookup | Mar 20, 2008 5:50:02 PM
Obama owes Clinton an immediate apology. Here's what David Gergen told Anderson Cooper about a meeting he held on NAFTA:
"I was actually there in the Clinton White House during the NAFTA fight and I must tell you Hillary Clinton was extremely unenthusiastic about NAFTA. And I think that"s putting it mildly. I"m not sure she objected to all the provisions of it but she just didn"t see why her husband and that White House had to go and do that fight. She was very unhappy about it and wanted to move on to health care. So I do think there"s some justification for her camp saying, you know, she"s never been a great backer for NAFTA." [David Gergen, Anderson Cooper 360, 2/25/08]"
More twisting and distortion by Axelrod and Obama. The very thing that they alleged the Clinton's were doing. And they are also deceiving the electorate. The Obama campaign is behind an effort to block re-votes in MI and FL. They claim that it could not be done fairly. That is not true. The real reason they don't want a re-do, is because in a fair vote in FL and MI, they're afraid they'll lose. So who will do anything to win......Obama!
Posted by: KDH55 | Mar 20, 2008 5:56:50 PM
Do any of you Obama folks even know what NAFTA is? What does it do? What are its obligations? For US? For Mexico? For Canada? Now, Canada is our # 1 oil supplier and if you want to cancel the deal go for it! I do know that OPEC is courting the Canadians to join OPEC. And I do know OPEC has sent three delegations to Calgary, their oil capital, asking Canadians to honor OPEC oil output as they set pumping standards. Boy, if Canada were to join OPEC you will get the $10.00 a gallon gas we fear. With the talk of NAFTA I also do know that Prime Minister Harper has stated if America wants to redo NAFTA he is putting oil on the table. So be careful what you wish for.
Posted by: Dogsoldier | Mar 20, 2008 6:01:16 PM
David, please get your facts straight. We all know NOW that the little wink and nod came from clinton....why else would they even mention her name in the conversation.
I know you all would love to keep blaming Obama for the canadian/NAFTA bs, but she won Ohio on a BIG LIE!
Posted by: LA in Indiana | Mar 20, 2008 6:30:14 PM
Hillabeans is Toast!!
Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!
Posted by: Jackt51 | Mar 20, 2008 6:31:44 PM
dogsoldier, so some of us shouldn't be concerned about the damage NAFTA has done to this country?
Posted by: LA in Indiana | Mar 20, 2008 6:33:37 PM
Uh Mickey I DON'T support Obama, and Bill and Hilliary DID play a role in NAFTA's implementaion, otherwise, what is she running AWAY from??? And many MORE people (read UNIONS) KNEW this deal was going to destroy the middle class, it's just that you were so busy drooling at JFK jr., that you weren't reading what it was going to do to the country. I realize that their is a thing called "Bush derangement syndrome", but it can and does apply to Clinton as well. Was she really there for ALL of his successes but NONE of his failures. How quaint. Just like Hilliary to want to take over the controls of the plane, but shift over to the co-pilot when she puts it into a nosedive!!! Typical, liberal, trype.
Posted by: cba | Mar 20, 2008 7:22:23 PM
Joris, I enjoyed your comment regarding Hillary "Just wait until these taxes come out! Get your popcorn ready!" It's extraordinarily difficult to have one’s life under the microscope. Obama has handled that pressure in the manner we would expect from a President. The media hasn’t put Hillary under the microscope, but the Republicans certainly will. I want a front a front row seat when she crumbles.
Posted by: 1962ottumwa | Mar 20, 2008 9:35:53 PM
Well Obama has a position on NAFTA with the American public and another with the Canadian government.
Posted by: RAUL | Mar 21, 2008 12:52:00 AM
How can Obama complain about Hillary's position on NAFTA? He says one thing to Americans and another to the Canadians. He is deceiving and lying.
Posted by: RAUL | Mar 21, 2008 12:54:41 AM
Why is Obama so afraid to give Florida and Michigan voters their right to vote in the primaries? Maybe he is affraid that now that people knows that he is a divider he won't do so good.
Posted by: RAUL | Mar 21, 2008 12:57:34 AM
David Axelrod= Karl Rove
Posted by: RAUL | Mar 21, 2008 12:59:18 AM
Hillary Clinton has been under the media and Republican microscopes for at least 18 years and she continues strong working for America. Obama is put under the microscope just one week and he crumbles.
Posted by: RAUL | Mar 21, 2008 1:02:07 AM
Considering Hillary loves showing up to secretive trade summits with other powerful international business and state leaders held in places like Canada (in violation of US law) she must really HATE free trade. Wake up and smell the Globalism!
Posted by: Johan | Mar 21, 2008 11:12:11 AM
Anybody here quoting David Gergen
is quoting a Clinton Toadie!
Gergen was a member of Bill's Administration as was George Stephenopoulus, Lanny Davis, James
Carville etc! If you want the facts
don't listen to them!
Those papers that were just released show that Hillary Clinton had meetings
with several womens groups to get support for NAFTA from those groups!
Those are Facts on Record!
Anything she said in private cannot be
verified and is worthless to the discussion!
Posted by: reaganfan | Mar 21, 2008 1:32:28 PM
Obama is being disingenuous when he says Hillary wasn't against NAFTA during Clinton Admin. David Gurgan a Harvard professor among others stated Hillary strongly objected to parts of NAFTA. If Obama's reseach people don't know this they are incomptent.And he is lying.
Posted by: roncraw | Mar 21, 2008 2:37:27 PM
Obama is being disingenuous when he says Hillary wasn't against NAFTA during Clinton Admin. David Gurgan a Harvard professor among others stated Hillary strongly objected to parts of NAFTA. If Obama's reseach people don't know this they are incomptent.And he is lying.
Posted by: roncraw | Mar 21, 2008 2:39:28 PM
roncraw:
Gergen is lying! He was a member of
Bill Clinton's Administration!
The fact that he is a Harvard law
professor is irrelevant!
He is a Clintonite, as is Stephenopoulus, Davis, Carville!
He papers say she was having meetings with womens groups to get them to Support NAFTA!
Posted by: reaganfan | Mar 22, 2008 12:19:35 AM
quote " you can't hold people responsible for what other people say around them" that is funny and so made up to excuse a man that sat for 22 years and listened to spewed crap. but Ddon imus producer was sure fired for what don imus said get off your high horses and view this for what it is, a big rascist crap shoot. Started by Mr Obama and his pastor. you people keep bringing up Falwell, Robertson, Billy grahma and who all but no presidential candidate ever sat in their church for 22 years and listened to hate mongering
Posted by: john houser | Mar 22, 2008 12:49:54 PM
Obama's trade policy is talking to union members in one way, then making a secret agreement with foreign country another way. What a joke!!! Is he working for Americans?
Posted by: Zack | Mar 22, 2008 4:52:38 PM
So you looking for truth ? ok
why was Hillary Name on Primary Ballot in Mich & FL. The Truth now.
Posted by: t.v.ed | Mar 22, 2008 6:21:33 PM
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