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Obama-Clinton: Trade Wars

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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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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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