This is from the Star.
Too bad. It would be a great idea to open NAFTA. Canada should never have sold out all its natural resources to the U.S. as it did and continues to do under NAFTA. McCain will be spouting platitudes about the beauty of free trade and how he loves NAFTA while Obama is a danger to NAFTA.
Obama softens on NAFTA TheStar.com - USElection - Obama softens on NAFTA
J. SCOTT APPLEWHITE/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Illinois Senator Barack Obama denies in a forthcoming Fortune magazine interview that his administration would move to unilaterally reopen NAFTA (June 18, 2008).
Presidential hopeful backs off threat to reopen trade pact; says he would talk with Canada, Mexico
June 20, 2008 Tim HarperWASHINGTON BUREAU
WASHINGTON–Barack Obama, who once vowed to use the "hammer'' of opting out of NAFTA to force the renegotiation of the trade pact, now says he will seek change through dialogue if he is elected U.S. president.
The presumptive Democratic nominee says in the upcoming edition of Fortune magazine that campaign rhetoric can sometimes get "overheated and amplified," and he denies he would move to unilaterally reopen the trilateral trade deal.
Obama's comments surfaced on the eve of a Canadian appearance by his rival, presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, who is expected to use an Ottawa speech today to highlight the Democrat's threat to reopen the deal.
Obama dialled back his anti-NAFTA stance in an interview with Fortune the same day he said he received a congratulatory phone call from Prime Minister Stephen Harper on winning enough convention delegates to get the Democratic presidential nomination.
"I'm not a big believer in doing things unilaterally," Obama said in the Fortune interview. "I'm a big believer in opening up a dialogue and figuring out how we can make this work for all people.''
His campaign denied he said anything in the interview that changed his core position on trade, pointing to earlier statements in which he promised to talk to Harper and Mexican President Felipe Calderon about improving NAFTA's labour and environmental standards.
At a debate in Cleveland in the final days of the Ohio primary campaign in March, Obama agreed with Democratic rival Hillary Clinton when she said the six-month opt-out clause should be invoked on NAFTA to force changes.
"I think we should use the hammer of a potential opt-out as leverage to ensure that we actually get labour and environmental standards that are enforced," he said.
But every time Obama alters his statements on NAFTA, he lends credence to a Feb. 8 memo describing a meeting between his economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, and George Rioux, Ottawa's consul-general in Chicago.
The Canadian memo, which was leaked to The Associated Press, said Goolsbee told Rioux that Obama's campaign remarks about NAFTA should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy.
In a more complete Fortune transcript, obtained by the online Huffington Post, Obama says: "My core position has never changed.
"I've always been a proponent of free trade and I've always been a believer that we have to have strong environmental provisions and strong labour provisions in our trade agreements."
Showing posts with label Obama on NAFTA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Obama on NAFTA. Show all posts
Friday, June 20, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Much Ado About Nothing
That title is probably apt for many media stories. The U.S. media circus re the primaries barely registers any Mexican or Canadian concerns about what is going on even when it comes to NAFTA. From any stories I have read the opening of NAFTA is just one of those common rhetorical waves at the loss of manufacturing jobs in certain parts of the USA. There is no mention of the negatives from Canada's point of view or that NAFTA ties us into being reliable and cheap energy suppliers for the U.S. Negatives for Mexico are not mentioned either. This is from the Toronto Sun.
The Conservative leaking of the remarks about Obama not being serious about re-opening NAFTA is not likely to have much effect. Perhaps the Conservatives have an inflated idea of their influence on U.S. politics. Why some Canadian bloggers are so interested in the U.S. primaries puzzles me. None of the candidates are outside the usual norm of representing vested interests. All make the U.S. safe from substantial change that would challenge the military-industrial complex. Politics is marketing plus entertainment for the most part in the U.S. although there are some genuine issues at stake as well.
March 1, 2008
Tories anti-Obama?
Accused of leaking pro-NAFTA chat with Barack
By BETH GORHAM, THE CANADIAN PRESS
WASHINGTON -- A fracas over reports that Barack Obama isn't serious about reopening NAFTA has ensnared Canada's Conservative government, which faced accusations yesterday of trying to sink the Democrat's chances in the U.S. presidential race.
ABC News quoted an unnamed source as saying Ian Brodie, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff, leaked word that a top Obama adviser told a Canadian official not to take all the anti-NAFTA rhetoric seriously.
Obama's senior economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, spoke with Georges Rioux, Canada's consul general in Chicago, in a bid to placate officials north of the border about the trade pact, CTV News said.
The ABC source said Brodie told CTV News about the conversation after learning about it from Ambassador Michael Wilson. The source went on to say Wilson exaggerated what was said.
"Ian Brodie does not recall discussing this matter," said Harper spokeswoman Sandra Buckler.
But the Liberals in Ottawa pounced on the ABC report as evidence of a "shocking" interference in the U.S. presidential campaign.
"I'm stunned that the Harper government would insert itself into the U.S. election," said Leslie Swartmann, director of communications for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. "It's crazy to what lengths they would go to ensure a Republican is elected."
The Liberals are suggesting the Conservatives were trying to pin the blame on Wilson to avoid criticism of interfering in U.S. politics.
CLINTON ON CASE
Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign has also jumped on reports that Obama, her rival for the presidential nomination, isn't serious about reopening the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The Canadian Embassy and Obama's team have issued blunt denials that anyone ever suggested Obama is engaging in doubletalk on NAFTA to win over voters in Ohio, who blame the trade pact for lost jobs.
Goolsbee said he wouldn't confirm or deny talking with Rioux about Obama's position on the deal.
Both Clinton and Obama have said they want NAFTA renegotiated to include labour and environmental protections.
Harper said yesterday that reopening the 1994 continental pact would be a "mistake".
The Conservative leaking of the remarks about Obama not being serious about re-opening NAFTA is not likely to have much effect. Perhaps the Conservatives have an inflated idea of their influence on U.S. politics. Why some Canadian bloggers are so interested in the U.S. primaries puzzles me. None of the candidates are outside the usual norm of representing vested interests. All make the U.S. safe from substantial change that would challenge the military-industrial complex. Politics is marketing plus entertainment for the most part in the U.S. although there are some genuine issues at stake as well.
March 1, 2008
Tories anti-Obama?
Accused of leaking pro-NAFTA chat with Barack
By BETH GORHAM, THE CANADIAN PRESS
WASHINGTON -- A fracas over reports that Barack Obama isn't serious about reopening NAFTA has ensnared Canada's Conservative government, which faced accusations yesterday of trying to sink the Democrat's chances in the U.S. presidential race.
ABC News quoted an unnamed source as saying Ian Brodie, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief of staff, leaked word that a top Obama adviser told a Canadian official not to take all the anti-NAFTA rhetoric seriously.
Obama's senior economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, spoke with Georges Rioux, Canada's consul general in Chicago, in a bid to placate officials north of the border about the trade pact, CTV News said.
The ABC source said Brodie told CTV News about the conversation after learning about it from Ambassador Michael Wilson. The source went on to say Wilson exaggerated what was said.
"Ian Brodie does not recall discussing this matter," said Harper spokeswoman Sandra Buckler.
But the Liberals in Ottawa pounced on the ABC report as evidence of a "shocking" interference in the U.S. presidential campaign.
"I'm stunned that the Harper government would insert itself into the U.S. election," said Leslie Swartmann, director of communications for Liberal Leader Stephane Dion. "It's crazy to what lengths they would go to ensure a Republican is elected."
The Liberals are suggesting the Conservatives were trying to pin the blame on Wilson to avoid criticism of interfering in U.S. politics.
CLINTON ON CASE
Democrat Hillary Clinton's campaign has also jumped on reports that Obama, her rival for the presidential nomination, isn't serious about reopening the North American Free Trade Agreement.
The Canadian Embassy and Obama's team have issued blunt denials that anyone ever suggested Obama is engaging in doubletalk on NAFTA to win over voters in Ohio, who blame the trade pact for lost jobs.
Goolsbee said he wouldn't confirm or deny talking with Rioux about Obama's position on the deal.
Both Clinton and Obama have said they want NAFTA renegotiated to include labour and environmental protections.
Harper said yesterday that reopening the 1994 continental pact would be a "mistake".
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