Obama caught fibbing on NAFTA

Will the followers of Obama's Cult of Change let this story change their minds about their hero?

During Tuesday's Democratic presidential debate in Cleveland, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton, both in full-pander mode, tried to play up to organized labor by tarring the North American Free Trade Agreement, claiming, although evidence doesn't back up their claims, that NAFTA costs Americans jobs.

In the general election, NAFTA-trashing won't get either of them very far. Most people support it. So what to do?

Here's how Obama's staff handled it. Will the New York Times follow up?

From the American Thinker:

Regardless, both candidates trashed the agreement and said they would reopen it to renegotiation. But Obama went a step further; according to Canadian TV he actually had one of his primary aides get in touch with the Canadian government and assure them that Obama was just demagoguing the issue and that he would not press for any major changes.

The Obama camp denied this story and called it a smear. Evidently CTV doesn't like being referred to as a liar because they have released the information that the Obama camp couldn't afford to have out there - the name of the Obama aide who spoke to the Canadian government:

The Obama campaign told CTV late Thursday night that no message was passed to the Canadian government that suggests that Obama does not mean what he says about opting out of NAFTA if it is not renegotiated.

From CTV:

However, the Obama camp did not respond to repeated questions from CTV on reports that a conversation on this matter was held between Obama's senior economic adviser -- Austan Goolsbee -- and the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago.

Earlier Thursday, the Obama campaign insisted that no conversations have taken place with any of its senior ranks and representatives of the Canadian government on the NAFTA issue.

On Thursday night, CTV spoke with Goolsbee, but he refused to say whether he had such a conversation with the Canadian government office in Chicago. He also said he has been told to direct any questions to the campaign headquarters.

Back to the American Thinker:

CTV is also reporting that their high level source in the Canadian government is reconfirming the visit by the Obama staffer.

Audacious!

Related post:

NAFTA, the Dem debate and some Chicago steelworkers

Technorati tags: NAFTA Canada Mexico méxico trade Barack Obama politics Democrats news Barack Obama Hillary Clinton hillary hillary CTV unions Cleveland