Clinton / NAFTA - Campaign Told Canada's Ian Brodie Not To Worry About NAFTA

Once again the mainstream media screwed up a story. This one on NAFTAgate. It turns out that not just an Obama advisor talked to Canada's PM's Chief of Staff, Ian Brodie, but a Clinton Campaign representative did as well.

According to the Winnipeg Sun , Brodie said: "someone from (Hillary) Clinton’s campaign is telling the embassy to take it with a grain of salt ... That someone called us and told us not to worry.”

Government officials did not deny the conversation took place."

This news makes the Clinton campaign's claims regarding Obama look hypocritical. Read this take from the ObamaBlog , and here's the whole story from the Winnipeg Sun:

OTTAWA — If the prime minister is seeking the first link in the chain of events that has rocked the U.S. presidential race, he need look no further than his chief of staff, Ian Brodie, The Canadian Press has learned.

A candid comment to journalists from CTV News by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s most senior political staffer during the hurly-burly of a budget lock-up provided the initial spark in what the American media are now calling NAFTAgate.

Harper announced Wednesday that he has asked an internal security team to begin finding the source of a document leak that he characterized as being “blatantly unfair” to Senator Barack Obama.

What is now a swirling Canada-U.S. controversy began on Feb. 26, when the usually circumspect Brodie was milling among droves of Canadian media on budget day in the stately old building that once housed Ottawa’s train station.

Reporters were locked up there all day, examining the federal budget until they were allowed to leave once it was tabled in the House of Commons at 4 p.m.

Since the budget contained little in the way of headline-grabbing surprises, some were left with enough free time to gather around a large-screen TV to watch the latest hockey news on NHL trade deadline day.

Brodie wandered over to speak to Finance Department officials and chatted amiably with journalists — who appreciated this rare moment of direct access to the top official in Harper’s notoriously tight-lipped government.

The former university professor found himself in a room with CTV employees where he was quickly surrounded by a gaggle of reporters while other journalists were within earshot of other colleagues.

At the end of an extended conversation, Brodie was asked about remarks aimed by the Democratic candidates at Ohio’s anti-NAFTA voters that carried serious economic implications for Canada.

Since 75 per cent of Canadian exports go to the U.S., Obama and Clinton’s musings about reopening the North American free-trade pact had caused some concern.

Brodie downplayed those concerns.

“Quite a few people heard it,” said one source in the room.

“He said someone from (Hillary) Clinton’s campaign is telling the embassy to take it with a grain of salt ... That someone called us and told us not to worry.”

Government officials did not deny the conversation took place.

They said that Brodie sought to allay concerns about the impact of Obama and Clinton’s assertion that they would re-negotiate NAFTA if elected. But they did say that Brodie had no recollection of discussing any specific candidate — either Clinton or Obama. CTV News Vice-President Robert Hurst said he would not discuss his journalists’ sources.

But others said the content of Brodie’s remarks was passed on to CTV’s Washington bureau and their White House correspondent set out the next day to pursue the story on Clinton’s apparent hypocrisy on the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Althought CTV correspondent Tom Clark mentioned Clinton in passing, the focus of his story was on assurances from the Obama camp.

He went to air on Feb. 27 with a report that the Democratic front-runner had given advance notice to Canadian diplomats that he was about to engage in some anti-NAFTA rhetoric, but not to take it too seriously.

The report wound up on YouTube and caused an uproar in the U.S. race — influencing the final days of the critical Ohio primary, with every indication it will also play a role in the upcoming Pennsylvania vote.

Obama has been pilloried by his opponents and faced the most aggressive questioning of his heretofore smooth-sailing campaign.

Clinton used the story to cast him as a double-talking hypocrite — winking and nudging at Canadians while making contrary promises to American voters.

Republican nominee John McCain — who proudly dubs himself a straight-talker — has also seized on the incident to paint the Democratic front-runner as anything but.

When Obama’s campaign and the Canadian government denied the allegation, a leaked document was obtained by The Associated Press written by a Canadian diplomat. It chronicled a conversation between Obama economic adviser Austan Goulsbee and diplomats at Canada’s Chicago consulate.

The Obama aide has challenged the wording of the memo and says it characterized the conversation unfairly. A government official said that memo was initially emailed to over 120 government employees.

Harper has rebuffed opposition requests to call in the RCMP and also investigate the source of the original tip that led to the CTV report that triggered the diplomatic tempest. But a team of internal security agents has begun an investigation that will see dozens of bureaucrats and political staff questioned about their knowledge of the leak.

“This kind of leaking of information is completely unacceptable. In fact, it may well be illegal,” Harper told the House of Commons.

“It is not useful, it is not in the interests of the government of Canada — and the way the leak was executed was blatantly unfair to Senator Obama and his campaign.

“Based on what (investigators) find, and based on legal advice, we will take any action that is necessary to get to the bottom of this matter.”

NDP Leader Jack Layton is asking Harper to call on the Mounties to find out how the leaks occurred, and whether the Security of Information Act or any other privacy legislation was breached.

“There can be no doubt about it: the leak from within the Canadian government has had an impact now on the American elections,” Layton said Wednesday.

“That is about the worst thing a country could do to another country — to have an effect on their democratic process. . . If Mr. Harper isn’t willing to call in the RCMP that confirms our suspicion that this was intentional.”

Layton said Canadians would never accept Americans interfering in our elections, and we shouldn’t tamper with theirs. He said the incident is far more serious than another one last year in which the government called in the RCMP.

A temporary employee at Environment Canada was arrested in his office and marched out in handcuffs for allegedly leaking details of a government climate-change plan to the media.

Layton said that’s small potatoes compared with inflicting political damage on one of the three contenders to lead the world’s biggest superpower, and Canada’s neighbour and largest trading partner.

“He’s unwilling to treat it with the level of serious attention that he did when there was a junior bureaucrat at environment ... He called in the RCMP on that one.”

OK. The Racists Have Had Their Day and Are Gone - Back To Work

Barack Obama was right: no matter what happens tonight, we're on our way to winning this nomination. Clinton did not do a freaking thing to close the delegate gap, and is still chasing her tail. The mainstream media plays this up for ratings: "Tune in next week to see if Obama can bounce back." But they're also -- the mainstream media -- fueled by ads purchased by companies that have lobbyists that give money to Clinton.

Those lobbyists have a vested interest in an Obama loss. And Clinton's not above playing up the racist fears of the country, fears that are prevalent in Texas and Ohio. I think Obama has done very well and still has the lead and the nomination is still his to lose. Obama went into two very racist states, Texas and Ohio, and came away with near victories when just two months ago the campaign was double-digits behind.

Now, the race is still Obama's to lose and he's holding serve.

Now we're leaving the place where anyone Latino who may be like that Texas woman I pointed out who was so openly racist are out of the way. But now we need a strategy to "out and destroy" the message of anyone who is racist. The Obama supporters and campaign need to crush them. Grind those sickos into a fine dust.

That's the next step. With that, Obama can continue on his path to winning the Democratic nomination.

Mike Huckabee Drops Out Of The Race Tonight

I'm watching Arkansas Governor and Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee give a speech that eventually will lead to his annoucing that he's dropping out of the Presidential Race according to the Associated Press. It's too bad because I thought in many ways he was a more compelling candidate than John McCain, who's the obvious Republican Presidential nominee at this point.

Well, he just is.

Congrats to McCain, but kudos to Huckabee for giving it his all.

Obama Ahead In Texas But With 2 Percent of The Vote

MSNBC's reporting that Obama's ahead and this is confirmed by a more reliable source, the webpage of the Texas Legislature. A review with just over 2 percent of the total votes reporting shows Obama actually increasing his lead by a percent, and is as of this writing about 11 percent ahead of her.

Right now, I'm at an Obama election party at Tosca, one of two I signed up to attend. And yes, I brought my video camera.

Super Tuesday Two - Early Returns Obama & McCain Wins Vermont

That's the report from a number of news sources but with 20 percent of the votes in, Barack Obama's projected to win Vermont, and John McCain has taken the state as well.

Campbell Brown's Legs: CNN Ratings Cure - Campbel Brown Should Wear Short Skirts

As it stands, CNN's getting clobbered by Fox News in the ratings, except for when CNN has debates and it's Super Tuesday coverage, but other than that, it's Fox all the way. Now, I personally don't like CNN's biased reporting, covered by the "idea" that they're the best political reporting team and all that crap, but if Dave Bohrman and the rest of the CNN producers get their act together they're on to something.

I think a good place to start is with Campbell Brown.

I mean have you seen her legs? And after she had her little one she's looking better than ever. Look, everyone knows CNN's biased and that's been quite obvious during this election with their constant pushing of Senator Clinton, who's not going to beat Senator Obama for the Democratic Primary. Why not just take off the venir of being unbiased and let it all hang out like Fox does.

Have fun. And while the fun's going, show Campbell Brown at her female best.

Look. NBC had no problem showing Campbell's legs as you can see here. And she didn't seem to have much of a problem with it either. Plus, if they bump up her pay and make her more of a focus, the ratings will skyrocket!

Brett Farve Annouces Retirement Today - NFL.com

The NFL's Official Website NFL.com has a great tribute to Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Farve, who announced his retirement today. More on this development later, but it opens the door for Cal's Aaron Rodgers to take over the offense. Rodgers was the Packers number one pick in the 2005 NFL Draft.