Barack Obama criticizes Hillary Clinton for supporting NAFTA, while supporting it himself

Posted Sun, Feb 24, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Both Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton support NAFTA, but Obama is trying to say her support is stronger. Or something. From this:
Barack Obama accused Democratic presidential rival Hillary Rodham Clinton on Sunday of trying to walk away from a long record of support for NAFTA, the free trade agreement that he said has cost 50,000 jobs in Ohio, site of next week’s primary.

At the same time, he said attempts to repeal the trade deal "would probably result in more job losses than job gains in the United States."

One day after Clinton angrily accused him of distorting her record on the North American Free Trade Agreement in mass mailings, the Illinois senator was eager to rekindle the long-distance debate, using passages from the former first lady’s book as well as her own words...
The article has some of her quotes in support of the deal, and David Sirota reprints them here. Yet, back on October 9, 2007 he wrote:
Obama is the first presidential candidate to officially declare his/her support for the NAFTA expansion moving through the Congress. His announcement is not necessarily surprising, considering he was the keynote speaker at the launch of the Hamilton Project -- a Wall Street front group working to drive a wedge between Democrats and organized labor on globalization issues. His announcement comes just days after a Wall Street Journal poll found strong bipartisan opposition to lobbyist-written NAFTA-style trade policies.
Not only that, but Obama recently dog-whistled his support for the SPP, aka "NAFTA on steroids".

They're both on the wrong side of the issue.

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barack obama

Comments

Bruce (not verified)

Mon, 02/25/2008 - 08:50

Whether Hillary or B.O. (or Jorge Bush or Juan McAmnesty), NAFTA is nothing but a transfer of US industry to the chronically corrupt narco-nation of ol' Meh-hee-co. US independence is falling rapidly due to the lack of our ability to engineer and manufacture "things" and our elites don't give a damn. Onto China, Larry Kudlow proclaims, there's money to be made!! "Fight terrorism, go to the mall!" "Charge it!"

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Mon, 02/25/2008 - 13:30

Bruce you said it all, thank you.

llamajockey (not verified)

Mon, 02/25/2008 - 15:09

Lonewacko, You are right. All this year's major Democratic candidates at some point in their careers have backed horrible Free Trade deals of one sort or another, that goes Edwards and Obama. I comment all the time over at Sirota's place and I am always try to point out the failings of all the Democrats. Very few of Sirota's commenters are sold on Obama. Daily Kos or HuffPo his site certainly is not, no mass herds of Obamabots. Until he dropped out, Sirota, was an Edwards supporter who was unafraid to catch hell from both the Clinton and especially the Obama camps. Unfortunately now we are left with a choice between Hillary and Obama. As far as who is more likely actually steer this country course away from more "Free Trade" ruin, I would have to go with Obama. Yeah, I bite my tongue saying it. I think as long as the more and more Democrats are forced to confront Obama's numerous weak points and fight to keep him honest we still have a chance for real change. We don't need rabid koolaid drinking partisans in either party any more. I just do not trust the candidate whose spouse strong armed and in reality unconstitionally passed NAFTA over dead bodies of pro labor Democrats. Then add to the fact that Slick Willy has spent the last 7+ years getting rich hanging out with the various masters of the universe who are overseeing the destruction of our Manufacturing and Technology base.

falange (not verified)

Mon, 02/25/2008 - 22:28

Obama is engaging in Kerryesque double talk on steroids: he's both for NAFTA and against it-plus he's for expanding it. Forget about the Presidential race and concern yourselves with races further down the ballot.

eh (not verified)

Tue, 02/26/2008 - 10:18

You're allowed to be a hypocrite in politics.

Fred Dawes (not verified)

Tue, 02/26/2008 - 20:08

eh that is what the third world is all about hypocrite BS.