Legal Commentary

CTV Stands By Obama NAFTA Story: Says Obama Official Was Austin Goolsbee

By Big Tent Democrat

By Big Tent Democrat

As a supporter of free trade and NAFTA, I am in the awkward position of being pleased that Barack Obama appears to understand that his demagoguing on NAFTA may be good politics but not good policy. CTV is standing by its story and names Obama advisor Austin Goolsbee as the person who assured the Canadians that Obama was merely posturing on NAFTA:

[T]he 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.

As I have said before, journalism does not require suspension of common sense. We now know that CTV is reporting that it was Austin Goolsbee who was the Obama advisor who met with a Canadian official in Chicago and provided the NAFTA assurances. Goolsbee refuses to deny the meeting. It is pretty clear that it did occur. And good for Obama for that.

Full post as published by TalkLeft on February 29, 2008 (boomark / email).