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Born at the Crest of the Empire

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Obama CTV story

I don't know what to make of the CTV story saying that Obama had contacted the Canadian government recently to tell them not to worry about his NAFTA language.

The Canadians deny it as does the Obama campaign, but that certainly doesn't mean it's not true. The main reason I'm suspicious is because it comes so near the critical Ohio primary.

(This smells like GOP to me. Maybe a Canadian government official telling a story as a favor to the GOP who wouldn't mind seeing Obama weakened in swing state Ohio.)

McCain's already attacking. (ABC) "Citing Canadian TV Report, Republican Says Democrat Isn't Offering 'Straight Talk'"

It just seems too convenient, you know?

6 Comments:

  • From Taylor Marsh Blog:

    "I called CTV to verify the story, especially given the Obama campaign's cries that it's "inaccurate." After asking Greg McIsaac of CTV if they were sticking by their story, he quickly called me back with verification. The facts of our story are accurate."


    "Canada has a 'truth in broadcasting' law. this story had to be more than gossip in the beginning or it would have never made it to air."

    "As for the ambassador, his name is Michael Wilson and he is DC based as is the reporter who broke the story. Tom Clark, the reporter, is actual CTV's DC bureau chief."

    Michael Wilson Has not denied this story.

    By Blogger Unknown, at 3:30 PM  

  • Thanks.

    Do we know anything about the source? I mean, if this were a Republican trick or mischaracterization or whatever, that wouldn't necessarily violate any truth laws. If CTV were told this, and they report it then their reporting is true whether the source was being completely honest or not. You know what I'm saying.

    Their reporting is what they were told, and that could be true without what they were told being true.

    I'm going to wait until I see it picked up by a major US news service before I run with it..

    This is big enough that I'm sure they're all chasing it, so, if it's true, we should know soon enough.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 3:44 PM  

  • Later. The spokesman for the Canadian embassy denied it flatly.

    "We didn't make any calls, they didn't call us," Landry said.

    "There is no story as far as we’re concerned," he said.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 3:51 PM  

  • CBC is to Public Television as CTV is to Fox.

    I'm stretching the analogy a little, but my point is CTV is more... you know.

    By Blogger -epm, at 6:48 PM  

  • Yeah.

    And, we've had no confirmation from anywhere else.

    And, everyone involved is denying it.

    Still doesn't mean it couldn't be true, but it's looking far less likely.

    By Blogger mikevotes, at 9:35 PM  

  • I don't think this story has anything to it. At least no as written. If anything, Obama may have clarified that he's not planning on walking away from NAFTA in the manner that Bush did with Kyoto and the ABM treaties, rather he will seek to renegotiate NAFTA... a NAFTA II so to speak.

    I don't know if he spoke directly to the Canadians, but this has been Obama's non-sound bite position.

    By Blogger -epm, at 7:17 AM  

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