McCain, Obama, Clinton and NAFTA

[HotHotHeat]

CTV reports on Obama advisors talking to Canadian delegates about Obama's proposed restructuring of NAFTA:

"Noting anxiety among many U.S. domestic audiences about the U.S. economic outlook, Goolsbee[from the Obama camp] candidly acknowledged the protectionist sentiment that has emerged, particularly in the Midwest, during the primary campaign,'' said the memo.

"He cautioned that this messaging should not be taken out of context and should be viewed as more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans.''

Then Clinton does this...

On Monday, Obama's Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Clinton held up the memo as evidence of doublespeak, saying it shows Obama's campaign was giving Canadians "the old wink-wink" about North American free trade.

Even though CTV has accused her of the same thing...

sources said the Clinton campaign has made indirect contact with the Canadian government, trying to reassure Ottawa of their support despite Clinton's words.

Like two kids arguing in the back seat

Meanwhile GOP candidate McCain is realizing he has a lot to learn of economic policy:

. . .On a broader range of economic issues, though, Mr. McCain readily departs from Reaganomics. His philosophy is best described as a work in progress. He is refreshingly blunt when he tell me: "I'm going to be honest: I know a lot less about economics than I do about military and foreign policy issues. I still need to be educated." OK, so who does he turn to for advice? His answer is reassuring. His foremost economic guru is former Texas Sen. Phil Gramm (who would almost certainly be Treasury secretary in a McCain administration). He's also friendly with the godfather of supply-side economics, Arthur Laffer.

This article is from 2005, so take it for what it's worth.

Also from the article, his views on America's education system:

"The day that members of Congress will send their kids to the public schools in Washington, D.C., is the day I'll know we've fixed education in America." Then he asks: "How can my colleagues say they are against vouchers or charter schools when they won't send their own kids to the schools in the town where we work?"

Reform, Reform, Reform

[Displaced Flames fan]

I remember a time when Phil Gramm was a hot Presidential candidate prospect for the GOP. Can't recall why he fell by the wayside or if he just chose not to pursue it.

That said, I think your quotes show that politicking is alive and well in the democratic campaigns, and who would expect less?

McCain's honesty might be refreshing but it's not smart to tell potential voters you're a junior high economics student.....even though most other Presidents were probably in the same boat. The key is to pick the right advisors and I don't know if Gramm is or not. He's been out of the loop for a long while now...but as you said that is an old article so who knows if he's even on McCain's radar anymore.

I think who the candidates have tabbed as cabinet members is as important as anything in elections. Bush had some good ones and some really poor choices. I'd love to hear more about each of these candidates choices. These are choice that they should be prepared to make with very little thought...meaning the thought has already taken place....ideally.

[Kev]

That's funny, as I was reading all this, I swear I could hear circus music in the background.