After a lot of investigation, the WaPo pronounces that Obama “parsed” his denial of the call to Canada and awards him two Pinocchios. Turns out that senior Obama advisor Austen Goolsbee “informally” met with (but did not phone) Georges Rioux, the Canadian consul-general in Chicago, and Goolsbee did indeed convey a message significantly downplaying Obama’s anti-NAFTA campaign rhetoric. Since the initial rumor was that Goolsbee made a phone call to someone in the consulate, the denial of such a phone call taking place was technically correct – but not the portion of the denial that everyone was focusing on. While not the same as a CQ Pants on Fire condemnation, the double Pinocchio indicates a substantial obfuscation of the truth.Can you imagine it? “ABSOLUTELY NOT! You filthy liars, I did NOT call the Canadian government to say that my candidate was pandering for votes in Ohio! NO, NO a thousand times NO!!!” (pause, murmurs) “I said that to them in person.”
Two questions unanswered still: First, Obama has never been an advocate of free trade, so why the Clintonesque obfuscation? Second, why did the Canadians get all coy about this?
because he's a politician.
ReplyDeleteBoth he and Hillary's campaigns are getting dirty. The Clinton machine is rev'ing up. I think it's too late though. Next, the smears, lies innuendo and BS will be pointed at JohnM.