AP Obtains Memo of Obama Aide's NAFTA Conversation

By NEDRA PICKLER - Associated Press
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jrFPkleRZmbmPtPxHBGNAPSzfUtwD8V5OLP00

ABC News Nafta Shafta - http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/03/nafta-shafta.html

The memo obtained by the AP was widely distributed within the Canadian government. It is more than 1,300 words and covers many topics that DeMora said were discussed in the Feb. 8 ''introductory meeting'' between himself, Goolsbee and the consul general in Chicago, Georges Rioux.
Goolsbee ''was frank in saying that the primary campaign has been necessarily domestically focused, particularly in the Midwest, and that much of the rhetoric that may be perceived to be protectionist is more reflective of political maneuvering than policy,'' the memo's introduction said. ''On NAFTA, Goolsbee suggested that Obama is less about fundamentally changing the agreement and more in favour of strengthening/clarifying language on labour mobility and environment and trying to establish these as more `core' principles of the agreement.''
Goolsbee said that sentence is true and consistent with Obama's position. But he said other portions of the memo were inaccurate. ... ..
... .. The Canadian memo said that when Rioux ''asked whether we could expect to hear more of this as the elections progressed, Goolsbee thought not. In fact, he mentioned that going forward the Obama camp was going to be careful to send the appropriate message without coming off too protectionist.

=======>OBAMA = "POLITICS AS USUAL"