SAN ANTONIO - Barack Obama’s senior economic policy adviser said Sunday that Canadian government officials wrote an inaccurate portrayal of his private discussion on the campaign’s trade policy in a memo obtained by The Associated Press.
The memo is the first documentation to emerge publicly out of the meeting between the adviser, Austan Goolsbee, and officials with the Canadian consulate in Chicago, but Goolsbee said it misinterprets what he told them. The memo was written by Joseph DeMora, who works for the consulate and attended the meeting.
Goolsbee disputed a section that read: “Noting anxiety among many U.S. domestic audiences about the U.S. economic outlook, Goolsbee candidly acknowledged the protectionist sentiment that has emerged, particularly in the Midwest, during the primary campaign. 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.”
“This thing about `it’s more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans,’ that’s this guy’s language,” Goolsbee said of DeMora. “He’s not quoting me.
“I certainly did not use that phrase in any way,” Goolsbee said.
Yes, and the only contact Goolsbee originally asserted that the Canadian Consulate General’s office in Chicago had with him was to “call up and say hello” since their offices are right around the corner from each other 
It’s no wonder neither he nor Rioux would confirm or deny they ever had a meeting. As I’ve said before, you don’t do things like that when you have nothing to hide.
BCB quips:
The normal political ploy: When caught, claim you were misquoted at the meeting you originally claimed never took place. This sort of thing is known as “getting caught.”
Yep.
Via Memeorandum.
Prior:
Comment by Lorica @ 3/3/2008 - 10:18 am
This is one of those things where you interpret what you want to. If you are an Obama supporter, you take him at his word that he was’nt aware that the meeting took place until just recently when the leak came out. If you are anti-Obama you will probably look at this as him being a liar. Either way, these little looming scandels are alleged. With Clinton and McCain they have been proven as old Washington politicians.They have numerous amounts of scandel associated with them. Look at Obama’s life story. He has always looked out for the poor. So let’s look at the way the man has lived his life and not some “alleged” connection to illegal activity and some “possibilty” of wink-wink politics. Afterall, the Canadian Embassy sent out a statement denying that. It’s time for out with old and in with the new.
Comment by LaShawn @ 3/4/2008 - 9:39 am