'NAFTA briefing drop-by'

Posted: Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:14 PM by Mark Murray

From NBC's Mark Murray
With a hat tip to the Politico's Ben Smith, will this end up being the biggest news from the release of Clinton's White House schedules? The AP writes: "She was also involved in helping her husband win congressional approval of the North American Free Trade Agreement, a deal she now criticizes and says she would try to change."

Here's the entry from the schedule on November 10, 1993:
NAFTA BRIEFING DROP-BY
Room.450, OEOB
CLOSED PRESS
PARTICIPANTS: Approx. 120 expected to attend (See briefing book for further info]
FORMAT:
- Alexis Herman intros HRC for brief remarks
- HRC concludes program
Staff Contact: Doris Matsui

EMAIL THIS

Comments

The same Alexis Herman that today was the DNC chairperson stumping for a new Michigan vote.

What a "surprise" (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:20 PM)

Well, we know what Alexis Herman will say about it. She's clearly a HIllary flack. I suspect Doris Matsui will also say that Clinton attacked NAFTA in the meeting.

It's so obvious (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:21 PM)

The interesting thing will be that if she downplays this schedule entry, then how can she claim other stuff on the schedules bolsters her 'experience'? But if she does claim the schedules demonstrate her experience, then she has to (1) own NAFTA and (2) MORE IMPORTANTLy face a real caught-in-the-act credibility problem with her comments in the last debate. It can't all be true. And, it taps into the idea that she'll say what is politically convenient as opposed to something she really believes in, which (1) makes it look like she only believes her own personal gain and (2) reminds of of similar flip-flop stands on Michigan, Iraq war authorization, drivers licenses.... and the list goes on.

Geoff in Brooklyn (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:23 PM)

Well, well, well . . . there is some justice - get this story out there MSNBC! Stat!

KP, California (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:24 PM)

same clowns spewing the same hate . so glade most of americans moved out of the 50's mind frame.

ki houston (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:24 PM)

same clowns spewing the same hate . so glade most of americans moved out of the 50's mind frame.

ki houston (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:24 PM)

Geez, you people would simply try to find anything to throw. Nafta requires work. Hillary has said numerous times that she would call for an end to the tax code incentives given to businesses that ship jobs overseas.

Now let's see Obama get scrutinized in this manner. Oh that's right, he's got no record released for us to scrutinize. And even if he does, the media will flip through the pages and turn a blind eye.

I sure hope MSNBC post this.

Joyce, PA (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:25 PM)

My GOD, she helped her husband!

Tuck, KS (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:25 PM)

Come on First Read! NAFTA is just the tip of the iceberg! Hillary has a history of distorting her resume apparently...

Clinton a long way from the White House at key foreign policy moments
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/19/hillaryclinton.uselections20081
For instance, Clinton has said she helped negotiate the April 1998 Good Friday agreement between warring factions in Northern Ireland. But while Catholic and Protestant figures hashed out last-minute details of a power-sharing agreement in Belfast, Clinton was at the National Press Club in Washington at a party honouring Bella Abzug, a congresswoman from New York City who had died recently. While President Clinton phoned major participants in the peace talks, she met with Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel and joined a farewell party for Democratic operative Karen Finney. On the day the agreement was actually signed, she met with Philippine first lady Amelita Ramos.

When Nato launched air strikes against Serbia in an attempt to punish Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic for the country's onslaught against ethnic Albanian separatists in Kosovo, Clinton toured ancient Egyptian ruins, including King Tut's tomb and the temple of Hatshepsut. She dined at the Temple of Luxor, and stayed overnight at the Sofitel Winter Palace Hotel there.

On August 20, 1998, Bill Clinton ordered US missile strikes on suspected terrorist sites in Sudan and Afghanistan. The president and Hillary Clinton were on holiday on Martha's Vineyard, a posh island vacation spot off the coast of Massachusetts. After announcing the attack, Clinton cut short his break and returned to Washington to confer with his national security team; Hillary Clinton remained on the Vineyard until August 30, her records show.

Ron, TX (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:25 PM)

NAFTA was pushed by George H. W. Bush - and signed by Clinton.

Overall it has been helpful to the US Economy - but needs to change to the problems it has created in parts of the country - it is time to re-address the deal with Mexico and Canada.

HRC's position has been considered and balanced .... and doable. Obama's position has been dependent on the political winds...........

John Stevens, Hillsdale IN (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:26 PM)

The voters in Ohio deserve a RE-VOTE!!! They were bamboozled!

Keith in PA (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:27 PM)

Hm...how quickly we come to conclusions & that too very enthusiastically. I guess this week its Hillary bashing. Frankly, there are a ton of issues that we need solutions for, but...replaying Rev Wrights sermons and nitpicking the first lady's schedule, whats next? the weather in 1993?
MSNBC especially, please...stick to the issues before you lose whats left of your paltry viewership.

Rob, NC (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:28 PM)

So I guess she was doing more than just socials ......

John Stevens, Hillsdale IN (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:28 PM)

OBAMAS SOLUTION

WHITE AMERICA ELECT ME AND ALL OF YOUR SINS WILL BE FORGIVEN

Clinton 08

patty,sd,ca (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:29 PM)

Ohio, you were PUNKED by Hillary!!! Haha!!

TT (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:29 PM)

How come msnbc is not printing the story of the black panthers endorsing obama and a link is on his website

kevin,fl (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:30 PM)

Why does the MSNBC front page have a headline about Hillary Clinton's PAPERS being released when it is only her schedule. That is misleading and makes it look as though she really is trying to be transparent which I think most of us know is a crock.

fortuna, Houston, TX (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:30 PM)

Support the 22nd amendment, no third term for Billary.

U.S. Constitution (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:30 PM)

Its not the point that she helped her husband to get NAFTA passed. Its the fact that she is trying to pretend like she had NOTHING to do with NAFTA and that she thought it was the worst idea in the world from the start. If she admits that she helped form NAFTA but underestimated the problems associated with NAFTA then we wouldn't be having this problem.

Johnson, New Orleans, LA (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:30 PM)

It is amazing how this blog only shows you what they want you to see. Well since the Obama network is coming to a schreeching halt I guess they will be for the repubs in november.

kevin,fl (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:31 PM)

Oh no! I'm sure she has her foot in someone's @$$ right now for not redacting this part. I guess her censors couldn't catch everything. Well Ohio has already been duped and I'm sure the media will not follow up on it either. Now I know that she's going to delay those tax returns and donor list as well to make sure they've been processed (doctored) properly.

C.K. Steele Fort Lauderdale, FL (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:33 PM)

I sympathize with the poor ol AP reporters who have to go thru the 11000 pages. That does not mean you have to find something spicy just 'cause you worked at it for so many hours. C'mon, she was trying to help her Husband...what a scary thing!
Don't create news, just report it.
Got anything else?

Ryan, MI (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:33 PM)

Surprise !!
She was for NAFTA,....

Before she FLIP FLOPPED on NAFTA

Hillary was for the Iraq War....

Before she FLIP FLOPPED on it

Hillary was for not counting Floride and Michigan

Before she FLIP FLOPPED

LIAR

LIAR

LIAR

Sierra, SF (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:33 PM)

Ohio deserves a re-do more than FL and MI.

Ron Hussein (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:35 PM)

LIAR

LIAR

LIAR

Sierra, SF (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:33 PM)

You are talking about Obama right.

OBAMA IS THE BIGEST LIAR THERE IS.Trying to give us a lecture on race. what a joke.

Clinton 08

patty,sd,ca (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:36 PM)

I know people who were in the clinton white house. She was very critical and skeptical of NAFTA. Please, Obama lied to Canada. Mathews is another one with a sick Obama fetish. Last night he is mad Republicans might vote in a primary for Hillary but when they did it for Obama, he was uniting the nation.

Michael (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:37 PM)

Ha ha
HYPOCRITE CLINTON !!!!

Hillary ... DO NOT CAST STONES WHILE LIVING IN A GLASS HOUSE.

CRY ME A RIVER !

BillaryMustGo , NY (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:37 PM)

Ron, TX : '...On August 20, 1998, Bill Clinton ordered US missile strikes on suspected terrorist sites in Sudan and Afghanistan. The president and Hillary Clinton were on holiday on Martha's Vineyard, a posh island vacation spot off the coast of Massachusetts. After announcing the attack, Clinton cut short his break and returned to Washington to confer with his national security team; Hillary Clinton remained on the Vineyard until August 30, her records show....'

Ron, she was on a SECRET MISSION !!

Ask Hillary to show you her shoe phone

Teh 'face of foreign policy' ????

Obama '08

Sierra, SF (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:37 PM)

please post - obama endorsed by Black panthers-

kevin,fl (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:40 PM)

Hillary did help with NAFTA. She did all the clerical work, typing, making the coffee, filing, and organized the Christmas party. NAFTA would not have happened without her.

Morgan Stanley (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:42 PM)

John Stevens, Hillsdale IN: '...NAFTA was pushed by George H. W. Bush - and signed by Clinton....'

Clinton pushed it through Congress
He pressured Democrats that Bush couldn't have

Actually, America would have better off if George Bush had won in '92
We wouldn't have had NAFTA

'...Overall it has been helpful to the US Economy...'

If you're a corporation or a Wall Street investor
NAFTA was designed to haelp Banks and corporations

NAFTA has helped push American manufacturing overseas or to Mexico
Manufacturing is now don in low wage countries

NAFTA had no provisions for labor or consumers or the environment
Another corporate sell out by Slick Wille

We would have been better off with George Bush in '92

Hillary LIED when she said she opposed NAFTA
She DIDN'T
Her whole campaign is smoke and mirrors...

'..HRC's position has been considered and balanced .... and doable. Obama's position has been dependent on the political winds...........'

Actually, we can see that she supported NAFTA when it was convienient and FLIP FLOPPED on NAFTA
when that works for her
(sorry, John you're not that good a liar)

Hillary is soulless
She has no positions or morals
She just seeks power

Obama '08

Sierra, SF (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:45 PM)

Chuck,
I think Hillary is badly hurting her creditibility. If it is determined that much of her 'experience' she uses as the basis for convincing voters to be in clear contradiction of whatever she releases to the public, Republicans will happily seize upon her falseholds and portray her a a person of significant creditibility problems, the same thing that occurred to Bush ocne he became president.
I am also anxious to see her tax returns and her donor list because if he continues to use Rezko in her line of attack against Obama, we may find something there that reeals something far mroe shocking than the Rezko saga.
P.S. Sorry for my persistent complaining about my comments being blocked... I guess my computer at the workplace is acting up.

Ron Hussein Allen (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:46 PM)

Ryan, MI - What is the general feeling in Michigan about the re-vote debacle? Are people really blaming Obama instead of their own legislature and party leaders? Just curious.

fortuna, Houston, TX (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:47 PM)

Ben do you know if there was a meeting schedule with Mr. Peter Paul?

Dee, WI (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:48 PM)

Big Deal- she supported her husband but if you watched any of the news- suprisingly on Msnbc they had clinton staffers that insisted she had serious doubts about it at the time. Please there is much more to worry about with Obama and his horrible judgement and his recent

kevin,fl (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:49 PM)

Is there anybody truly surprised by this?

Woman for Obama 08

Lisa, New Britain, CT (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:51 PM)

Of COURSE she supported NAFTA. The important thing was that the people of Ohio and Texas didn't get to know that before they voted, just as the people in IA, NH, NV and SC didn't find out that she intended to break her pledge to them on MI and FL until AFTER they had voted, and the people in PA, NC and IN will find out that her positions on issues are the opposite of theirs AFTER they vote.

captain obvious ched (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:56 PM)

Sorry but I'm not impressed by schedules (even if they shine the NAFTA light back in her direction). No, this will not do.

I'm with her supporters on this one. I'm waiting anxiously for their triumphant we "told you so" moment they can't wait to throw in the Obama supporters' faces to justify this scorched earth drama they and Sen. Clinton have been fueling, feeding, and applauding since this race began. So by all means MSNBC, FOX, CNN...show me why I'm the one drinking the tainted Kool-Aid and not the other way around.

Liza, Las Vegas (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:59 PM)

So when are we going to get Michelle Obama's calendar? I bet we could find some dandy things in there! On the NAFTA thing, I see nothing wrong with it. She was doing what her husband asked her to do. Have you not ever done something for your spouse that you might not have backed 100%? Oh, though, Obama supporters, whooopppeeee, gotcha, found something...that will help take the spotlight off your hypocritical, lying candidate.

think (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:59 PM)

what is your problem. I hope she doesnt release anything else to give fodder when there is none. It is no secreat Hillary talked about NAFTA. She wanted Health care anyone there will tell you she wasnt hep on the idea of Nafta. In some parts of the country it has worked well. Other parts she said she will redo it. Difference??She will Obamas own people tell Canada he doesnt mean it ==again.good try though keep reading lol what was Obama doing during this time??

Mox (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:01 PM)

I love it.

Hey patty,sd,ca

You should really look at the REAL and WRITTEN facts. Unlike your 3rd grade "Attacks" on Obama, we actually have documented proof that not only did Hillary Clinton support NAFTA, but she really does not have the experience that she claims she has.

HMMMMMMMM,

BAG HER UP, AND SHIP HER OUT!

PUT A FORK IN HER!

SHE IS D-O-N-E.

Paul, Riverside, CA (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:03 PM)

wHY SHOULD ANYTHING BE REDACTED ON HER PERSONAL SCHEDULE, SHE DID NOT HAVE A SECURITY CLEARANCE, WHAT COULD THE PUBLIC NOT GET TO KNOW ABOUT THE TEA PARTIES OF THE FIRST LADY??? I AM SURE THIS WON'T GET POSTED ANYWAY BUT WHY SHOULD HER PAPERS BE SECRET-SHE WAS LIVING IN A DREAM WORLD

LEAH IN ALA (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:08 PM)

Anyone who thought Hillary was actually against NAFTA - well I have some wonderful swamp land in Florida that I am sure you will be interested in. Democrats of PA vote for her at your own peril it's your job you'll be kissing good bye to. Best of luck fiding a new one.

Greg, Atlanta (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:13 PM)

Hillary is soulless
She has no positions or morals
She just seeks power

Obama '08

Sierra, SF (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 5:45 PM)

---------------------------

why do you keep confusing Clinotn and Obama?

Obama is the one that is

soulless
he has no positions or morals
he just seeks power
and he is racist.

Clinton 08

Patty,sd,ca (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:15 PM)

Patty,sd,ca (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:17 PM)

I know you have all been slobbering over yourselfs to find something. This isnt it folks. Nothing new here. Ask again the people that were there. they have come out while ago said she wasnt really crazy about it. He was the pres. was his call. Unlike Obamas wife she didnt feel her place was to critise. Since Senator she has been looking into changeing it and done other work on trade. You guys are a lark

ep-ny (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:18 PM)

CLinton supporters are a joke. Here is the equation:

C L I N T O N = SCANDALS, LIES, MANIPULATIONS, INFIDELITY, CORRUPTION.

CLINTON supporters are obviously moral people, or sheep...you pick. LOL

And the lies will keep on coming... (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:45 PM)

paddy,sd,ca

If you think your idiotic attacks on Obama and your moronic adulation for that liar Hillary are going to convince anyone to vote for her, they have to be dumber than you. If you are an example of a typical Hillary supporter, you are hurting her campaign much more than you are helping.

A.Brocco,Albuquerque,NM (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:47 PM)

http://twocanpete.blogspot.com/
I want a trade agreement to import lawyers and politicians. The ones here are to lazy to do the work at a price I want to pay.

twocanpete (Sent Wednesday, March 19, 2008 6:58 PM)

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