Clinton talks Colombia trade deal

Posted: Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:22 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, 2008 Clinton

From NBC/NJ’s Athena Jones
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Hillary Clinton told communications workers this morning she would oppose the Colombia trade deal and fix NAFTA and again commented on her intention to stay in the race.

"As I have been saying for some time, no trade deal with Colombia while violence against trade unionists continues," she said at a meeting of the AFL-CIO affiliated Communication Workers of America (CWA), which represents 700,000 workers in the public and private sector in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

"I was very disappointed that President Bush decided yesterday to try to push the Colombian deal through Congress," she said. "We'll, I have news for President Bush. As I have said for months. I oppose the deal. I have spoken out against the deal. I will vote against the deal, and I will do everything I can to urge the Congress to reject the Colombian free trade deal."

VIDEO: Sen. Hillary Clinton reaffirms her opposition to President Bush's proposed free trade agreement with Colombia.

She made the comments during a typical stump speech, modified for the union crowd, in which she touched on healthcare, the economy, expanding broadband access and bringing troops home from Iraq. It could fairly be described as a kitchen-sink speech.

The senator ticked off the economic challenges the country faces -- from job losses to high gas prices to the mortgage crisis -- and said unions were especially important when the economy was faltering.

"We need unions not just in the good times,” she said, “that's easy; we need unions in the hard times too.... You know what it's like to be told to go away, to quit. I know what that's like too." That drew laughter and applause, as she said she’s fighting on, because she was fighting for the future of America.

She bashed McCain for his support of privatizing social security and repeated her recent line of attack about what she sees as his inability to handle an economic crisis. She also criticized Obama for not having a universal healthcare plan.

CWA members work in telecommunications, information technology, news media, law enforcement and other fields, according to the organization's literature.

Clinton is now on Capitol Hill for the Iraq hearings where U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker and Commanding General, Multi-National Force Gen. David Petraeus are testifying.

Clinton began her remarks to the CWA workers by joking about the cliffhanger of an NCAA finals match last night in which Kansas beat Memphis.

"I imagine at least a few of you were up watching that game last night. Great comeback, right? That's my kind of outcome," said the senator, who adopted the "Comeback Kid" banner the night of her victory in New Hampshire.

Obama spoke after the New York senator, employing several lines about how the Bush administration sees America as a "You're on Your Own" society -- a line that was a favorite of Clinton's some months ago. He said McCain would mean more of the same and then went on to proclaim his opposition to NAFTA, CAFTA, the Colombian trade deal and others.

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Comments

Awesome Job Hillary!!! Keep pushing- Put Obama out of his misery in Pennsylvania- We all know what those polls do- They short Hillary by 5-10% because people are not honest. When it comes down to it white people are a little worried about obama's past.

kevin (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:29 AM)

She didn't say she was very disappointed in her campaign's chief strategist, Mark Penn. In fact, she's even letting him continue to work for her in the same capacity as before, even though his job title has changed from "Official Chief Strategist" to "Unofficial Chief Strategist".

Even worse, Penn's not the only one on her campaign with connections to promoting the trade deal. Someone else very high up has been getting paid 40,000 a month by Colombia... First Read, any idea who?

Ron, TX (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:31 AM)

Does Hillary not think that the entire country is electonicaly connected. Why she persists on thinking that she can modify the message to her audience while still retaining the services of a group pushing for the Columbian deal is a slap in the face to all Americans. Hey union folk ..... check out upstate NY...where are all the promised new jobs that she promised?? It doesn't matter. She doesn't deliver on promises. She just wants you to deliver the vote. Sometimes when Obama speaks it's not what you want to hear....but it's the truth.

garyd, amherst, nh (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:31 AM)

Regarding the first paragraph, is anyone checking to see if Clinton's nose is growing longer??

And didn't Kansas go decisively to Obama :) ? I mean I'm happy for the Jayhawks, just not sure they'd like to be compared to Clinton!

Go Obama 08

Lisa, New Britain, CT CT for Change! (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:36 AM)

To say that Hillary wants Obama to lose in 08 so she could run in 12 is ridiculous. She wants to win now for the good of the democratic party. She wants to win now because we all know that Obama can not win the general election especially without Florida and Michigan. Trust me people- I live in Florida- We will boycott the GE if our votes are not counted or there is no re-vote- Do way left democrats understand what Florida means in the GE? Keep it going Hillary!

kevin (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:36 AM)

If Hillary is against the Colombian FTA, why is Penn still working for her? How can she get up in front of a union crowd and say that she supports them? She promoted NAFTA, but was really against it. I guess she had her fingers crossed behind her back so what she said doesn't count. And now, she is against the Colombian agreement, but has a surrogate that is a key promoter / lobbyist for it. She is on both sides. This way when the jobs are lost and she has collected her commission, she can still say, "You know, I was against it".

What an embarassment to the Senate and the AMerican people.

MBM, Chicago, IL (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:38 AM)

Wonder why she forgot to mention that Mark Penn is still a major figure in her campaign? Guess it's okay when members of her campaign keep their day job to lobby for free trade with Colombia while she pays them millions to work for her.

disgusted yet again in PA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:39 AM)

Mark Penn isn’t the only Hillary Rodham Clinton supporter on the wrong side of the Colombia trade agreement.

The Democratic-leaning advocacy firm the Glover Park Group, former home to Clinton campaign spokesman Howard Wolfson, signed a $40,000 per month contract with the government of Colombia in April of 2007 to promote the very agreement that Clinton now rails against on the presidential campaign trail.

MSNBC, please post this story, another Clinton Aide delaing with Colombia.

boogeyman, mamaronec, ny (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:40 AM)

HP Boston (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:43 AM)

Hillary can not sever her relationship with Mr. Penn because he has access to fund raisers and the fact she owes him $2.5 million. Talk about lack of judgment and poor mamagement of a campaign.

Her rhetoric aside it is clear many key strategist and perhaps even Bill Clinton support the Columbian deal.Until she comes clean on the Mr. Penn issue by severing all ties this will linger as an issue in Pennsylvania and bejond.

Terry, Great Plains (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:45 AM)

I oppose the deal. I have spoken out against the deal. I will vote against the deal, and I will do everything I can to urge the Congress to reject the Colombian free trade deal."

EXCEPT....I won't fire Mark Penn because I think he's "brilliant". Wake up people....she speaks out of BOTH sides of her mouth (and we still can't tell you WHICH side speaks the truth!).

Diane from Illinois (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:46 AM)

KEVIN, Thats funny seeing how some whites have a pass much worst than Obama's pass. Why do you question his pass? Are you afraid of the unknown? Then go hide under a rock because Life is unknown. What if there is no pass? What if he is just a good guy? Some people have common sense, some have instinct, and it's sad but some have nothing at. all.

K St. Louis, Mo (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 10:47 AM)

Hillary should remove Penn and his company from her campaign.
Penn said he has held similar meetings with other countries (Canada and NAFTA???) during the campaign.

Junaita, TX (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:10 AM)

Ron,
The $40,000/month that Columbia is paying is going to Howard Wolfson's old lobbying firm. He hasn't been on their payroll for 8 months but lots of old Clinton loyalists are there and I'd guess Howard has a conversation or two with them every now and then (just a wild guess).

Scott (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:12 AM)

Why is it that anyone would show up to hear her say anything any longer?

I assume there is a certain amount of 'celebrity' that will always attract a crowd, but what a vain delusion for her/them to think that the Clintons are any more than a curiosity. The keys to the car need to be handed back over.

iowan (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:13 AM)

We hear you Hillary, we just aren't buying what you are selling!

Mark Penn. Columbian Trade Deal. Snipergate. (The list goes on!)

Obama '08

Renee, Atlanta, GA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:13 AM)

Chutzbah! Unmitigated Chutzbah! Does she actually make these comments with a straight face while the troubled waters of the Mark Penn conflict swirl around her. There is no way that Hillary didn't know what Penn was doing. Hillary is a free trader and always has been. Now the political expediency of a campaign in Pennsylvania (as with the campaign in Ohio) demand a more protectionist stand. Face it folks, Hillary's allegiances are with the corporate interests far more than with the working men and women of this country. With a Clinton administration, we will continue to see the exiting of manufacturing jobs overseas. Personally, I'm for creating an environment that is conducive to corporate interests keeping their manufacturing efforts here. Tax incentives and a better approach to health care are two mechanisms by which this can be achieved.
Obama '08

Mitchell Feldman, Vestal, NY (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:19 AM)

A vote for Clinton, is a vote for Mark Penn, who WILL
outsource your job to Columbia. Your good paying union
job will be outsourced to some foreign country with cheap labor. Penn is just doing what he gets paid to do. He's still on the Clinton payroll. Still with the
campaign. Billary can't fire him, he KNOWS where the bodies are buried!!!

Leslie Philadelphia PA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:20 AM)

Hillary Clinton is a disgrace to the country. Does she think she can continually lie to the public and we'll believe her. How can anyone with common sense support or vote for her. She's ridiculous.

sharrell (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:24 AM)

...While her man pushes for the deal, which is a typical Clintonian tactic. If you honestly believe she didn't know about this, then you must assume that her 'chief' executive skills are not fit for duty.

JP Homestead, FL (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:24 AM)

garyd, unfortunately, the people in PA who support her probably aren't connected or work too hard to pay attention. They aren't voting on issues, only name recognition vs fear of a new candidate.

Rendell is hinting that she will win by 10 points.

The real problem is the media will make it sound like a huge win regardless because the hype is good for business

AC in LA, CA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:25 AM)

Don't believe anything she says, I want to know how HC or BO plan on fixing our existing problems, SS, MEDACARE, National Det, I keep hearing about new programs and the ones we have are going broke.

Is everyone stupid to the real issues, don't really care about the lies on new programs that congress has to pass. I want the existing ones fixed.
Give the pres Line item veto and then we can hold the Pres accountable.

JJ waltman, Tulsa OK (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:27 AM)

Hillary was for nafta and on the sly for the columbia trade agreement. now because she's need penn. she is against...i was undecided... afer all the campaign troubles how could I elect her to run the country..hmmm...someone help me....king of prussia. pa

joe smack (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:28 AM)

How does Obama only have the support of 50% of the country (including 80% blacks) yet on these posts and via the media he gets about 80% favorable coverage and 80% posts? Maybe because his supports are young, unemployed and spend their days "trying to make a difference". The rest of his supporters seem to be coming from the parents of these young adults who like they do for money put the squeeze on their elders unwilling to say NO to them. No wonder there are so many spoiled rotten BRATS in their teens and twenties. My my child throws a trantrum she gets a time out. It's our job as parents to do WHAT IS BEST for our children NOT WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO!!! This is why so many baby boomers still have huge mortgages and credit card debt because they're more worried about "what people will think of them" then they are about making SMART decisions.

Amy of Illinois (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:36 AM)

The average Americans' perception of the problem with a Columbia trade deal has to do with their fears of outsourcing more jobs, not that the Columbians might be violent to their own people.
According to Hillary's words, if Columbia promisses to play nice, Hillary is then for the trade deal? No concern about American jobs?

Hillary gets it wrong . . .again.

gv, Kailua, HI (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:37 AM)

Wake up Pennsylvania! You are being duped by the Clinton campaign--Blatantly! How can you allow yourselfs to be so used? Penn AND Wolfson have ties to Columbia.

No Hillary-No Lies (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:42 AM)

Hillary Clinton promised when she ran for the Senate that there would be plenty of jobs in New York State.

That turned out to be a lie!

Now she goes to a union to tell them that she will fight for their jobs.

If she cannot provide jobs for the peope of New York State, how can she promise jobs nationwide?

Hillary Clinton
A Liar for all seasons

jerry/corpus christi texas (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:44 AM)

All day she's been avoiding questions about Penn and his continued role in her campaign even though he was "fired".

YES WE CAN!

Renee, Atlanta, GA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:46 AM)

I agree with Ron, TX and would like to know what is really going on with the Columbian trade issue. I find it hard to believe that Hillary didn't know that Penn was going to Columbia and I find it hard to believe she didn't fire him publicly when he did. This feels much like the Canadian/NAFTA story that never quite got told.

JanetB Minneapolis, MN (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:50 AM)

Clinton Lie Kills Her Credibility on Trade Policy: Hillary's statements saying she did not support NAFTA is disproven by over 11,000 pages of Clinton White House documents released last week. She was, in fact, an ardent supporter of the policy;

Lies, Damn Lies, and Mispeakings: Hillary's heroic tale of facing fire in Bosnia turns out to be a bunch of horseshit;

Hillary's Other Fabrication: Hillary tries to insert daughter Chelsea into the 9/11 mythos only to have the story destroyed by Chelsea herself; and

Hillary's Lies: Darfur, Rwanda, Bosnia: Half of Africa is laid to waste with more revisionist history from the Clinton camp.
This is just from a casual browsing of news articles about Hillary Clinton in the course of one morning. Each lie strikes to the heart of what makes her such a distasteful and loathsome individual. She manipulates tragedy for her own benefit, inserts herself into falsified incidents to bolster credibility, and outright lies about what little policy experience she has to look like her "co-president" monicker isn't an illusion.

She's a repulsive pathological liar, and unlike Obama's scandal where someone else said something controversial and the blowback landed on him, this stuff came from either her or someone sanctioned by her campaign. I know Americans have a short memory over this nonsense, but come on, people.

quicy jones Oakland,ca (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:50 AM)

Kevin - Can we stop the racist inferences please?

The thing is -- when it comes right down to it -- millions of people just don't believe a word this woman says -- about anything.

Perhaps that is why she is the least trusted (by far) of any of the candidates ---

Not this time Hillary -- not ever!!

Obama '08

Obama Supporter from NY (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:50 AM)

TO: Garyd, Amhrerst, nh

Hillary completely understands the psychic of the "entire" country. She knows it very well. That is exactly why she persists on "thinking she can modify the message to her audience while still retaining the services of a group pushing the Columbian deal" 48% of the Democrats are falling for it. She knows exactly what she is doing, and what level of consciousness she's tapped into.

If you trick the mind right, it's very easy to get people to ignore what's against their best interest, but It's not so easy to get people to abandon what they have accepted in their heads as good. Avoiding loss is a much more powerful motivator than chancing gain.

All her supporters need is just a spec hope, a spec of possibility, a simple fraction of truth to help rationalize their support. With just a fraction, their minds will by default "make up" the rest.

She knows it, she is a master at it, and so far she has proven Doctoral in her craft. To convince 48% of democratic voters to believe that she should be the president and support her behind her twisted campaign, is a trick that even hoodnée could not have pulled off.

D. Syracuse NY (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:53 AM)

I understand a little bit more her association with Mark Penn. It's concerning as is noted by those analyzing where the Clinton charities are going (investment earnings via the charity donations to the Clinton Foundation). Before we sing praises to this family about their generous contributions, review a little more the reports coming out - much of those charities are going right back into their pocket via investment in a middle eastern banking scheme (Dubai a hostile govt in the middle east). I wonder who might have been doing the organization of that process - perhaps Mark Penn. And he is still employed by the Clinton campaign in the background. There is just too much sneaking around by these people.

barbara (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:54 AM)

Barack Obama is a liar, a cheat, and a thief.
The pastor of his church, with whom he has been associated for 20 years, is an un-American biggoted racist.
Keep this man out of The White House, America.
Vote for Hillary, and if she doesn't get the nomination, then vote for John McCain.
Be a PATRIOT, not a partisan.

J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:56 AM)

Joe Scarbough did an awful job in interviewing Hillay Clinton on morning joe 04/08/08. Where is chris matthews when we needed him.

maxiquai (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 11:56 AM)

Hillary's credibility continues to decline.
She has had two campaign "Fairy Tales" and chose a campagin strategist whose "real job" is in direct opposition to what she is telling the country in her campaign speeches. And now she is telling us Mark Penn as stepped down, yet he is still very much involved in her campaign. So, where is the real truth here? It keeps getting harder and harder to find.

Merry, Moscow, ID (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:00 PM)

Do all of us Americans really understand what Obama means for our inhouse and foreign issues? We`re at the brim of a new ´29 reccession and all we hear from White House peers is the war stuff. Many of us agree that Obama will relaunch a fresh, brand new America both in and outside, who will not only look North but also South, East and West, and will consider "America" as a whole: from the Bering Strait to the Fire Land. If we don´t get aquainted with energy havens like Venezuela and Bolivia, our future will blite and whither. Go on, Obama. You mean the hope for all us who have lost our homes, jobs and peace of mind in the USA. Don´t get caught in the cobweb that both Clinton and McCain are knitting for you. God Bless America, in the all-inclusive sense above mentioned.

Juan Carlos Lezama, Tampa, Florida (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:07 PM)

Clinton against Colombian deal. Mark Penn and Company
still on Clinton payroll.

Just more double talk.

Where's the jobs she promised NY---could they be in
India.

Obama '08

Kim M--AZ (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:09 PM)

With all the minutia of the minute to minute overkill in this campaign coverage it will be a breath of fresh air to see the candidates actually in the business of what they were elected to office to do doing instead of counting every blink or burp they or their staff happen to let off by mistake. Why doesn't the media stop being the nit-picking vultures and try to report on something more than the molehill into a mountain kind of press we have been spoon fed for the last year.

Steve H.,North Andover,Ma. (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:11 PM)

As long as Mark Penn remains with the Clinton campaign in ANY capacity, there will be and should be questions about HRC's knowledge about and involvement in the meeting he had with the Columbian Government.

Period!

Women for Obama '08 (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:16 PM)

"Awesome Job Hillary!!! Keep pushing- Put Obama out of his misery in Pennsylvania- We all know what those polls do- They short Hillary by 5-10% because people are not honest. When it comes down to it white people are a little worried about obama's past."

Worried about what? I'm more worried about the scandals and the lies of Billary than what some throw-back pastor (who sounded alot like the great MLK if you bother to listen) may or may have not said when Obama may or may have not been in the pews. Wouldn't you be more comfortable with someone who tells the truth who might have a questionable friend than someone who lies all the bloody time?

White person not the least bit worried about Obama's past (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:17 PM)

This whole incident with Penn points to the need to get someone in the White House who is not tied to the Washington lobbyists.

McCain's campaign staff has been making lobbying phone calls from his airplane and Hillary's staff does this.

Their best friends are all lobbyists. Their cabinets will be made up of lobbyists. They can not help it. Evryone they know is a lobbyist. They believe these people are their good friends.

It is time to move on, America. We nee Senator Obama.

Bill Johnson, Anaconda, Montana (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:18 PM)

Well, I'm glad everyone on here only buys American, doesn't shop at Walmart, and never had to do something @ work they didn't agree with. Because, clearly, that would make you a free-trade, union-busting liar. Give it a rest -- it's actually quite easy to see how Clinton wouldn't know what Penn was doing away from the campaign (does your boss know everything you do?), quite easy to see how time away to visit w/the ambassador didn't raise any special alerts(the ambassador is based in the US), and quite easy to see how she wants to keep using the same polling company she's been using for years (they have her data). Penn was stupid to do what he did, not sure I see how that actually implicates HRC in anything. And yes, there's a big difference b/w Obama adviser meeting w/Canadian officials as an Obama adviser and saying BO won't necessarily go after NAFTA, and a Clinton adviser meeting w/Colombian officials to discuss how to overcome Congressional objection - including HRC's. *Her* position didn't necessarily change bw public and private discussion.

Davis, VA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:27 PM)

Of course Hillary is lying. That's the only consistent thing about her.

jdi, brooklyn, NY (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:27 PM)

Hey Hillary is you are against the Colombia trade deal then FIRE PENN (not demote him)otherwise shut up about being against it

MK, Los Angeles, CA (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:27 PM)

Hillary did not say she is against free trade with Colombia, just not in favor of the agreement as long as the government sanctions' violence against trade unionist'... The real problem with these free trade agreements is not violence against workers, it is the near slave labor wages that devalues American labor and undermines the competitiveness of home based manufacturing and agricultural businesses. Tariffs on slave labor produced products is what candidates should be talking about. Make American workers and home based manufacturers competitive again

E. B. Kingman, Az. (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:33 PM)

MHH ...more Hillary Hypocrisy. Ho hummmm ....... watching the drip-drip LOSS is great fun. She either knew and approved of Penn's actions, or is the worst program manager in history. Either way .... there are no Presidential genes even close.

Patti B, Chincoteague,VA. (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:41 PM)

Barack Obama is a liar, a cheat, and a thief.
The pastor of his church, with whom he has been associated for 20 years, is an un-American biggoted racist. J. Merle Stanley, Westchester, NY

When it comes down to it white people are a little worried about obama's past. kevin

Kevin and J. Merle Stanley are the biggoted racists. Its good to see you are showing your true colors to the world. Nothing to either one of you, and Kevin, you are the one worried about his past. You should feel real proud of your comments. The US would be a better place without both of you!

MiddleTN (Sent Tuesday, April 08, 2008 12:42 PM)

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