This is too funny to be made up, honestly!
Democratic wonk Bob Shrum is hinting that the Canadian Government is trying to help John McCain win the White House by downplaying the Democratic candidates' pledges on scrapping NAFTA, citing a CTV report on Barack Obama's promises being hot air.
Leaving aside the simple fact that the latter is true, I fully agree with David Frum's definition of Democrats and liberals as thriving on division, differences and discord. Where there's distrust, fear, alienation there's the liberal octopus, the Liberpus if you like, extending its welfarist, statalist and isolationist tentacle. It is no surprise that the Democrats are trying to woo blue-collar workers to the ballot box in November by promising to abolish consumer sovereignty and foreign development opportunities. It is no surprise either that having realized the soundness of McCain's arguments they are attempting to discredit him as a receptor of foreign influence. Having no chance to alienate both Canada and Mexico by destroying NAFTA, they are going for the 50% mark by upsetting Canada.
Scrapping NAFTA would make it more difficult for US companies to sell abroad and increase the price of Canadian and Mexican imports, paradoxically damaging the same blue collars that today advocate NAFTA's demise. Both Clinton and Obama know it, and wouldn't dare damaging their country once in office.
As any other trade agreement, NAFTA can be improved. But let there be no doubt that free trade is the only way for countries to realize their full potential and progress on the path to greater development. If Obama bashes free trade so eagerly, let me remind him that were the US to open up their agricultural markets fully and unlimitedly to Kenyan produce his Kenyan kin would enjoy greater demand for their products, bringing greater prosperity to that African country. Without any need for foreign aid out of the taxpayer's pocket, with greater choice and lower prices for American consumers. The public wins, government wonks and lobbies lose.
If this is Bob Shrum's best shot at campaign strategy I'd classify his pay as welfare rather than a wage. Because his strategy isn't worth a dime.
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