Hoffa Calls on Obama to "End" the Goolsbee "Mystery"

By: Maria Gavrilovic
Topics: Barack Obama

(CBS)

From CBS News' Maria Gavrilovic:

WASHINGTON -- Teamsters president Jimmy Hoffa, a Barack Obama supporter, today called on Obama campaign economic adviser Austan Goolsbee and as well as Obama to "end the mystery" surrounding Goolsbee's meeting with the Canadian Consulate in Chicago.

"End this mystery about what happened," Hoffa said on the conference call with reporters, "I think that he should come out and say it. I don't think that he's going to distance himself but he should clarify what happened in that meeting."

Obama campaign Indiana spokesman Kevin Griffiths quickly chimed in and said that both Goolsbee and the Canadians clarified their meeting, which the campaign believes was "mischaracterized" by the press.

Questions about Goolsbee resurfaced today after Hillary Clinton compared Mark Penn's meeting with the Colombian government to Goolsbee's meeting with Canadian officials. Hoffa said the comparison does not hold because Goolsbee was not paid by the campaign or by the Canadians.

"I think that it's a big difference if somebody is on the payroll that doesn't have enough sense to say that 'my supposedly dearest friend is gonna be against Columbia but I am voting for it.'"

Hoffa said the Teamsters sent a letter to Clinton last spring expressing their concerns over Penn's lobbying activities and that Hoffa has personally called on Clinton to sever all ties with Penn. The union will release the letter later this afternoon.

UPDATE, 2:27pm -- Hoffa released this written statement: "To clear up any misunderstanding about my statements, the Obama campaign and Austan Goolsbee have already clarified Professor Goolsbee's meeting with representatives from the Canadian government, and as confirmed by the Canadian government, Sen. Obama's position on NAFTA has not changed. As I said on a conference call with reporters earlier today, Sen. Clinton has a credibility problem with the working men and women across this country on the issue of trade. This problem is only underscored by Mark Penn's continued role in her campaign."

7 Comments +

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by goyaboy1 April 9, 2008 2:33 AM EDT: What an ad!!! Obama wants every child to have the opportunity his children have ? Well one of them is to go to the same church they have been going to. To go to a school that costs $20.000 in tuition. I decline. Good values Good health care and good public schools that''''s all we need The rest is for movie stars. an we see those on TV and in movies Do we need them in the white house? idon''t remember which actor that said: we used to have actors who want to become stars and now we have stars who want to become actors. I guess we ''ve seen it all we had actors who became presidents and now we have stars who want to act as presidents.; Reply to this comment


by kanobi11 April 8, 2008 9:18 PM EDT: Interesting... But Hoffa has clarifies this issue, but it''s interesting that Hoffa''s clarification is not getting traction in our MSM -

Here is Hoffa''s statement for interested mind -

%u201CTo clear up any misunderstanding about my statements, the Obama campaign and Austan Goolsbee have already clarified Professor Goolsbee%u2019s meeting with representatives from the Canadian government, and as confirmed by the Canadian government, Sen. Obama%u2019s position on NAFTA has not changed,%u201D he said. %u201CAs I said on a conference call with reporters earlier today, Sen. Clinton has a credibility problem with the working men and women across this country on the issue of trade. This problem is only underscored by Mark Penn%u2019s continued role in her campaign.%u201D; Reply to this comment


by popstom1 April 8, 2008 9:17 PM EDT: The flying Obama B.S. machine is
on time; Reply to this comment


by jgunther7 April 8, 2008 6:21 PM EDT: The truth will come out that a Big Canadin Multi Million Dollar backer of the Clinton Museum pulled strings to make it look like Obama''s campign signaled Canada about NAFTA mis-specking, when in reality it was Clinton''s campaign.; Reply to this comment


by nancy00-2009 April 8, 2008 6:16 PM EDT: Other sites have a better grip on this. Penn isn''t really gone either.; Reply to this comment


by nancy00-2009 April 8, 2008 6:08 PM EDT: Only Hillary would try to compare the two...what a piece of work she is. Was Hoffa''s written statement needed because CBS "mis spoke"? Why did he conference call with reporters? Don''t you do stuff like that to the enemy? The title CBS gave the article is misleading then, isn''t it? That''s why I only trust MSNBC.; Reply to this comment


by hargrove9 April 8, 2008 5:28 PM EDT: If Jimmy Hoffa REALLY supports Barack Obama, why would he call the press and put him on the spot after Hillary''s does something wrong, and why would the media help him do that? And why would the reporter use Hillary''s words to draw Barack into Hillary''s trouble. Actions speak louder than words, Jimmy Hoffa and the press support Hillary, and they are using a lie about Barack to deflect from the truth about Hillary.

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/252851; Reply to this comment

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