June 20, 2008 3:17 PM
- Text
McCain Reminds Canadians of His Commitment to NAFTA, Criticizes Obama

(CBS)
From CBS News' John Bentley:
OTTAWA – While John McCain did not mention his rival's name directly here today, there was no doubt who he was referring to when he called NAFTA "critical to the future of so many Canadian and American workers and businesses." "Demanding unilateral changes and threatening to abrogate an agreement that has increased trade and prosperity is nothing more than retreating behind protectionist walls," McCain told the Economic Club of Canada. "If I am elected president, have no doubt that America will honor its international commitments -- and we will expect the same of others."
During the Democratic primary, Barack Obama told voters in Ohio he might renegotiate NAFTA. He backed off that statement recently. "Sometimes during campaigns rhetoric gets overheated and amplified," he told Fortune magazine recently. "Politicians are always guilty of that, and I don't exempt myself."
Despite his discussion of NAFTA and trade with Canada, McCain refused to address Obama directly afterwards at a press conference. "This has nothing to do with that or with any political campaign," McCain said. "Discussing it further would impinge on the purpose of my visit."
That didn't stop his campaign, though, from issuing a statement from their candidate. "For months, Barack Obama said that he would 'make sure that we renegotiate' NAFTA, demanded unilateral changes and threatened to unilaterally withdraw if he did not get his way. Barack Obama knew better. America has not had a protectionist president since Herbert Hoover, but Barack Obama held his position anyway to further his cynical political purposes in the primary campaign. Now he claims: 'I'm not a big believer in doing things unilaterally,'" the statment from McCain reads. "The American people and our allies deserve better than calculated efforts to re-invent positions to sound less irresponsible."
Popular Now in Politics
- CPAC: Will Sarah Palin spring a surprise?
- Timothy Dolan: Birth control tweak a "first step"
- CPAC: Santorum rips Romney, rouses conservatives
- Ann Coulter riles up the CPAC crowd
- After uproar, Obama tweaks birth control rule
- Santorum: Women could bring "emotions" to combat
- Romney takes on hecklers at Maine town hall
- Mitt Romney wins Maine GOP caucuses
- Sarah Palin revs up CPAC faithful
- Obama to announce revamp of birth control policy
- CPAC: Anti-Obama beats pro-Romney
- Occupy protestors kicked out of CPAC
- CPAC: Huckabee "thanks" Obama for birth control firestorm
- Report: Chicago cardinal joins contraceptives fight
- Romney on Obama: I will "knock him on his heels"
- Santorum's big benefactor
- Is Rick Santorum conservatives' last, best hope?
Latest CBS News Headlines
on Facebook
on CBS News
- France's far-right leader attempts image change
- Hamas strongman in Gaza rejects unity deal
- Houston recalled as happy in days before death
- Pre-Grammy gala celebrates Whitney Houston's life
on Facebook
- Whitney Houston 1963-2012
- Adele sings a cappella for Anderson Cooper
- Remembering Whitney Houston 1963-2012
on CBS News






