O Canada

This NAFTA/Canadian consulate flap is becoming a full-fledged international incident. The Canadian Embassy has now apologized for conveying the message that Obama's campaign was saying different things about NAFTA to them in private than he has in public, and a member of the New Democratic Party questioned Prime Minister Stephen Harper harshly today.



It's clear to me that Obama economic advisor Austin Goolsbee probably said SOMETHING to SOME Canadian official, but that he was completely out on his own in saying it. I don't think Obama's team has been prepared for how this turned out, but I don't know if the two-faced charge is accurate, and certainly Obama is really not much different on NAFTA than Clinton, so again it's the Clinton campaign saying "he's just as bad as I am!"

UPDATE: You cannot discount the role of Stephen Harper in this. His conservative government is in routine contact with conservatives in the United States, and as this ends up looking bad for Obama and potentially extends the Democratic race, the idea that this is simply a favor for McCain is possible. Now we learn this.

Canada's left-leaning New Democratic party demanded that Harper fire his chief of Staff, Ian Brodie, who is reported to have leaked word of the meeting.

Sandra Buckler, a Harper spokeswoman, denied Monday that Brodie or anyone in Harper's office leaked word of the memo or meeting.

Somehow I don't believe Harper's spin. I think this was a trap.