Many Layers

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I think it’s clear that NAFTA/Goolsbee flap has blunted some of Obama’s momentum, especially in Ohio. The volume of press releases out of the campaign certainly suggests that.

The Obama campaign just sent out a Youtube clip from a little more than an hour ago on MSNBC that shows video from the Canadian parliament in which a member of the opposition (I’m not sure who, if anyone can tell me, I’d appreciate it) attacks the government for meddling in the Democratic primaries; and then Prime Minister Harper responds.

Now, the headline of the Obama camp’s email reads “Canadian Prime Minister Addresses Issue.” But what’s interesting is that Harper, who’s close to DC Republicans, actually doesn’t address it in a way that’s helpful to the Obama campaign. Indeed, notwithstanding a statement of regret and other flowery language, he seems to go out of his way to confirm the essential charge against the Obama campaign.

Remember, both things can be true — Goolsbee may have said these things (he’s already eyed with suspicion by many Democratic policy types) and the Tory government in Canada used this to damage Obama. One doesn’t negate the other.

Late Update: Readers confirm the questioner is Jack Layton, leader of the New Democratic Party which, if I’m not mistaken (and this isn’t my subject) is the smaller and more social democratic of the two opposition parties.

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