Controversial aide still has Barack Obama's ear

Barack Obama's top economic advisor has taken a lower profile in recent weeks following a furor over a conversation he had with Canadian officials in Chicago over the North American Free Trade Agreement.

But there is no question that Austan Goolsbee remains deeply involved with the Democratic presidential candidate, based on an e-mail sent out by Obama's campaign today.

The e-mail was a copy of the Illinois senator's remarks, as prepared for delivery, for a town hall meeting in Gary, Ind., that focused on the economy. Near the end was an accidental cut-and-paste of an earlier internal campaign message when a draft of the speech was being prepared.

In that message, Goolsbee was listed first among a lengthy list of Obama aides and advisors.

As Obama settled in for his campaign appearance at a site just 30 minutes from his house in Chicago, Obama confessed that he was thinking about busting out.

"This is the closest I've been to home in five days," he told his audience at a high school. "I was thinking about making a break for it."

Showing his local acumen, he mentioned the South Shore Line train that would have him home in less than an hour. "But we've got some work to do right here," Obama said, returning his focus to Indiana's May 6 primary -- a contest shaping up as an especially crucial faceoff between him and Hillary Clinton.

-- John McCormick

John McCormick writes for the Swamp of the Chicago Tribune's Washington bureau.

Comments

[Richard Williams]

Is this how we do diplomacy, but continuing in the role as bully? Bush tried this for 8 years and look at our mess. Now Obama's wants to take the same masculine role. Haven't we learned that when we push, we are pushed back. Obama has no experience or wisdom.

[ajironworks4usa]

And whats More is , " Why Not argue" with these Economic professors , who say that Greshams Law or the 14th Century , Bad money ( Lower valued Currency , like China's as a Manufacturer of the products that trade in Higher valued Currency Markets , USA and UK ) is not the effect we are experiencing on our Economic Function of the way the Trade Agreement is functioning , shake it up , and while you are at it , make sure the Multi-nationalism of Corporate Greed , and embarrassment not even paying a Living wage to the working class , not a Health plan not a Stable wage at all in any form , but still able to Import Tariff Free , this is just a Mess this Greed of all forms of Greed , and the funny thing is they don't realize that without a Consumer in sound Financial condition , their market will devalue itself down to nothing ...which is what is happening right before our eyes , because they are doing nothing to sustain their own consumer stock . Its like trying to grow a Herd of new born Calves through the season Barack , this something I know about here , but , in order to have a Healthy and Vibrant herd of Calves growing through the summer , you have to maintain the Mother cows , keep the flies down , the lice in check , maintain the reproductive systems with the vaccinations needed , do all the things needed with feed to maintain a surrogate that can then grow the Calves , this is the same principles with How the Importing Corporate wonders , that are only interested in Profits , should be looking at the Consumers , making sure they are healthy Financially so they have a stable market to sell to year after year .
This Trade policy has been going on now for 14 years , and has not had a Solvent year yet . The IRS does not let a Taxable Entity Operate past 5 years , at a Loss , so why has this Trade policy been allowed to continue and run America Into the Ground , this goes against all the Capitalist Competitive systems and Operations ??????

I still think that all this devaluation process is due to trading with a Currency Fixer country like China , and a 18 cents to our dollar value difference , is in effect the very example of Gresham's Law of the 14th Century , Bad money , ( Lower valued ) drives Good Money ( higher Valued) out of circulation , if traded in the same market , so by Retail chains like the Big Box retailers having all their goods and services manufactured in the Lower valued country , and then able to Import tariff Free , into the higher priced market because of the currency exchange difference , with no fees paid into Infrastructures , and support mechanism , like SS and Medicare , that would offset the loss in wage deductions if these Imported products were to have been made here in the USA , then we have a eroding effect , of money flows that do not spread into the masses enough to build and maintain sustainable growth in the higher priced markets like US and the UK , and look at how the market is eroding as the consumers purchasing power is eroding ..................the Trade policies of the USA need to be retooled to balance out these inequalities in the way the wealth of these trades are redistributing , and higher taxes won't work , because of the Loop holes that can be bought in our Government through the Lobbyists and Special Interests . Its time for Change before its too late .......... http://www.columbia.edu/~ram15/grash.html , in the teaching of Gresham's law of the 14th Century , which can be argued , it is worth debating , about the way we Interpret the way the Concept is possibly Integrated into the present Trade Policies we are Involved in , the one thing thats clear is when a currency is manipulated in whatever manner , for the reason of being controlling , it is a form of counterfeiting , like a trade partner that pegs a currency to another's for the benefit of taking that persons work away from them so they don't have to buy your goods , in balanced terms , like is the case with our biggest trade deficit holders China and India . http://www.epi.org/content.cfm/issuebriefs_ib137
The High Cost of the China-WTO Deal

[Carolyn Grace]

He is not an aide and he is not controversial. He was approached by a representative of the Canadian embassy in Chicago. And what he said, was not what was reported by the government of Canada who is pro-Bush and probably pro-Clinton.

Mr. Goolsbee is known as one of the best and brightest economists in the country. He is not an aide. He is an advisor.

[Richard Williams]

Obama Insidious Affiliations
The only possible reason why anyone would vote for Obama is because he is black.
This is the most insidious form of racial discrimination.
There is no way a white man with the same background and credentials could have even been considered as a senator.

Look at Obama’s affiliations:
- Mr. Rezko, Obama’s friend and a major mob figure
- Mr. Auchi a billionaire and major funder for Obama’s campaign throughout the years.
While working with Saddam Hussein, Auchi made his money through the sell of arms in Iraq and by stealing money from the Oil for Food program (no wonder Obama voted against invading Iraq)
- Mr. Wright a racist who hates America and whites and is reminiscent of Hitler and who has been Mr. Obama’s teacher for over 20 years.
- Mr. Meeks who hates whites and gays and is one of Obama’s major supporters and super-delegate for Obama. Mr. Meeks has also been integral in getting Mr. Obama to where he is now in politics.
- Mr. Ayers members of the Weather Underground, a group that killed police and tried to bomb the US Capitol. Obama served with Ayers on the board of the leftist foundation called the Woods Fund.
- Mr. McPeaks is Obama’s military adviser and national campaign co-chairman who claims that American Jews are the "problem." and “Christian Zionists were driving America's policy in Iraq to benefit Israel.”
- Michelle Obama who trumpets Obama as “the second coming of the messiah,” and also states she “has never been proud to be an AMERICAN in her adult life".

The list goes on. Am I missing something here?

[Ron M]

Richard Williams: The only reason you write a note is because you are so proud of your narrow mindedness.

I knew Rev Wright when he was in high school and he was a decent human being. I do not believe he is as despicable as those tapes indicate. He served honorably in the marines and I believe there is other good things about him. Certainly Mr Wright is not a reason to not vote for Obama since Barack does not share his feelings about the US.

Richard Williams you are missing supporting the most impressive US political figure in a half century. I am sure you would have slandered Abe Lincoln in his day. Too smart for your liking.

[joseph pierre]

Richard,
Get off the couch, throw the beer cans, and go get a job or go to school.Get out to do something.You're such a pathetic loser.

[Ryan Jeanes]

Re: Obama has no experience or wisdom. Obama has 12 years as a Senator under his belt (8 as an Illinois Senator and 4 as a US Senator). Hillary has 8. Obama has authored and passed 152 bills during his time as just a US Senator. Hillary has passed only 20 with twice as much time. Some of Hillary's winners include the Honor the Life of Alexander Hamilton Bill. She has a repeated history of trying to do things but failing. Don't believe me: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/adam-hanft/the-curious-myth-of-hilla_b_87613.html
It is ridiculous to just blindly buy Hillary's claim that she is more experienced. She is experienced, in one way, in failing. She has shown no ability to reach across the aisle to get her initiatives passed. Obama? If we include his Illinois Senate bills authored and passed? Totaling over 1000! I am not s**ting you. Check out the library of congress website. Hillary has a great record of trying for, fighting for, wanting to, but ultimately... failing. Look at how Obama is running his campaign! I mean, how? How in the heck would someone with no experience or wisdom be able to do that? Take your blinders off, you freaks, Obama is has and will "get things done" as Hillary likes to claim. A great bonus? He can speak like a mother too.

[FRIEDA]

how many controversial advisors does Obama have? why is he surrounding himself with these type of Character. For some reason the common thread among all of them is "blame America first" mentality.

I guess, they will say YES WE CAN!

[Tom J]

Richard Williams: What you are missing are your marbles.

[Laurie]

I've been following this election from Canada, and I must say, the L.A.Times obviously has it in for Obama. First of all, Obama's economic advisor Austan Goolsbee was approached by a lesser Canadian diplomatic bureaucrat on business that had nothing to do with Obama. The bureaucrat asked him about Obama's free trade stand, then misrepresented the conversation in a memo. That's the big 'scandal'. Our Prime Minister even apologized in the House of Commons for this misinformation being released. So this 'controversial aide' nonsense is simply more spin to whip up the Obama haters. A cursury fact-check would have given the reporter the true story, but I guess that was not the intent. Another article I picked up from this paper today, is the 'shocking' story of Obama's attendence ten years ago at a talk given by internationally well respected Palestinian scholar Edward Said. I guess the scary part is supposed to be that the late Said was a Palestinian. If these are examples of objective journalism in America, it's no wonder you're in such bad shape.