Bernstein on CNN: Hillary argued with Bill over NAFTA

[Metric System]

Carl Berstein was interviewed by Anderson Cooper tonight and he asserted that behind-the-scenes Hillary was absolutely against NAFTA and she argued vigorously with Bill over it. Apparently she told him that he was engaging in Republican economics. Obviously, she lost out on that argument but it goes to show why she's my favorite Clinton.

[AX10]

1. She also told him to not appoint a special council...

to investigate whitewater. She and Gore told him NOT to discuss welfare "reform" because Clinton was not going to get an comprehensive training programs for workers from Newtie.

Hillary is smart and tough.
She is my first choice.

[BeyondGeography]

2. She also thought he was wrong when he told her to vote for IWR

[NYCGirl]

6. Then why the fuck did she do it? I guess we'll never know.

:shrug:

[BeyondGeography]

14. That was a joke on my part

You know, blame Bill for all your political mistakes. It's a strategy.

[NYCGirl]

15. Ah, I thought that was some kind of revelation. Might not be a bad idea, though.

:evilgrin:

[dkf]

32. no no no. Bill Clinton was against the war From The Start.

Obviously Hillary did it against Bill's advice!

[hlthe2b]

3. This is interesting and unknown to me previously...

I remain undecided, but am glad to see some info that counters some of my concerns.

[UALRBSofL]

13. Yeah, I saw that too

When she was the first lady, they were talking about Hillary trying to tell Bill not to support NAFTA. However, she wont bring it up because it would be counterproductive to Bill's achievements, something like that, they were saying.

[Mojambo]

4. There was a former Edwards advisor who worked in the Clinton administration in the late 90's

on Thom Hartmann's show, who said that Hillary did often have a different perspective from Bill on certain issues back then. She noted Welfare reform specifically.

[Quixote1818]

8. TIME Magazine said she talked Bill into Welfare reform for purely political reasons. nt

[xultar]

10. Not possible. She can't think differently than her husband. SHOCKER.

[avaistheone1]

33. That was my understanding too.

I also got this same impression after reading a number of articles about Hillary many years ago.

[journalist3072]

5. I don't know where the idea came from that she was for NAFTA in the first place

It clearly was not factual. She disagreed with her husband on NAFTA....that's been known for a long time.

I'm just surprised Clinton-hating Carl Bernstein actually reported the facts here and got this one right.

[DJ13]

7. Sure she did.........

.......and yet throughout all the criticism over Bill's enthusiastic support of NAFTA during this campaign, her own campaign, not once has she said anything about this.

It has to come from the ultimate DC insider.

Sure, thats believable.

:rofl:

[Quixote1818]

11. It does smell fishy. nt

[xultar]

12. Nope. She said it during a debate that she disagreed with Bill on NAFTA. I heard that shit myself.

[Quixote1818]

17. Hillary Clinton: "I think NAFTA was, in principle, a good idea."

http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/23/152921/892

[xultar]

20. In principle she thought it was a good idea dut I heard her say she disagreed with him on how it

was implemented.

She did disagree with him.

NAFTA did sound great until they set it up and fucked it up.

[Quixote1818]

21. You just spun my head completely off

I am feeling dizzy now! :crazy:

[Midwestern Democrat]

31. No, it's true. The New Republic mocked her for it in early 1994.

Hillary can take credit for being on the right side of this issue when it was being debated internally.

[emilyg]

9. and mine.

[Occam Bandage]

16. Easy to say now, ain't it?

[Quixote1818]

19. I just did a search on google and it seems she was for NAFTA

Here is one example: http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/23/152921/892 :rofl:

[Metric System]

22. The point Bernstein made was that she was against it BEHIND-THE-SCENES back then.

Obviously she wouldn't go around publicly speaking out against her husband's policy. It was an argument she made and lost because ultimately it wasn't her decision to make, it was the President's.

[Quixote1818]

24. Then why was she praising it Feb. 1, 2007?

Why would she praise something she was against? http://www.mydd.com/story/2008/1/23/152921/892

[sandnsea]

18. Everything that worked out is her idea

Everything that didn't is Bill's fault.

Right.

[proudleftists]

23. I believe it...

NOT ! The Clintons have been faithful servants of big business
their entire political careers.

[Konza]

25. In 1985 Hillary was against the introduction of New Coke...But did they listen?

No.

[Quixote1818]

26. She was also against Delorean cars. She knew they would flop! nt

[Truth2Tell]

27. Ahhhhh, I seeee...

Hillary was SECRETLY against NAFTA! She only spoke out in favor of it and has supported all the similar free trade crap since then to THROW US OFF THE TRACK! It all makes sense now.
:eyes:

This must be what she was talking about when she said that Presidents should keep secrets.

[Quixote1818]

28. Well Said. nt

[jackson_dem]

Hillary and Obama have the same view, similar records on trade

So if this news is true it gives Hillary some small points in my book, although she has a clear "free" trade orientation.

[Levgreee]

29. She sure does flip flop on it a lot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJ0swdRvYgw

"NAFTA was a mistake to the extent that it did not deliver on what we hoped it would..."

Later quote

"I think on balance, NAFTA has been good for New York, and America"


Sounds like she was for it pretty long after Bill was out of the White house.

[zulchzulu]

30. Maybe they could do a play

:crazy: