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Canadian PM denies trying to influence the US election

Canada's conservative government on Monday denied allegations it tried to influence the US election by leaking word of a meeting with Barack Obama's senior economic adviser, who allegedly had told Canadian officials that Obama's comments about the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) were for political show.

In Ottawa, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper disputed the contention of his political opposition that his right-leaning government leaked word of the meeting to complicate Obama's chances or to favor Republican Senator John McCain, who strongly supports NAFTA.

Harper told parliament he was amused by the suggestion "we are so all-powerful that we could interfere in the American election and pick their president for them. This government doesn't claim that kind of power. I certainly deny any allegation that this government has attempted to interfere in the American election."

Harper said he has watched the US campaign closely and believes all leading candidates from both parties -- Democrats Obama and Hillary Clinton and Republican McCain -- "would continue the strong friendship and partnership that Canada and the United States enjoys."

Obama said on Monday that his campaign never gave Canada back-channel assurances that his harsh words about the agreement were for political show -- despite the disclosure of the Canadian memo indicating otherwise.

Obama's economic adviser Austan Goolsbee discussed his candidate's policies with the Canadian consulate in Chicago, which wrote a report suggesting Obama's words on NAFTA were designed for a political audience and should not be taken too seriously. The memo was leaked to the Associated Press.

But Goolsbee insisted on Monday his comments about NAFTA at the meeting were misconstrued in the summarizing brief written by a Canadian official.

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 on Monday that Brodie or anyone in Harper's office leaked word of the memo or meeting.

Harper and the Canadian embassy, meanwhile, expressed regret about how the discussions from the memo have been interpreted.

Embassy officials said in an official statement: "There was no intention to convey, in any way, that Senator Obama and his campaign team were taking a different position in public from views expressed in private, including about NAFTA."

Bob Shrum, who has advised former Democratic presidential candidates, accused Canada's Conservatives of "actively interfering" in the US election campaign on NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday.

"You've got a right-wing government in Canada that is trying to help the Republicans and is out there actively interfering in this campaign," Shrum said.
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