NAFTA, the Canadian Government and the Democratic Campaign

Making News

AP Finds Pharmaceuticals in America's Water Supply ()

Prescription drugs and over-the-counter medicines are part of the water supply serving 41 million Americans. That's the finding of the Associated Press after a five-month study involving hundreds of scientific reports and interviews more than 230 officials, academics and scientists. Martha Mendoza co-authored report.

Guests:

• Martha Mendoza: National Reporter, Associated Press

Main Topic

NAFTA, the Canadian Government and the Democratic Campaign ()

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton are looking for votes in Mississippi tomorrow, but last week's flap over the North American Free Trade Agreement is still on the radar screen. US Ambassador David Wilkins complained that the Canadian government had interfered with the US political process. During a Clinton-Obama debate in Ohio, both promised publicly to pressure for renegotiation of NAFTA, but Ohio voters heard only about Obama. Canada TV then reported that an Obama aide had privately reassured Canadian officials not to worry, that it was all political rhetoric in a state where NAFTA is blamed for a loss of jobs. The Clinton campaign accused Obama of dishonesty, and the issue contributed to his loss in Ohio. Meantime, as Clinton escalates her attacks, Obama is beginning to respond in kind. Are they handing John McCain issues to use in November? Will their ongoing battle make it harder for him to get the attention he needs to rally Republican skeptics? 

Guests:

• Susan Delacourt: Ottowa Bureau Chief, Toronto Star
• Gary Hufbauer: Senior Fellow, Institute for International Economics
• John Harris: Editor in Chief, Politico
• David Corn: Washington Editor, The Nation, @DavidCornDC
• Bill Greener, III: Republican Strategist, Greener and Hook

Links:

• Canadian Press Harris-Decima Poll on Obama's popularity
• Delacourt's article on the NAFTA leak
• Harris' 'The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008'
• Corn's article on Clinton's accusations over Obama's Iraq position

Reporter's Notebook

The Age of the Universe...Refined ()

The universe is 13.73 billion years old. What happened during its first trillionth of a trillionth of a second?  Astronomers are excited about new measurements of the oldest available light. A satellite launched in 2001 has provided new information about the origin of the universe, including its age and its earliest activity. Gary Hinshaw, an astrophysicist with NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, is a team member of "W" Map program, or the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe.

Guests:

• Gary Hinshaw: Astrophysicist, NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center