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THIS
WEEK IN CHANGE II
Obama Adopts Most Politically Expedient
Position On Important Issues, Again
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D.C. HANDGUN BAN
Yesterday, Obama Said He Thought The
D.C. Handgun Ban Was Unconstitutional:
Obama: "It looks to me
that the D.C. handgun ban overshot the
runway. That it went beyond
constitutional limits."
(Bloomberg's "Taking Stock," 6/26/08)
But Throughout The Primary Campaign,
Obama Expressed Support For The D.C. Gun
Ban:
Obama Campaign: "Obama Believes The D.C.
Handgun Law Is Constitutional."
"[T]he campaign of Democratic
presidential hopeful Barack Obama said
that he '...believes that we can
recognize and respect the rights of
law-abiding gun owners and the right of
local communities to enact common sense
laws to combat violence and save lives.
Obama believes the D.C. handgun law is
constitutional.'"
(James Oliphant and Michael J. Higgins,
"Court To Hear Gun Case," Chicago
Tribune, 11/20/07)
During An Interview, Obama Acknowledged
His Support For The D.C. Gun Ban.
Questioner Leon Harris: "One
other issue that's of great importance
here in the district as well is gun
control. You said in Idaho recently - I'm quoting here - 'I have no
intention of taking away folks' guns,'
but you support the D.C. handgun ban."
Obama: "Right."
(Leon
Harris and Sen. Barack Obama, Forum
Sponsored By ABC And Politico.Com,
Washington, DC,
2/12/08)
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In The Same Interview, Obama
Indicated He Feels The D.C. Gun Ban
Is Constitutional.
Harris: "And
you've said that it's
constitutional. How can you
reconcile those two different
positions?" Obama: "Oh, because I
think we have two conflicting
traditions in this country. I think
it is important for us to recognize
that we've got a tradition of
handgun ownership and gun ownership
generally. And a lot of people,
law-abiding citizens, use it for
hunting, for sportsmanship, and for
protecting their families. We also
have violence on the streets that is
a result of illegal handgun use. And
so, there is nothing wrong, I think,
with a community saying we ar e
going to take those illegal handguns
off the streets..."
(Leon Harris and Sen. Barack Obama,
Forum Sponsored By ABC And
Politico.Com, Washington, DC, 2/12/08)
Click Here To Watch Obama Express
Support For The D.C. Gun Ban
PUBLIC FINANCING
Obama Claimed He Had Been Consistent On
The Issue Of Public Financing:
Obama Said "There Just Hasn't Been A
Lot Of Contradiction" In
Regards To His Public Financing
Position. Reporter:
"Senator, back to your decision on
public financing. It was widely
criticized as being a flip-flop and/or
broken promise. Do you accept this
characterization as fair, and are you
concerned that the decision might
jeopardize your credibility on other
pledges you've made during the campaign
on issues like trade, health care and
withdrawing troops from Iraq?" Obama: "I think that the
characterization of flip-flop was wrong,
because if you looked at my statement,
what I said was that we would try to
work with the Republican nominee to
preserve the option of public financing.
... So there just hasn't been a lot of
contradiction there..."
(Sen. Barack Obama, Media Availability, Chicago, IL,
6/25/08)
But Obama Referred To His "Pledge" With
McCain To Enter Into Public Financing
And Then Chose To Opt Out:
In November, In Response To A
Midwest Democracy Network Questionnaire, Barack
Obama Said He Would Accept Public
Funding In The General Election.
Question: "If you are
nominated for President in 2008 and your
major opponents agree to forgo private
funding in the general election
campaign, will you participate in the
presidential public financing system?"
Obama: "Yes. I have been a long-time
advocate for public financing of
campaigns combined with free television
and radio time as a way to reduce the
influence of moneyed special interests."
(Sen.
Barack Obama, "Presidential Candidate
Questionnaire," Midwest Democracy
Network,
www.commoncause.org,
11/27/07)
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Obama Even Referred To His Plan As A
"Fundraising Pledge" For His
Opponents To Accept.
Obama: "In February 2007, I proposed
a novel way to preserve the strength
of the public financing system in
the 2008 election. My proposal
followed announcements by some
presidential candidates that they
would forgo public financing so they
could raise unlimited funds in the
general election. The Federal
Election Commission ruled the
proposal legal, and Senator John
McCain (R-AZ) has already pledged to
accept this fundraising pledge."
(Sen. Barack Obama, "Presidential
Candidate Questionnaire," Midwest
Democracy Network,
www.commoncause.org,
11/27/07)
But By June, Obama Declined Public
Financing In The General Election,
Calling It A "Broken System."
"In a web video emailed to
supporters, Obama asks his supporters to
help him 'declare our independence from
a broken system.' Of course, it's not so
much a broken system that explains why
he's passing on the FEC's $80+million.
He will easily raise more than he could
ever get in public funding."
(Jonathan
Martin, "Obama Opts Out Of Public
Financing,"
The
Politico's "Jonathan Martin"
Blog,
www.politico.com, 6/19/08)
IMMUNITY FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS
COMPANIES INVOLVED IN TERRORIST
SURVEILLANCE
During The Primaries, Obama Pledged To
Filibuster Any Bill Which Contained
Immunity For Telecommunications
Companies Involved In Electronic
Surveillance:
In October, The Obama Campaign Pledged
He Would Filibuster "Any Bill That
Includes Retroactive Immunity For
Telecommunications Companies."
Obama Spokesman Bill Burton: "To be
clear: Barack will support a filibuster
of any bill that includes retroactive
immunity for telecommunications
companies."
(Greg
Sargent, "Obama Camp Says It: He'll
Support Filibuster Of Any Bill
Containing Telecom Immunity," Talking
Points Memo's "Election Central" Blog,
tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com,
10/24/07)
In December, Obama Stated He "Unequivocally
Opposes Giving Retroactive Immunity To
Telecommunications Companies."
"Senator Obama unequivocally opposes
giving retroactive immunity to
telecommunications companies and has
cosponsored Senator's efforts to remove
that provision from the FISA bill. ...
Senator Obama supports a filibuster of
this bill, and strongly urges others to
do the same."
(Sen.
Barack Obama, "Statement From Senator
Obama's Office On The FISA Bill," Press
Release, 12/17/07)
In February Obama Voted Against A Bill
That Would Have Reauthorized
Surveillance, But Also Contained
Retroactive Immunity.
"Motion to invoke cloture (thus limiting
debate) on the bill that would amend the
1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
Act (FISA) to authorize warrantless
surveillance of foreign targets, even if
they are communicating with someone in
the
United States.
It would give the FISA court authority
to approve several aspects of how such
surveillance is conducted. It also would
grant retroactive legal immunity to
telecommunications companies alleged to
have participated in the National
Security Agency's warrantless
surveillance program."
(S. 2248,
CQ Vote #19: Motion Agreed To 69-19: R
48-0; D 20-28; I 1-1, 2/12/08, Obama
Voted Nay)
Now, Obama Backs A Compromise Bill Which
Grants Immunity For Telecommunications
Companies:
Obama Now Supports A Bill Reauthorizing
Electronic Surveillance That Grants
Immunity To Telecommunications
Companies. Obama:
"Under this compromise legislation, an
important tool in the fight against
terrorism will continue. ... It does,
however, grant retroactive immunity, and
I will work in the Senate to remove this
provision so that we can seek full
accountability for past offenses. ... So
I support the compromise, but do so with
a firm pledge that as President, I will
carefully monitor the program, review
the report by the Inspectors General,
and work with the Congress to take any
additional steps I deem necessary to
protect the lives - and the liberty - of
the American people."
(Ben Smith, "Obama Backs FISA
Compromise,"
The
Politico's "Ben Smith" Blog,
www.politico.com, 6/20/08)
INDIVIDUAL MANDATE
On Wednesday, An Obama Adviser Revealed
That He "Is Not Opposed To The Idea" Of
An Individual Mandate And That His Plan
Could "Go In Clinton's Direction" On The Issue:
Campaign Adviser, Kavita Patel, Said
That Obama "Is Not Opposed To The Idea"
Of An Individual Mandate And That The
Campaign Is In Touch With Former Clinton Health Care Advisers.
"Asked if Obama would be seen as
reversing himself if he were to endorse
an individual mandate after clashing
with Clinton on the issue, Patel dismissed the
concern. 'He has not said he is opposed
to it,' [Kavita] Patel told ABC News.
'He has voiced his disagreement with
having that be a part of his health-care
plan last year. But he is not opposed to
the idea itself.' Patel added that the
Obama campaign is in touch with former Clinton health-care advisers."
(Teddy
Davis, John Santucci and Greg ory
Wallace, "Obama Health Plan Could Go In
Clinton's Direction,"
ABC
News' "Political Radar" Blog,
blogs.abcnews.com, 6/26/08)
The Adviser Signaled That Obama's Health
Care Plan "Could Eventually Go In Clinton's Direction" In Regards To An Individual
Mandate. "No policy
proposal more sharply divided Barack
Obama from Hillary Clinton than the
former first lady's plan requiring
adults to purchase health insurance. But
as the one-time rivals head to Unity,
N.H., on Friday, a health adviser to the
presumptive Democratic nominee is
signaling that Obama's plan could
eventually go in Clinton's direction."
(Teddy
Davis, John Santucci and Gregory
Wallace, "Obama Health Plan Could Go In
Clinton's Direction,"
ABC
News' "Political Radar" Blog,
blogs.abcnews.com, 6/26/08)
-
Patel: "Senator Obama Is Willing To
Consider Any Sort Of Proposal That
Would Bring Together, Not Just The
Insurance Industry But ... The
Consumers Themselves..."
(Teddy Davis, John Santucci and
Gregory Wallace, "Obama Health Plan
Could Go In Clinton's Direction,"
ABC
News' "Political Radar"
Blog,
blogs.abcnews.com, 6/26/08)
Earlier This Week, Another Campaign
Adviser Said That Obama "Will Return" To
Issue Of An Individual Mandate If There
Are Americans Left Uninsured:
Obama's Adviser, Dan Tarullo, Said That
He "Will Return" To The Issue Of An
Individual Mandate If "We Have To Deal
With The Problems Of Uncovered People."
MSNBC's Contessa Brewer: "So Clinton criticized Obama during the primary race
because his plan does not make health
care universal. Does his plan ensure
that every American has coverage?" Dan
Tarullo: "Well, it is a universal plan.
It doesn't mandate that everyone get
health care coverage, but it makes sure
that every American can get health care
coverage and I think Senator Obama's
approach has been look, we have a big
problem of 47 million Americans who are
uninsured, many others who have
insurance are struggling with the cost
of the health care. So what he wants to
do is make sure there's affordable
health care available for everyone and
he believes that in and o f itself will
lead to a great expansion in coverage.
If we have to deal with the problems of
uncovered people later, well of course,
he will return to that issue."
(MSNBC's
"MSNBC Live," 6/24/08)
FLASHBACK: In The Democrat Primary,
Obama Argued With Sen. Clinton Over
Individual Mandates:
Obama Argued With Sen. Clinton Saying
There Is "A Different Way" To Achieve
Universal Care Rather Than Imposing An
Individual Mandate.
Obama: "We've got a philosophical
difference which we've debated
repeatedly, and that is that Senator
Clinton believes the only way to achieve
universal health care is to force
everybody to purchase it, and my belief
is the reason that people don't have it
is not because they don't want it, but
because they can't afford it. ... Now,
there are legitimate arguments for why
Senator Clinton and others have called
for a mandate, and I'm happy to have
that debate. But the notion that I am
leaving 15 -- 15 million people out
somehow implies that we are different in
our goals of providing coverage to all
Americans, and that is simply not true.
We think that there's going to be a
different way of getting there."
(Barack
Obama, CNN/Univision Democrat
Presidential Debate,
Austin, TX, 2/21/08)
SPECIAL INTEREST ADVERTISING
Yesterday, The AFL-CIO Endorsed Obama
And Begin Spending Millions Of Dollars
In Support Of His Campaign:
The AFL-CIO And Its 56 Unions Endorsed
Obama. "With just a
few days left before June ends, there's
a clear frontrunner for the month's
least surprising political development
-- the endorsement Barack Obama received
today from the AFL-CIO. The massive
conglomeration of 56 national and
international unions -- comprising about
10.5 million workers -- steered clear of
making a pick during the primary season
because there was no consensus choice
among the group's various affiliates."
(Don
Frederick, "Barack Obama's AFL-CIO Nod
Gives Him One More Potent Weapon,"
Los
Angeles Times' "Top Of The
Ticket" Blog,
latimesblogs.latimes.com, 6/26/08)
The AFL-CIO And Its Member Unions Plan
To Spend Over $200 Million In Support Of
Obama's Campaign. "The
AFL-CIO's endorsement will enable the
federation to begin spending the $53.4
million it has budgeted for the election
on voter-mobilization efforts for Sen.
Obama, targeting union members through
phone calls, mailings and visits to
workplaces and homes. The federation's
member unions plan to spend an
additional $150 million through the fall
on their own efforts."
(Kris
Maher, "AFL-CIO To Endorse Obama, Start
Spending,"
The
Wall Street Journal, 6/25/08)
But Obama Has A History Of Criticizing
Independent Expenditures, Including Last
Week When He Broke His Promise On Public
Financing:
Just Last Week, Obama Claimed He Was
Breaking His Public Financing Pledge Due
To The "Smears And Attacks" From "527
Groups." "It's not an
easy decision, and especially because I
support a robust system of public
financing of elections. But the public
financing of presidential elections as
it exists today is broken, and we face
opponents who've become masters at
gaming this broken system. John McCain's
campaign and the Republican National
Committee are fueled by contributions
from Washington lobbyists and special interest PACs.
And we've already seen that he's not
going to stop the smears and attacks
from his allies running so-called 527
groups, who will spend millions and
millions of dollars in unlimited
donations."
("Obama's
Statements On Public Financing,"
The
Associated Press, 6/19/08)
In The Democrat Primary, Obama's
Campaign Attempted To Turn Independent
Expenditures Into A Campaign Issue,
Claiming "This Kind Of Politics Needs To
End." "No outside
groups have distributed mailers or run
advertisements on Obama's behalf in New
Hampshire, and Obama has attempted to
turn that distance into a campaign
issue. 'The case has never been clearer
- this kind of politics needs to end,'
Obama campaign manager David Plouffe
wrote in a recent fundraising e-mail."
(Sarah
Liebowitz, "Edwards, Clinton Bankrolled From Afar,"
Concord
[NH]
Monitor,
1/4/08)
Obama: "[Y]ou can't
say yesterday, you don't believe in 'em,
and today, you're having three-quarters
of a million dollars being spent for
you. You can't just talk the talk."
(Sen.
Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign
Event, Oskaloosa, IA, 12/22/07)
-
Obama:
"I don't just talk the talk; I walk
the walk. ... I've been doing this
all my life..."
(Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A
Campaign Event, Oskaloosa, IA,
12/22/07)
NUCLEAR POWER
Obama In September 2007: "I Don't Think
That We Can Take Nuclear Power Off The
Table":
Obama: "I don't think
that we can take nuclear power off the
table. What we have to make sure of is
that we have the capacity to store it
properly and safely, and that we reduce
whatever threats might come from
terrorism."
(Sen.
Barack Obama, MSNBC Democrat
Presidential Candidate Debate,
Hanover, NH, 9/26/07)
Click Here To View
Obama In December 2007: "I Am Not A
Nuclear Energy Proponent":
Obama: "I start off
with the premise that nuclear energy is
not optimal. I am not a nuclear energy
proponent."
(Sen.
Barack Obama, Remarks At Town Hall
Event,
Newton, IA,
12/30/07)
Click Here To View
Obama In June 2008: "I Don't Think That
Nuclear Power Is A Panacea":
Obama: "I've said this
before, I don't think that nuclear power
is a panacea. But I also think that
given that it doesn't emit greenhouse
gases, for us to invest some R&D into
seeing whether we can store nuclear
waste safely, or reuse it. These are all
areas where the market interacting with
a clear set of rules by the federal
government and billions of dollars
devoted to research and development can,
I think, trigger the kind of economic
growth that we haven't seen in this
country for a long time."
(Sen.
Barack Obama, Remarks At Meeting With
Democrat Governors, Chicago, IL,
6/20/08)
Click Here To View
DEATH PENALTY
Obama Stated Disagreement With The
Supreme Court Decision Striking Down The
Use Of The Death Penalty For A Convicted
Child Rapist:
When Asked About Today's Supreme Court
Decision Striking Down The Use Of The
Death Penalty For A Child Rapist, Obama
Stated That He Disagreed With The
Decision. Reporter:
"Senator, what's your reaction to the
Supreme Court's decision today striking
down the death penalty for a child
rapist?" Obama: "I disagree with the
decision. I have said repeatedly that I
think that the death penalty should be
applied in very narrow circumstances,
for the most egregious of crimes. I
think that the rape of a small child, 6
or 8 years old, is a heinous crime. And
if a state makes a decision that under
narrow, limited, well-defined
circumstances, the death penalty is at
least potentially applicable, that that
does not violate our constitution. Now,
I think it's -- you know, had the
Supreme Court said we want to constrain
the ability of the states to do th is to
make sure that it's done in a careful
and appropriate way, that would have
been one thing. But it basically had a
blanket prohibition and I disagreed with
that decision."
(Sen.
Barack Obama, Press Conference,
Chicago,
IL, 6/25/08)
But In The Past, Obama Opposed The Death
Penalty:
Running For The Illinois State Senate In 1996, Obama Opposed The
Death Penalty.
Question: "Do you support ... capital
punishment?" Obama's Answer: "No."
(Independent Voters Of Illinois
Independent Precinct Organization 1996
General Candidate Questionnaire, Barack
Obama Responses, 9/9/96)
OBAMA'S "PRESIDENTIAL" SEAL
Last Week, The Obama Campaign Unveiled A
"Presidential" Seal For Use At Campaign
Events:
Obama Unveiled An Official-Looking Seal
"Deliberately Reminiscent Of The
Official Seal Of The President."
"At a discussion with a dozen
Democratic governors in Chicago on
Friday morning, each of the governors
was identified with a small name plate
but Senator Barack Obama sat behind a
low rostrum to which was attached an
official-looking seal no one had seen
before. It is emblazoned with a
fierce-looking eagle clutching an olive
branch in one claw and arrows in the
other and is deliberately reminiscent of
the official seal of the president of
the United States."
(John M.
Broder, "The Great Seal Of Obamaland?"
The
New York Times' "The Caucus"
Blog,
thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com,
6/20/08)
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"But Barack Obama's Crowd Has
Decided Not To Wait For Any Of The
Formalities Like A Presidential
Election, An Inauguration Or Even A
Nomination, Which He Still Hasn't
Actually Officially Won Yet."
(Andrew Malcolm, "Barack Obama Gets
His Own Nifty Great Seal,"
Los
Angeles Times' "Top Of
The Ticket" Blog,
latimesblogs.latimes.com,
6/21/08)
But After Widespread Criticism, Obama's
Campaign Claimed The Seal Would Only Be
Used Once:
"A Presidential Seal Graphically Altered
With Symbols Representing Barack Obama's
Campaign Of Change Was Just For One-Time
Use And Will Not Be Used Again, A
Spokeswoman For The Democrat's Campaign
Said Monday."
(Sara
Kugler, "Obama Campaign Says Altered
Presidential Seal Was For One-Time Use,
Will Not Be Seen Again,"
The
Associated Press, 6/23/08)
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