This past spring, on CNN’s Compassion Forum, Illinois Senator Barack Obama reiterated his firm belief that God created the universe. He even spoke about sharing this fundamental truth with his daughter. Not seven sentences later, he followed it up with this clarification: “…let me just make one last point on this. I do believe in evolution.”
Most assuredly, Barack-o believes in evolution. Quite a few of his positions have evolved over the past year. Earlier this week, Obama broke his oft-repeated promise to uphold recent campaign finance reforms by accepting public financing in the general election if his opponent did the same. This may be the most recent “evolution” of one of his positions but it is hardly the first (nor will it be the final) instance where our “change” candidate is living up to his name...
On whether or not he would run for president in 2008:
As recently as January 2006, Obama continued to assert that he wouldn’t be in the 2008 presidential race. Among his reasons for not running was his self-acknowledged inexperience. In 2004, he said “I am a believer in knowing what you're doing when you apply for a job… if I were to seriously consider running on a national ticket I would essentially have to start now before having served a day in the Senate... some people may be comfortable doing that, but I'm not one of those people.”
According to his campaign website, Obama is, indeed, running for president in 2008.
On Iraq:
After vehemently opposing the war at a time when our best intelligence said that our terrorist-supporting sworn enemy had WMDs, Obama said, in 2004, that he supported an increase troops in Iraq (a.k.a. a “surge”). He even went as far as to say that withdrawal would be a “slap in the face” to troops already deployed. Even better, he claimed that withdrawal “would add to the chaos there and make it an extraordinary hotbed of terrorist activity.”
In 2006, he stood against John Kerry’s proposed retreat: “Having visited Iraq, I am also acutely aware that a precipitous withdrawal of our troops, driven by congressional edict rather than the realities on the ground, will not undo the mistakes made by this administration. It could compound them.”
According to his campaign website, Obama’s current plan is to withdraw troops by the end of his first year in office.
On Reverend Jeremiah Wright:
Obama claimed that he was not “in the pews” when his pastor of two decades told the congregation that the US government created AIDS to kill them. He was assuming, of course, that we would all agree that if Obama wasn’t there to hear them then Reverend Wright’s comments are not worthy of reproach. In his leg-thrilling race speech, Barack-o claimed that he could “no more disown him than he can disown the black community.”
After Rev Wright simply reiterated all of his crazy statements to the National Press Club, an event that Barack Obama did not personally attend, Barack disowned the man he could not disown. Inadvertently, Obama confirmed what we had feared, that anything and everything can be said inside his church and garner his tacit approval. However, when the same statement is uttered by the same man in a different location it is deemed reprehensible.
On the level of threat Iran poses to the US:
Despite the fact that we live in a world where 19 men with box cutters can perpetrate an attack like the one on September 11th, 2001, Obama reassured a crowd in Oregon that Iran (as well as Cuba and Venezuela) are tiny threats compared to the Soviet Union. One wonders how advanced the Iranian nuclear program must become before the Democratic Nominee will upgrade their threat status from “tiny” to “negligible.”
Forty-eight hours later, in a speech in Montana, Barack-o had the audacity to claim that for “years” he has made it clear that he believes that the “threat from Iran is grave.”
On whether he’ll meet with Iran without preconditions:
In a July 2007 debate, Obama was asked, "would you be willing to meet separately, without precondition, during the first year of your administration, in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria, Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that divides our countries?" His response, “I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them - which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration - is ridiculous.”
In May, Obama clarified his position in an interview with Jake Tapper saying that while he still plans to meet with Iran without precondition it won’t be without preparation. Preparation, of course, being a precondition that you only place on yourself. Wonderful! He’s capitulating to terrorists already!
Earlier this month, Obama had a slight change of heart when he claimed that he would meet with Iran at “time and place of my choosing if and only if it can advance the interest of the United States.” Which brings our precondition total to three: (1) they must meet where Obama chooses and (2) the meeting must advance the interest of the US and (3) we have to adhere to the Boy Scout motto (“be prepared”).
On May 15th Obama got some help from Flip-Flopper-In-Chief, John F. Kerry who, in an appearance on MSDNC, claimed that Obamessiah himself wouldn’t meet with Ahmadinejad directly. He said “That’s why you have a Secretary of State.”
Kerry and Obama should probably check out and/or have someone update the campaign’s official website which says, “Obama is the only major candidate who supports tough, direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions.”
Let’s chat! After all, Iran only poses a “tiny-grave” threat to American’s who are not currently being attacked by Iranian-supported Sunnis in Iraq.
On whether or not we should call Iran's Revolution Guard a Terrorist Organization:
In a June 4th speech before AIPAC (America’s Pro-Israel Lobby), Obama preached to the choir saying he agreed with those that believed that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s Quds Force was, indeed, a terrorist organization.
According to his campaign website, Obama opposed and continues his opposition of the Kyl-Lieberman amendment which would allow the US government to dub Iranian Revolutionary Guard a terrorist organization and prosecute them as such.
On the gas tax holiday:
Obama is against what he calls a “gimmick” of giving consumers and OTR drivers a break on federal sales taxes on fuel for the summer. Barack-o was an advocate for a similar measure while a state senator in Illinois.
On wearing his American Flag lapel pin:
Obama made a scene over eschewing his flag lapel pin claiming that it’s a substitute for true patriotism. True patriotism, according to Obama, is speaking out on the issues. However, since that declaration, Obama been seen multiple times on the campaign trail brandishing this symbol of faux patriotism.
In other news, Barack is planning a speech where he will throw away his wedding ring and tell everyone what a horrible cook his wife is. After all, that’s how you show true love.
On government-sponsored health care for illegal immigrants:
In 2003, at a forum on health care, Obama declared his support for giving in-state tuition and health care to children of illegal immigrant and undocumented workers.
His current health care program will not cover illegal immigrants.
No complaints here.
On whether or not Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel:
Speaking to the pro-Israeli crowd at AIPAC in early June, Barack-o stated that he believes that Jerusalem should be the undivided capital of Israel (as opposed to sharing it with the Palestinians). After drawing the ire of his terrorist lobby (he wouldn’t want to risk his Hamas endorsement), his position evolved: “Well, obviously, it's going to be up to the parties to negotiate a range of these issues. And Jerusalem will be part of those negotiations.”
Personally, I appreciate it when someone uses the word “obviously” when they are forced to clarify something that is anything but obvious.
On keeping the embargo on Cuba:
In 2004, Obama declared that it was time "to end the embargo with Cuba" which contrasts with his recent speech to a largely Cuban audience in Miami where he said that would not "take off the embargo" as it is "an important inducement for change."
On NAFTA:
Last October, Barack-o became the first presidential candidate to support the expansion of the current version of NAFTA to include Peru.
According to the Obama campaign website, Obama now stands for a renegotiation of the current iteration of NAFTA that “works for American Workers.”
On the Patriot Act:
Understandably, Obama must be truly conflicted on this one. On one hand, his official definition of patriotism is speaking out on the issues (see Lapel Pin section). On the other hand, this legislation is called the “Patriot Act.” It’s impossible for him to be both for the “Patriot Act” and be, by his own definition, a patriot. Or can he?
The fact is, after campaigning against the Patriot Act, Obama voted to pass the Patriot Act in 2005 and 2006.
Playing “messiah’s” advocate here, it may be that Obama just likes to keep all of options on the table. After all, it’s not the worst strategy to give every possible answer to a given question. Eventually you’ve got to be right.
More to come…
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