I LOVE YOUR MESSAGES On Tue, Oct 14, 2008 at 8:44 AM, Kamakazee <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> > He can't get elected otherwise: > > "Commentary: Obama and Bush are not so far apart > Story Highlights > > WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Since Barack Obama incessantly makes the case that > a John McCain administration would equate to another Bush term, it's > worth looking at just how much Sen. Obama himself is in agreement with > the unpopular president. > > Does that mean that he, too, would be a repeat of President Bush? If > one were to apply his logic, maybe so. > > Here are 20 reasons why: > > 1. Abstinence: Bush expanded community-based abstinence education > during his term, including a $28 million budget increase for 2009 in > an effort to "Teach both abstinence and contraception to teens." Obama > concurred in April when he said: "We want to make sure that, even as > we are teaching responsible sexuality and we are teaching abstinence > to children, that we are also making sure that they've got enough > understanding about contraception." > > 2. Affirmative action: Bush said of the 2003 University of Michigan > affirmative action case: "I strongly support diversity of all kinds, > including racial diversity in higher education. But the method used by > the University of Michigan to achieve this important goal is > fundamentally flawed" -- because it depended solely on race. Bush has > said other factors, such as socioeconomic status, should be > considered, which would include poor white students. > > Obama now agrees with that view. "Inside Higher Ed" referred in May to > "Obama's suggestion that he may be ready to change the focus of > affirmative action policies in higher education -- away from race to > economic class. ... In his debate in Philadelphia with Hillary > Clinton, he said in response to a question, that his own privileged > daughters do not deserve affirmative action preferences, and that > working-class students of all colors do." > > 3. Budgets: Obama voted for Bush's budgets, which included 19 spending > bills. > > 4. Capital punishment: Like Bush, Obama supports capital punishment. > He spoke out in opposition to the recent Supreme Court decision that > denied the death penalty for child rapists. And in his 2006 memoir, > Obama said, "I believe there are some crimes -- mass murder, the rape > and murder of a child -- so heinous that the community is justified in > expressing the full measure of its outrage by meting out the ultimate > punishment." > > 5. Education: Obama supports charter schools, as does Bush, and merit > pay for teachers, and he voted in favor of supporting the president's > 21st Century Community Learning Centers. > > 6. Economics: Obama told reporters that he agreed with Treasury > Secretary Henry Paulson and Bush's bailout package, then voted for the > $700 billion plan. And despite routinely criticizing "the Bush tax > cuts," Obama is now offering tax cuts of his own (although only for > the 95 percent of taxpayers earning less than $250,000 a year). What a > concept! > > 7. Energy: In signing the $12.3 billion Energy Policy Act of 2005, > Bush said it "promotes dependable, affordable, and environmentally > sound production and distribution of energy for America's future." > Obama voted for the energy plan and called it a "first step toward > decreasing America's dependence on foreign oil." > > 8. Faith-based initiatives/fatherhood: Bush is well known for his > commitment to the faith-based community -- with initiatives for the > poor and on fatherhood -- and he expanded the ability to allow faith- > based providers a seat at the funding table. Obama, who has railed > against Bush's efforts, has still found a way to embrace them, saying > he would "expand" faith-based initiatives. He used his Father's Day > speech to echo the president's Fatherhood Initiative. > > 9. FISA: Of the Senate bill passage that rewrote intelligence laws to > grant immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in > the Bush administration's wiretapping program, Bush said: "This vital > intelligence bill will allow our national security professionals to > quickly and effectively monitor the plans of terrorists outside the > United States, while respecting the liberties of the American people." > > Obama, who supported it, after opposing FISA last year, said: "Given > the grave threats that we face, our national security agencies must > have the capability to gather intelligence and track down terrorists > before they strike, while respecting the rule of law and the privacy > and civil liberties of the American people." Almost identical, huh? > Are we sure they don't share the same speechwriter? But Obama did take > heat for his change of heart, as The Washington Post reported that: > "The Illinois senator's reversal on the issue has angered liberal > groups." Guess you can't please everyone. > > 10. Gay marriage: Both Obama and Bush agree that marriage is and > should remain between one man and one woman. As far back as 2004, > Obama said: "Gays ... should not marry." And in a 2007 Senate debate, > he said: "I agree with most Americans, with Democrats and Republicans, > with Vice President Cheney, with over 2,000 religious leaders of all > different beliefs, that decisions about marriage, as they always have, > should be left to the states. ... Personally, I do believe that > marriage is between a man and a woman." > > 11. Global AIDS: Obama has said the U.S. must "lead the global fight > against the AIDS virus." And earlier this year, he encouraged > lawmakers to "Use whatever works with AIDS, including teaching > abstinence." Obama has given Bush kudos for his efforts to combat > global AIDS and the record amount of funding ($15 billion over 5 > years) the president has earmarked for the fight. Obama said in > September, "I think President Bush -- and many of you here today -- > have shown real leadership in the fight against HIV/AIDS." > > 12. Health care: While they don't share similar views on universal > health care coverage, Bush and Obama agree that the problem with > health care is "about affordability" and there is a need to address > minority health concerns with more coverage and targeting. That is why > Bush expanded community health care centers, covering the uninsured > and targeting urban areas, to the tune of $1.5 billion for 1,200 > centers "coast to coast." > > 13. Middle-class tax cuts: While he hasn't voted for such cuts, Obama > is pushing his biggest economic initiative yet: tax cuts for the > middle class. "We've got to help the middle class," Obama said > Tuesday. Perhaps unbeknownst to him, Bush has already been there, done > that. In signing the 2001 Tax Cut Bill, Bush said: "Tax relief is an > achievement for families struggling to enter the middle class. For > hard-working lower-income families, we have cut the bottom rate of > federal income tax from 15 percent to 10 percent. We doubled the per- > child tax credit to $1,000, and made it refundable. ... Tax relief is > an achievement for middle-class families squeezed by high energy > prices and credit card debt." > > 14. Minority homeownership: Obama adopted the Congressional Black > Caucus principles "to increase minority homeownership" as it is "one > of the best wealth-creation vehicles for minority families." These > principles were developed as part of Bush's vision to expand minority > homeownership to 5.5 million new homeowners by 2010. "Across our > nation, every citizen, regardless of race, creed, color or place of > birth, should have the opportunity to become a homeowner," Bush said. > > Similar comparisons can be drawn for their positions on small > businesses and on businesses owned by women and minorities. > > 15. National security: Obama voted yes on preauthorizing the much > ballyhooed Patriot Act, sought by the Bush administration. > > 16. Offshore drilling: Bush has consistently pushed for drilling > offshore, while Obama, who until recently opposed it, now says he's > for it. In Nashville, Tennessee, he told an audience: "We're going to > have to explore new ways to get more oil, and that includes offshore > drilling." > > 17. Racial profiling: Obama's campaign literature states that he will > call for a ban on racial profiling, even though Bush issued a > directive that banned racial profiling in 2001. In his order, Bush > said to the attorney general: "I hereby direct you to review the use > by federal law enforcement authorities of race as a factor in > conducting stops, searches and other investigative procedures. ... I > further direct that you report back to me with your findings and > recommendations for the improvement of the just and equal > administration of our nation's laws." > > 18. Religion: It is widely known that Obama is a person of faith. He > has said: "I am a proud Christian who believes deeply in Jesus > Christ." Bush, who shares the same faith, has been just as much, if > not more vocal, about his faith. He once told The Washington Times > that he doesn't "see how you can be president without a relationship > with the Lord." > > 19. Supreme Court ruling on gun ban: Despite his past endorsements of > some gun control measures, Obama's reaction to the recent Supreme > Court decision upholding the constitutional right of individuals to > own handguns mirrors the administration's. Obama now says: "As a > general principle, I believe that the Constitution confers an > individual right to bear arms." > > 20. Welfare reform: An Obama ad this summer said he "passed a law to > move people from welfare to work" and "slashed the rolls by 80 > percent" (though all states had to as a result of the Clinton > administration's mandate). Obama said in 2004: "Go into the collar > counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don't want > their tax money wasted by a welfare agency." In 2003, Bush > successfully called on Congress to reauthorize and expand on welfare > reform efforts, "to make welfare even more focused on the well being > of children and supportive of families." > > So, although he has been ranked as the most liberal senator by the > National Journal and obviously hasn't voted with Bush as often as Sen. > McCain has -- based on his voting "record" -- Obama's "rhetoric" still > sounds a lot like, well, Bush. McCain might want to take that into > account the next time Obama talks about another Bush term. > http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/13/wall.bush-obama/index.html"; > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
