Warning: This post is really long. It's the only way I could lay out all the information.
Barack Obama (D-IL) displayed an interesting tactic (or was it a strategy ?) during the presidential debate at Ole Miss. Basically, Obama started distorting at the beginning of the debate, and kept on distorting right up to the end. Since many people think Obama won the debate, I assume they either value bs as a desirable presidential trait, or they just don't know Obama was lying. I'll assume the latter, because I believe most Americans are honest. The mainstream media can't be bothered with telling you the presidential frontrunner lied his way through the debate (though if John McCain (R-AZ) had been the liar, I imagine it would be front page news), so I guess I'll have to provide the examples. There are many.
1 – Obama's first lie was in his opening statement, when he said this about the financial crisis:
OBAMA: …we also have to recognize that this [financial crisis] is a final verdict on eight years of failed economic policies promoted by George Bush, supported by Senator McCain, a theory that basically says that we can shred regulations and consumer protections
As I have pointed out more than once on this blog, Bush didn't deregulate the mortgage industry. The regulation changes that abetted the mortgage crisis were in place before Bush became president. Most were passed during the Clinton era. They were passed to facilitate easy credit in order to get more low-income people into their own homes. In fact, Bush warned about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac back in 2003, and McCain co-sponsored regulation of Fannie Freddie, which would have averted the mortgage crisis. The regulations were shot down primarily by the Democrats. Incredibly, Senator McCain let this whopper by Obama slide right by. He didn't even comment on it. Are you TRYING to lose the election, Mac ?
2 – Obama criticized McCain for saying the fundamentals of the economy were strong.
OBAMA: Well, the — John, 10 days ago, you said that the fundamentals of the economy are sound.
This is an out-of-context sound byte that completely distorts what McCain really said. What McCain actually said was that the economy was in crisis. Here's the in-context of McCain's words:
MCCAIN: You know that there's been tremendous turmoil in our financial markets and Wall Street. And it is, it's – people are frightened by these events. Our economy, I think, still, the fundamentals of our economy are strong but these are very, very difficult times. And I promise you, we will never put America in this position again. We will clean up Wall Street. We will reform government.
3 – Obama on cleaning up earmarks.
OBAMA: Well, Senator McCain is absolutely right that the earmarks process has been abused, which is why I suspended any requests for my home state, whether it was for senior centers or what have you, until we cleaned it up.
McCain answered this one himself:
MCCAIN: Senator Obama suspended those requests for pork-barrel projects after he was running for president of the United States. He didn't happen to see that light during the first three years as a member of the United States Senate, [when he made] $932 million in [earmark] requests.
4 – Obama lied about all the tax increases he supported while in the Senate, some for the middle class.
MCCAIN: He has voted in the United States Senate to increase taxes on people who make as low as $42,000 a year.
OBAMA: That's not true, John. That's not true.
Yes, it is true. In fact, McCain understated it. Obama has voted for tax increases on people earning as little as $31,850 per year while in the U.S. Senate. And some 94 times, Obama either voted for tax increases or against tax cuts during his three year Senate career.
Obama Voted Twice In Favor Of The Democrats' FY 2009 Budget Resolution. (S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #85, Adopted 51-44: R 2-43; D 47-1; I 2-0, 3/14/08, Obama Voted Yea; S. Con. Res. 70, CQ Vote #142: Adopted 48- 45: R 2- 44; D 44- 1; I 2-0, 6/4/08, Obama Voted Yea)
The Democrats' Budget Would Raise Taxes On Individuals Earning As Little As $31,850. "Under both Democratic plans, tax rates would increase by 3 percentage points for each of the 25 percent, 28 percent and 33 percent brackets. At present, the 25 percent bracket begins at $31,850 for individuals and $63,700 for married couples. The 35 percent bracket on incomes over $349,700 would jump to 39.6 percent." (Andrew Taylor, "Presidential Hopefuls To Vote On Budget," The Associated Press, 3/13/08)
5 – Obama suggested that Henry Kissinger supported Obama's plan to meet Iranian leaders without preconditions, and Obama tries to deny he ever said he'd meet Iran without preconditions.
OBAMA: Look, I mean, Senator McCain keeps on using this example that suddenly the president would just meet with somebody without doing any preparation, without having low-level talks. Nobody's been talking about that, and Senator McCain knows it. This is a mischaracterization of my position. When we talk about preconditions — and Henry Kissinger did say we should have contacts without preconditions.
Obama DID say he would meet Iranian leaders without preconditions during the Democratic primaries (video here), and has been trying to parse his way out of it ever since. I don't consider this issue a big deal, but Obama has never admitted the truth.
And Kissinger himself sided with McCain:
KISSINGER: Senator McCain is right. I would not recommend the next President of the United States engage in talks with Iran at the Presidential level. My views on this issue are entirely compatible with the views of my friend Senator John McCain. We do not agree on everything, but we do agree that any negotiations with Iran must be geared to reality.
6 – Obama distorted his initial reaction to the Russia-Georgia crisis.
MCCAIN: Well, I was interested in Senator Obama's reaction to the Russian aggression against Georgia. His first statement was, "Both sides ought to show restraint. Again, a little bit of naivete there. He doesn't understand that Russia committed serious aggression against Georgia.
OBAMA: Obviously, I disagree with this notion that somehow we did not forcefully object to Russians going into Georgia. I immediately said that this was illegal and objectionable
No, Obama did not immediately condemn Russia. His first reaction was exactly as McCain described it. Here's Obama's initial statement:
OBAMA: I strongly condemn the outbreak of violence in Georgia, and urge an immediate end to armed conflict. Now is the time for Georgia and Russia to show restraint, and to avoid an escalation to full scale war. Georgia’s territorial integrity must be respected. All sides should enter into direct talks on behalf of stability in Georgia, and the United States, the United Nations Security Council, and the international community should fully support a peaceful resolution to this crisis.
Also, note that Obama called for the UN Security Council to resolve the situation. Russia is a member of the Security Council, and would have had veto power over any UN resolution. Duh.
7 – Obama now claims to be for offshore drilling.
OBAMA: And that means, yes, increasing domestic [oil] production and off-shore drilling.
I'm glad Senator Obama has come around on this issue (right after the Democratic Congress did, sorta), but Obama has been against offshore drilling almost the entire time on the campaign trail. Here's the position Obama has held for the last several years, prior to the GOP gaining a foothold with the issue right before a national election:
OBAMA: Much like his gas tax gimmick that would leave consumers with pennies in savings, opening our coastlines to offshore drilling would take at least a decade to produce any oil at all, and the effect on gasoline prices would be negligible at best since America only has three percent of the world's oil. It's another example of short-term political posturing from Washington, not the long-term leadership we need to solve our dependence on oil.
Pure political opportunism by the Dems and Obama. Plus, the Dems "agreement" to offshore drilling won't really lead to any offshore drilling, but that's a discussion for another day.
8 – Obama now claims to be for missile defense.
OBAMA: I actually believe that we need missile defense, because of Iran and North Korea and the potential for them to obtain or to launch nuclear weapons.
Earlier this year, Obama said he'd "cut investments in unproven missile defense systems" in his own ad ! (Video here). Flip and flop.
9 – Obama said "no soldier dies in vain."
But that's not what he's been saying all along on the campaign trail. Here's what he normally says, from his famous anti-war speech in 2002, the speech that evidently means he should be the next president:
OBAMA: Nor should we allow those who would march off and pay the ultimate sacrifice, who would prove the full measure of devotion with their blood, to make such an awful sacrifice in vain.
10 – Obama disputes McCain saying that Obama would raise spending by $800 billion.
MCCAIN: Now, Senator Obama didn't mention that, along with his tax cuts,
he is also proposing some $800 billion in new spending on new programs.OBAMA: I — I don't know where John is getting his figures.
McCain is getting his figures by adding up all of Obama's spending plans, that's where. And the figure is now up to $850 billion. (Link here)
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I guess that's enough for now. I could also tell you that Obama is NOT going to cut taxes for 95% of Americans, but, you know, I don't want to nitpick.
And did y'all notice that Obama couldn't remember the name of the soldier whose bracelet he was wearing ? Watch him look down to read the name (video here). As George Bernard Shaw said, "The secret of success is sincerity. Once you can fake that you've got it made." Barry needs a little more practice.
