In the course of an email exchange with a friend about whether or not an Obama presidency would be a transformation of American politics, I actually did the leg work and gathered some quotes from the mainstream media about his policies that show his true colors. You might find these useful if you’re trying to reason with an Obama disciple.
Foreign Policy
("Obama and McCain blur their battle lines", The Sunday Times)
Obama said if elected in November 2008 he would be willing to attack inside Pakistan with or without approval from the Pakistani government, a move that would likely cause anxiety in the already troubled region.
("Tough talk on Pakistan from Obama", Reuters)
[Sen. Barack Obama:] "I have enormous sympathy for the foreign policy of George H. W. Bush. I don’t have a lot of complaints about their handling of Desert Storm."
("Obama Admires Bush", New York Times)
The Democratic presidential candidate has said he would maintain the nearly 50-year-old trade sanctions against Cuba as leverage to push for democratic change on the island.
("Castro criticizes Obama plan to keep U.S. embargo", Associated Press)
"Yes, I believe [Hugo Chavez] is a threat, however, a manageable threat," [Sen. Barack Obama] replied. "We know, for instance, he could have been involved in supporting FARC, affecting his neighbor. That is not the kind of neighbor we want. I believe it is important, through the O.A.S. or through the U.N., to begin sanctions expressing that kind of behavior is not acceptable.
("Obama: Hugo Chavez is ‘a Threat, However, a Manageable Threat’", El Mercurio (Chile))
Iraq and Afghanistan
("McCain and Obama don’t think that differently on Iraq", Slate)
("Obama Urges Sending More U.S. Troops to Afghanistan", Bloomberg.com)
On Sunday, the Illinois senator urged the Bush administration to move more troops into Afghanistan as soon as possible during an appearance on "Face The Nation." He also reiterated his willingness to authorize unilateral U.S. action against terrorist targets in Pakistan’s tribal areas if the Pakistani government will not act.
("Obama Shows Hawkish Side On Mideast Trip", CBS News)
Iran
("Obama takes hawkish stance on Iran", National Post)
He [Barack Obama] said the military option is "on the table" for dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, and in stark contrast to earlier statements, he said he would meet with Iranian leaders "if and only if it can advance the interest of the United States."
("Obama’s Evolving Position on Iran: Hawkish Stand More Like the Bush Administration’s Position", ABC News)
Israel and Palestine
("Obama supports Israel. Period.", Haaretz)
[Sen. Barack Obama] staked out some hawkish positions, declaring that "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must remain undivided," and termed Israel’s attack in September on Syria’s alleged incipient nuclear facility "entirely justified to end that threat."
("Obama: Jerusalem must remain an undivided capital", Jerusalem Post)
[His trip to Israel and Palestine was 36 hours long. How much time did he spend in Palestine?]
("Obama’s West Bank trip raises hope, skepticism", Associated Press)
Campaign Funding
("Obama Rejects Public Financing", NPR)
("Obama bypasses public money — 1st since Watergate", Associated Press)
Domestic Issues
On taxes, Sen. Obama told The Wall Street Journal in a recent interview that he would consider cuts to the corporate tax rate as part of an effort to simplify the tax system, a position also advocated by Sen. McCain.
("Obama Tilts Toward Center", Wall Street Journal)
Here are two things you don’t often hear mentioned in the same sentence: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and a lower corporate tax rate. But it appears the Illinois senator is at least considering such a measure. "He would like to cut the corporate tax rate, and it’s a question that we’re studying," Jason Furman, Obama’s director of economic policy, told Forbes.com in an interview this week.
("Obama’s Taxing Policies", Forbes)
The Senate easily approved legislation to overhaul government eavesdropping rules in terrorism and espionage cases and effectively granted immunity to telecommunications companies that participated in a secret domestic spying program, ending a contentious debate that has raged for more than two years…Among the 69 senators who voted "yes" on final passage was Barack Obama (Ill.), who had opposed the immunity provision in earlier versions of the wiretapping bill, a rewrite of the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
("Obama Joins Fellow Senators in Passing New Wiretapping Measure", Washington Post)
The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly voted Wednesday to grant retroactive amnesty to the telecoms that aided the President Bush’s five-year secret, warrantless wiretapping of Americans, and to expand the government’s authority to sift through U.S. communications, handing a key victory to the Bush administration…The Democrats’ presumptive presidential nominee Barack Obama (D-Illinois) voted for the final bill, despite intense lobbying by supporters who used Obama’s own online organizing technology to try to hold him to his promise to fight any bill that included amnesty.
("Senate Approves Telecom Amnesty, Expands Domestic Spying Powers", Wired News)
Barack Obama said on Saturday he would support an expansion of offshore drilling as part of a broader bipartisan energy bill, a more flexible approach than the Democratic presidential contender has previously demonstrated.
("Obama Would Back Offshore Drilling As Part of Bipartisan Energy Package", Wall Street Journal)
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