'96 Obama Questionnaire Shows More Liberal Views

Politico:

When Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) was seeking state office a dozen years ago, he took unabashedly liberal positions: flatly opposed to capital punishment, in support of a federal single-payer health plan, against any restrictions on abortion, and in support of state laws to ban the manufacture, sale and even possession of handguns.

Filling out a 12-page questionnaire [ part 1 of questionnaire, part 2 of questionnaire] from an Illinois voter group as he sought a state Senate seat in 1996, Obama answered "yes" or "no" -- without using the available space to calibrate his views -- on some of the most emotional and politically potent issues that a public official can confront.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[Tellmethetruth]

01:31 AM on 12/12/2007

Des Moines, IA (December 11, 2007) – The Biden for President Campaign announced the launch of its new television ad, “Action,” which will begin airing across Iowa tomorrow. In the 30-second spot, Sen. Biden asks Iowans to cast their support for a candidate with proven leadership, experience, and most importantly, action on the biggest challenges facing our country.

The ad points out that while promises are easily made, Joe Biden is the candidate with the longest record of promises kept. The Biden Plan for Iraq has received the bipartisan support of over 75 U.S. Senators, not to mention scores of Iraqi leaders, foreign affairs experts, and other public officials. And when Pakistan erupted in a state of crisis several weeks ago, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf called Joe Biden first—not President Bush. Sen. Biden concludes: “You don’t have to guess what I’d do as president. Just look at what I’ve done.”

“If Iowans believe campaign funds and celebrity will fix the debacle in Iraq, put the economy on track, and provide health care and education for America’s children, they should support another candidate,” said Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro. “But I’m confident that Iowans know what I know: our problems will require experience and leadership from Day One. Empty slogans will be no match for proven action on caucus night.”

You can see the new television ad at http://www.joebiden.com/action.

[Orikinla]

06:38 PM on 12/11/2007

I have read everything on Barack Obama as a senator and his record so far is enough to prove that he cannot beat any of the Republican candidates.

Obama is using his colour as his weapon and Oprah Winfrey has made it thicker.
That is why I am not supporting him.

Let him show us his capabilities and not sensibilities.

[avicenna]

02:52 PM on 12/11/2007

The man is obviously Canadian.

[LeftLeanWing]

02:24 PM on 12/11/2007

His opponents are sling sh*t up against the wall just hoping something might stick. Let's watch as this one quickly slides down the wall. Shall We.

[optiquest]

02:11 PM on 12/11/2007

Obama; Wheres Osama? Do u have the same Moma?

[dantheman]

01:39 PM on 12/11/2007

Ok, where are all the trolls who repeatedly and falsely accuse Obama of being a right winger? What lies will you spew now?

[WintonyMay]

01:04 PM on 12/11/2007

Politico:
"Where is the beef?"
You know, very well, that politics are not just 'black' (ultra liberal) and 'white' (ultra conservative). There's a whole lot of 'grey' in between; where you'll find the majority of the electorate - and Obama. Therfore, your exercise in this post is nothing less than vacuous triangulation, just for dramatic effect.
In the article, you stated, "A week after Politico provided the questionnaire to the Obama campaign for comment, an aide called Monday night to say that Obama had said he did not fill out the form, and provided a contact for his campaign manager at the time, who said she filled it out." Therefore, you were irresponsible to have used the responses in the questionnaire to unfairly pillory Obama. Even then, you have failed, abysmally, to show any irrational inconsistencies on issues, by Obama. Moreover, like all foolish critics and adversaries, you have grossly underestimated Obama's support, intellect, wit, grit, yet equanimity and determination to prevail.
Finally and sadly, you have totally disregarded this generation's yearning for change from business as usual, in federal politics. You have also disregarded the apparent, disproportionately large, number of 'independents' and 'undecideds', in this cycle, who are disenchanted with the same, partisan, business as usual. As you know, the caucuses and primaries will distil the issues. But then, as you don't seem to appreciate, next November, it is more likely than not, that this generation will elect a President who will have been change oriented and trustworthy, because he/she would have exhibited rational consistency on the issues.
WintonyMay.

[Mrrar]

11:55 AM on 12/11/2007

Whaaa??! But all the blogs were telling me he's a Liebercrat!!!! :o

;)

[joja]

11:50 AM on 12/11/2007

And the point being . . . that an individual tends to become more conservative with age?

Or, is it that one can temper his/her views on contraversial issues over time?

I think most people, who are honest about it, would agree that we've all been there, done that.

Except George W., who was hatched with the same warped view of the world to which he stubbornly clings, like a security blanket, and from which he has not deviated one iota.

[PKSSK]

11:25 AM on 12/11/2007

And the problem issssss????? If this is all the opposition can dig up, in addition to a kindergarten essay, then I think, as a society, we have to eliminate the opposition and vote OBAMA 08

[THEUNHEARDVOICE]

11:23 AM on 12/11/2007

I guess i'm Barred.

[ystasino]

11:14 AM on 12/11/2007

I would like to hear this answered by Obama himself. I am his supporter and I don't believe in capital punishment and I never understood how he with his background could be for it even in theory.

The problem here is that if he paints Clinton as cautious and attacks her for having compromised too much, he ought to be consistent and not pragmatic in principle. Or at least he needs to define where one draws the line.

The point is not his liberal positions, but whether he has tempered them to run for president. She and Edwards have been on both sides of almost every issue but that's old news.

The answer we will likely hear is this:

"Being fresh out of college, I took the position that most legal scholars like me had at the time and opposed the death penalty. After being elected I realized there are heinous and terrorism crimes where the capital punishment is applicable, and sat down with republicans and helped reform a broken system not out of ideology, but to reflect the views of the vast majority of the people who voted for me."

[AKJM]

11:10 AM on 12/11/2007

By Obamas admission those are not his answers. What is his plan for the country?

[ronspri]

10:47 AM on 12/11/2007

Wow I can actually see the knees jerking on the radical right! Considering what being far right hath wroth being far left may not seem as bad to many. This is the calculation they will miss because of their blinders.

[eustiscg]

10:41 AM on 12/11/2007

What???? It's not an awful, dirty thing to be a liberal??? A man can hold hard-line progressive beliefs and still garner the support of Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike??? Gee whillikers!