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Obama's Friendly Questioner
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ShareDecember 17, 2007 12:03 AM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Senator Barack Obama, D-Ill., received a very friendly question from a campaign volunteer at an official event -- a practice the campaign admits is not the norm.
Eighteen-year-old student Jim Mohler was called on by Obama during the question and answer section of a town hall in Estherville, Iowa, and asked, "Right now, as I understand it, the tax limit is $97,000 which means like the most anyone can pay on taxes is what they would pay on $97,000, but yet we have people like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates that are making billions upon billions of dollars and are still paying taxes on $97,000 is anyway we can make them pay taxes on what they're making?"
Obama thoroughly answered Mohler, then commented, “Good question,” before moving on to another.
The question was very similar to an anecdote which Obama regularly recites on the campaign trail.
At a town hall in Independence, Iowa, on Sunday, just one day prior to Mohler's question, Obama told the crowd, "Everyone who make $97,000 a year or less, you are paying payroll tax on 100% of your income, now my friend, Warren Buffet, he made $46 million last year, he had an off year," before elaborating on how he intends to lift the cap on Social Security.
After the event, when questioned, Mohler said he was part of the press, covering Obama for his student newspaper for the Esterville High School as well as Estherville Daily News, on special assignment.
Mohler had asked the question from the press pit in the back of the room, and an Obama campaign press pass hung on his neck. But Mohler also donned an Obama sticker on the lapel of his jacket.
After pressing, Mohler said he was actually an Obama supporter and volunteer, and had volunteered that night for the campaign.
"I was helping out here earlier at about 4:15pm. I showed up and I was setting up chairs and asked to help press people like you guys coming in."
He was slated to meet with Obama after the event –- a standard practice in which the candidate thanks local volunteers after his events. Mohler also said he had neither heard nor read about Obama's Warren Buffett anecdote.
"I had no clue. I was curious, I guess. Never heard. Nope, not at all," said Mohler, who describes himself as an Obama supporter "completely".
The campaign staff says Obama did not see Mohler in the press area, nor know he was a volunteer. The staff admits that volunteers do not normally answer questions.
Obama strategist David Axelrod told ABC News, "There's a forum for volunteers to ask questions," and added, "If you're volunteering and working an event, I think it's best to let others go."
"With all of the sensitivities there's been in this campaign, it may not have been the first choice," Axlerod said.
December 17, 2007 in Obama, Barack | Permalink | User Comments (13)
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Planted questions aren't anything new... let's just start identifying them as such. Even if the campaign wasn't explicitly involved, the guy was a CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEER and has probably heard that speech multiple times. Throwing softballs at his boy to watch him knock it out the park....
Posted by: Xavier | Dec 17, 2007 12:48:41 AM
Unbelievable. Where's the outrage? Where's the plantgate meme? Only when it's Hillary. Obama can plant questions all he wants.
Posted by: Melanie | Dec 17, 2007 9:24:44 AM
Wow. The level of hypocrisy from this guy is incredible. Why isn't the press doing their job? Why do they have double standards? This is disgusting!
Posted by: Jessica | Dec 17, 2007 10:28:12 AM
Big difference that a volunteer/supporter asks the candidate his own softball question versus an official, paid campaign employee gives someone in the audience a question to ask the candidate. Every audience the candidate speaks to contains people who are already supporters; are they not allowed to ask questions?
Posted by: Karen | Dec 17, 2007 11:23:54 AM
the press wants a horserace - that's why they won't pick this item up for endless news cycles like they did with Clinton It's maddening.
Posted by: bbln | Dec 17, 2007 12:32:28 PM
Jessica - the question isn't necessarily about the ethics of the plant, the question is whether Clinton would've been treated exactly same as this non-news items for Obama. Undoubtedly, she would've been skewered, and you would've been in line to skewer her. Would you have defended her. Double standards are everywhere.
Posted by: bbln | Dec 17, 2007 12:38:01 PM
Karen...I meant, not Jessica.
Posted by: bbln | Dec 17, 2007 12:39:07 PM
I was sitting in front of TV and watched whole town hall meeting and sure recall that clearly. Funny, I was thinking why this same question has to be brought up each time ? Now, thanks to this report, I should know better. Now, my question is, WHERE IS MEDIA ? Chris Matthew ? Fox news ? First read ?..... Maybe they didn't know. HA !
Since you mentioned this, let me give you another clue. You may pay attention to it later. Almost in all Obama's town hall meetings, fundraisuings, or any opportunities he meet his supporters, watch and listen, he will always mention this line" Well, unlike others, I may say something you don't want to hear.." I caught him say that yesterday again, same meeting for that student question thing. This is why I don't like Obama. WE KNOW HE MEANS HILLARY HERE. HOWEVER, BY REPEATING THIS LINE OVER AND OVER AGAIN WITHOUT MENTIONING HER NAME IS A SMART ATTACK. Think about it. This kind of politician will never really do nice things for people, trust my words. Take away all his speech, lines, empty, shallow skin is all he has. God helps us.
Posted by: Jane | Dec 17, 2007 1:59:15 PM
Isn't this the most popular way to make up the Social Security funding shortfall? So why be surprised he (or anyone else) brought it up?
As for a volunteer asking questions, there are lots of Obama volunteers who have never gone through a campaign before. They honestly don't know that this is Not A Good Thing, (as Martha Stewart wouldn't say). I would expect a paid staffer to know better, but not an enthusiastic volunteer. He was reporting for his student and local papers (free help is hard to find, even in Estherville I expect) and probably thought it would be really cool if he got a question answered In Person. Cut him some slack - he's a high school student!
Alternatively, grill him on what HE wrote in his kindergarten essays ("I want to grow up to be a journalist!") :-)
Posted by: Tom J | Dec 17, 2007 7:55:17 PM
I too am a Barack Obama supporter, and heard his anecdote in the Des Moines debate on C-Span about those like Warren Buffet that only pay tax on the first $97,000. I may well ask a question about it if Obama came to a town meeting in my town just to get the facts straight so I could explain it to others. Your article is obviously intended to be inflammatory. How about some news? Senator Obama received many important endorsements this week, but your readers will need to go elsewhere to find out the real news about Obama.
Posted by: Katy | Dec 18, 2007 12:56:06 AM
Hey Barack
You stay strong... If you can endure this and all the other attacks coming your way... Well then my friend I will vote for you as my president... They want to break you... and they are trying hard....
Posted by: PBrown | Dec 18, 2007 2:03:09 AM
The media has given this dude a free pass for so long for fear of criticizing a black candidate and they are setting him up for a Republican slaughter house.
I'm a blck guy myself but will not waste my vote by voting for him. Imagine if Hillary had done this.
Posted by: Mensah | Dec 18, 2007 8:40:09 AM
Uh, hello, outrage puppets? He's a high school kid. Do you really expect him to have a clue about what is and isn't appropriate in that situation?
Posted by: NH Dem | Dec 18, 2007 11:14:34 AM
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