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Obama Forgets Writing on Gun Questionnaire
April 17, 2008 12:13 AM
ABC News' Teddy Davis and Talal Al-Khatib Report: Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., maintained at Wednesday's ABC News debate in Philadelphia that his handwriting does not appear on a 1996 questionnaire stating support for a ban on the manufacture, sale, and possession of handguns. The Democratic presidential frontrunner made this claim even though a copy of the original document suggests otherwise.
"No, my writing wasn't on that particular questionnaire, Charlie. As I said, I have never favored an all-out ban on handguns," said Obama.
The Illinois Democrat made his remarks after ABC News' Charlie Gibson told Obama: "In 1996, your campaign issued a questionnaire, and your writing was on the questionnaire that said you favored a ban on handguns."
The questionnaire, which was filled out for an organization called "Independent Voters of Illinois - Independent Precinct Organizations," appears to have Obama's handwriting on the first page plus a typewritten answer to the gun question on the last page.
Read the questionnaire with the handwriting here.
Read an accompanying story from Politico here.
The questionnaire asked: "Do you support state legislation to: ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns?"
Obama's campaign answered: "Yes."
Obama's response to an earlier 1996 questionnaire from the same group has the same statement of support for a sweeping ban on handguns.
Read the earlier questionnaire here.
When asked about the gun questionnaire with the handwriting on it, Obama adviser Robert Gibbs did not dispute that the writing was Obama's.
Rather than defend Obama's claim that his handwriting was not on the questionnaire, Gibbs argued that voters should instead focus on the Illinois Democrat's claim that he does not -- and has never -- supported a handgun ban.
Asked why his 1996 campaign manager would think that he supported a handgun ban if that was never his position, Gibbs said, "Why she filled out the questionnaire the way she did I have no idea because it didn't reflect his views."
The Clinton campaign swiftly rebuked Obama's unsupported claim that his handwriting was not on the questionnaire.
"He did not give a defensible answer," said Clinton adviser Howard Wolfson on Wednesday.
"Perhaps he could explain how his handwriting could appear on it without actually seeing it?" Wolfson added during a Thursday conference call with reporters.
April 17, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (221)
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How is this LIE any different from the Bosnia lie by Hillary.
The media made a huge deal about Bosnia, but I am sure that Obama will get a free pass on this.
A lie is a lie, and it doesn't matter who says it. It should be treated equally.
Posted by: Someone | Apr 17, 2008 1:18:08 AM
Clinton didn't get asked soft questions and Obama didn't get asked hard questions. Clinton just way out performed Obama and answered many of the questions flawlessly whereas Obama managed to stumble and give Americans a glimpse of how unprepared he is to run our nation.
Posted by: LOM | Apr 17, 2008 1:18:12 AM
Clearly, Obama wouldn't do well on a witness stand, and he's a lawyer? How the heck did he ever pass the bar exam?
Posted by: Joseph | Apr 17, 2008 1:22:40 AM
As an Obama supporter I am glad they did this. Even though they looked completly unproffesional they vetted Barack Obama. The fact that Clinton supporters actually think that his dirt is worse than what they got on Hillary is blind. Even on the terrorist allegation her husband commuted their sentence!
This was over weeks ago.
She can not win.
It's that simple.
Get used to it kiddos!
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA
Posted by: Dann | Apr 17, 2008 1:23:55 AM
Cathy no one is suggesting that Obama should not have been asked tough questions. I think he did pretty good with asked questions on policies. Do you have on your flag pinned on right now? No you don't, you HATE this country. You better go put on your flag pin to prove your love for it. Does that make sense to you? Love for the country is now define by wearing a flag pin, if there was a jail sentence with this 90% the country would be locked up. This was a stupid question. Also why is Obama to blame for something Ayers did 40 years ago? Are you to blame for everybody that you associate with that has ever commited a crime? There is a such thing as rehabitation and obviously this man is now teaching at a University so they must have forgiven him. All of America has already heard about Rev. Wright, I guess some people are not going to stop until you make Obama him. The fair question was the one on his bitter remarks. That question he should have had to explain himself and his position.
Posted by: Karen | Apr 17, 2008 1:24:53 AM
This is fair enough .
No pillow, no pamper.
Grow up and learn how to stand up yourself.
Posted by: crisis08 | Apr 17, 2008 1:28:06 AM
Obama did a magnificent job this evening further proving to the superdelegates that he is unelectable.
Clinton will be the nominee. Obama supporters -- better get used to the idea. He couldn't close the deal tonight...sorry folks!
Clinton '08! -- Yes, she will!!!
Posted by: LOM | Apr 17, 2008 1:29:06 AM
why he tried to mislead people with saying his relation ship with Ayer when he was only 8 years old?
Posted by: crisis08 | Apr 17, 2008 1:30:48 AM
Barack Obama is full of Empty Rhetoric.
Howard Dean my candidate in 2004 won all the internet pols at the time as well. Hillary is the winner of the debate tonight.
Obama proved to be untrustworthy, unless you have fully drank the potion of failure the Obama camp is passing out.
Posted by: danny | Apr 17, 2008 1:31:04 AM
Funny that the Obama people can jam up the debate blog. There are only 10 posts on "Obama's Memory Lapse" under Investigative. Under the circumstances would it have been out of line to ask him if the Iraqi billionaire Auchi and his partner Syrian Tony Rezko had anything to do with Obama's original stance on the war? I mean since he's made his opposition of it such a huge issue against everybody else?
Posted by: RL in Illinois | Apr 17, 2008 1:32:38 AM
Obamaknew,
I agree with you.
I saw Obama seemed angry from his eyes and his mouth.
He lied again about his rev. He said he did not hear that but the the other time he said he did hear that.
Which one is the truth?
Posted by: crisis08 | Apr 17, 2008 1:36:12 AM
ABC was the first in the MSM to open up Pandora's Box by finally asking some tough questions of Senator Obama. And what we got with Obama was some insight to how he is not fit to be leader of the free world.
"Pandora had been given a jar and instructed by Zeus to keep it closed, but she had also been given the gift of curiosity, and ultimately opened it. When she opened it, all of the evils of mankind escaped from the jar, although Pandora was quick enough to close it again and keep one value inside, Hope."
Posted by: LOM | Apr 17, 2008 1:36:23 AM
THANK YOU ABC NEWS FOR HAVING THE GUTS TO REPORT THE REAL NEWS.
THANK YOU.
Posted by: Observer | Apr 17, 2008 1:39:37 AM
Whoever said this debate is disgusting, bad etc should think all these issues tonight will come out in GE.
You have to face it.
Posted by: crisis08 | Apr 17, 2008 1:43:05 AM
Good job folks blaming Hillary and ABC for Obama's poor performance.
Posted by: LOM | Apr 17, 2008 1:54:16 AM
So, is the media going to call Obama a liar over and over and over again for the next few weeks, or did he just "misspeak"?
Posted by: Jan | Apr 17, 2008 1:56:50 AM
H. Asian Aslani-Far -- Obama can't close the deal because he's unelectable!
And now he is proven to be just as much as a liar as Hillary. So, that argument is a wash.
I hope you like crow.
Posted by: LOM | Apr 17, 2008 2:04:17 AM
Obama has been defeated by Hillary Clinton on every debate. He does not know what to say unless he has a pre-written script or rehearsed speech. He should not be the Democrat nominee.
Posted by: libre | Apr 17, 2008 2:09:54 AM
I am laughing because the Democrats dismissed their best candidates long ago. To me, neither the Clinton people or the Obama people are all right. Clinton know her stuff and that appeals to me, but Ronald Reagan did not know crap and he got Democrats and working people to vote for him against their own interest. He and both Bushes have weakened our great country .Reagan started us on this path but he did not know jack crap but he won because of something intangible.
Posted by: LBear | Apr 17, 2008 2:21:26 AM
Um, last I checked, the Electoral College is how the president is decided. And the candidates for the presidency are decided in the republican and democratic primaries. And the superdelegates play an important role in deciding who the democratic nominee will be. The goal is to win the White House (decided by the EC) and when the superdelegates assess who can best do that, it will be Hillary Clinton.
It's really not rocket science. If your position is that the democractic primary has nothing to do with the presidential election, then Obama deserves smart people like you.
Posted by: LOM | Apr 17, 2008 2:24:32 AM
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