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Obama Defends Himself Against Flip-Flopping Criticism
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ShareJuly 08, 2008 1:24 PM
ABC News' Sunlen Miller Reports: Senator Barack Obama was confronted with a question at a town hall in Powder Spring, GA that has plagued him since the start of his general election campaign: has he been flip-flopping and moving more toward the center, and can he make his Iraq position clear?
The question came from a former Republican, who worked for Bobby Kennedy when he was 15. Although the man called the flip-flopping charges, “nonsense,” he asked the Illinois Senator to clear up any confusion.
“The people who say this apparently haven’t been listening to me,” Obama shot back quickly.
Obama said there is no doubt that he is progressive. He believes in tax codes, universal health care, making college more affordable, paying teachers more, and early childhood education.
“I believe in a whole lot of things that make me progressive and squarely in the Democratic camp,” added Obama.
But, Obama countered that he does not believe that government is the solution for everything and places a high importance on personal responsibility. Recently Obama has been criticized for moving to the center on his stances on the DC gun ban, and faith based initiatives – both of which he attempted to clear up.
“When I talk about the idea that we should recruit churches and places of worship if they are willing to abide by the separation of church and state to get involved in providing critical services to communities, in faith based initiatives, that’s not something new,” Obama said. “I’ve been organizing with churches for years in the community. And so the notion that somehow that’s me tying to look like I’m more centered - more centrist - is just not true.”
On the Supreme Court ruling on the DC gun ban, Obama explained, “I actually have said I agree with that for years, even before the ruling came down. That doesn’t mean that I also recognized that we need to make sure that we’ve decent controls over the use of firearms in our community. Those two potions are not contradictory.”
Obama also attempted to also clarify his Iraq war plan as he has been shown to be shifting away from his original statements to withdraw troops in 16 months from Iraq.
“I have also consistently said that once were in that we had to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in. Because once you get in now you’ve got to make sure that our troops are safe. You’ve got to make sure that the country doesn’t collapse. And so what I’ve called for is a phased withdrawal, a phased redeployment. That is not precipitous, that is responsibly getting out combat troops out at a pace of about 1-2 brigades per month. And at that point we would have our troops out, our combat troops out, in about 16 months.”
Obama said – contrary to what Republicans are saying – there is nothing rushed about his plan for withdrawal.
"When I hear John McCain saying ‘we can’t surrender, we can’t wave the white flag’ nobody’s talking about surrounding. We’re talking about common sense,” Obama concluded. “So don’t be confused. I will bring the Iraq war to a close when I am president.”
Obama blamed his new flip-flopping title on cynicism in politics.
“One of the things you find as you go though this campaign is everyone has become so cynical about politics. That the assumption is you must be doing everything for political reasons,” Obama said, “The message I want to send everybody is: you’re not going to agree with me on 100% of what I think but don’t assume that if I don’t agree with you on something that it must be because I’m doing that politically.”
July 8, 2008 in Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (89)
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Turk
LOL
jerk rhymes with turk
tahts funny
not sure what ive said that is unsupportable assertions
id be happy to go over them in a more detailed way if your mind can handle it
it might explode when you witness what a horrible candidate mccain is...
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 8, 2008 2:49:13 PM
I love the guy who called obama a "bold faced liar"
do you read sir?
have you ever heard obama in person or read a single stance from his platform...
of course not.
there is not one thing that you can bring up from Obama's mouth or pen that was a lie.
nothing...
because that is created.
it is time for the sheep to wake up. the republican twists and old washington is leading you down the same stupid road as what got us here.
Read Obama's and McCain's platforms from 2007 and today...McCain has switched (I heard him speak many times here in NH as well...he is definitively the wrong guy to lead the country...POW or not)...
Posted by: dl | Jul 8, 2008 2:52:42 PM
George W. Obama-- like that, it has a nice ring to it.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | Jul 8, 2008 2:55:31 PM
George W. Obama-- like that, it has a nice ring to it.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | Jul 8, 2008 2:55:33 PM
dl - I have heard him in person in dallas. He told the crowd he would pull the troops out of IRAQ immediately. That would be a lie.
Democrats for McCain 08
Posted by: McDaddy | Jul 8, 2008 2:57:20 PM
carolyn
not all websites contain "facts"
in fact not all "news" organizations are actually into reporting... some of them... carry an agenda!
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 8, 2008 2:57:37 PM
mcdaddy
then you are lying, or while he was talking you stuck your fingers in your ears, took them out at random intervals and decided that the words that you could only clearly hear is what he actually said
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 8, 2008 2:59:02 PM
bhrandon - So you were there? I am not lieing. That would be Mr. Obama
Posted by: McDaddy | Jul 8, 2008 3:03:04 PM
Other than public finance for his campaign, I am not sure Obama has really CHANGED his position on anything. I think he has renuanced his ideas and has been emphasising his more centrist approaches, but I think he has not really changed position on much. Unlike McCain who seems to want ot pretend to be a maverick republican whilst signing up to every Bush/Cheney idea of the last 8 years (at least eventually!)
Posted by: markymark | Jul 8, 2008 3:03:30 PM
--Thanks, McDaddy--you hit the truths--these Obama supporters refuse to admit the truth. They think Obama is a god, no truth is necessary.
Posted by: Mary | Jul 8, 2008 3:06:21 PM
mcdaddy
what are you talking about
LOL
you realize the clintons had rev wright over for dinner in the white house a few times right?
lol nice try REPUB!!!!
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 8, 2008 3:08:15 PM
First it is OUR party second I'm not ultra liberal! Third if you liked HRC policies and vote mccian you are CRAZY!
KNid of like a cult or something.
Whatever republican!
Posted by: Joe | Jul 8, 2008 3:12:26 PM
robert
what is mccains?
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 8, 2008 3:16:19 PM
Can't we all just agree that its time to bring abe lincoln back from the dead? McCain / Obama give me a break... where have all the real presidents gone..?
Posted by: Brian | Jul 8, 2008 3:16:23 PM
bhrandon--- he spent 6years overseas.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | Jul 8, 2008 3:18:05 PM
This man is going to make a great president. A class act back in the white house. It'll take alot of time to get the stink out from Bush and Cheney.Can't wait till January. YEAH BABY OBAMA 08
Posted by: linda n carolina | Jul 8, 2008 3:19:21 PM
Brian
they said the same thing about Lincoln.
He is weak, no convictions....and an elitist.
isn't that funny?
Posted by: dl | Jul 8, 2008 3:19:44 PM
tom
thanks for your blatant lies
Posted by: bhrandon | Jul 8, 2008 3:22:37 PM
Forgot--GWO spent x years in the south side of Chicago--I guess he realyy does have more foreign POLICY experience. We're not talking vacations here.
Posted by: Robert in Cleveland | Jul 8, 2008 3:24:16 PM
bhrandon - Actually you are the one that compared Obamas experience to Reagans. I was simply pointing out that a Gov is a leader and a State Senator is not. So who is not reading?
Posted by: McDaddy | Jul 8, 2008 3:24:52 PM
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