WHITE HOUSE INSISTS OBAMA NOT BACKING OFF PUBLIC HEALTH OPTION

by Associated Press
Staten Island Real-Time News
Tuesday August 18, 2009, 12:48 PM

Breaking local news from Staten Island, NYWhite House insists Obama
not backing off public health option

President Barack Obama speaks at town hall meeting about health care
last week at Portsmouth High School in Portsmouth, N.H.

/white_house_insists_obama_not.html

White House spokesman Robert Gibbs insists the Obama administration
has not shifted its goals on health care reform or distanced itself
from a government-run public insurance option.

He said in a meeting with reporters Tuesday morning that news
stories suggesting that the administration was ready to abandon the
public option as it battles to push health care reform through were
overblown. The rash of reports began after Health and Human Services
Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appeared to signal the president was open
to health care cooperatives as an alternative.

Gibbs said there was no intention to indicate a change in policy. He
said, "If it was a signal, it was a dog whistle we started blowing
weeks ago."

Posted by wallstfella on 08/18/09 at 2:00PM

The very long andd arduous list of backtracks and flip flops by
Obama: (no need to read all of them – just pick your favorite
topic) Special interests In January, the Obama campaign described
union contributions to the campaigns of Clinton and John Edwards as
"special interest" money. Obama changed his tune as he began gathering
his own union endorsements. He now refers respectfully to unions as
the representatives of "working people" and says he is "thrilled" by
their support Public financing Obama replied "yes" in September 2007
when asked if he would agree to public financing of the presidential
election if his GOP opponent did the same. Obama has now attached
several conditions to such an agreement, including regulating spending
by outside groups. His spokesman says the candidate never committed
himself on the matter.

The Cuba embargo In January 2004, Obama said it was time "to end the
embargo with Cuba" because it had "utterly failed in the effort to
overthrow Castro." Speaking to a Cuban American audience in Miami in
August 2007, he said he would not "take off the embargo" as president
because it is "an important inducement for change."

Illegal immigration In a March 2004 questionnaire, Obama was asked
if the government should "crack down on businesses that hire illegal
immigrants." He replied "Oppose." In a Jan. 31, 2008, televised debate,
he said that "we do have to crack down on those employers that are
taking advantage of the situation."

Decriminalization of Marijuana: While running for the U.S. Senate in
January 2004, Obama told Illinois college students that he supported
eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use. In the Oct. 30,
2007, presidential debate, he joined other Democratic candidates in
opposing the decriminalization of marijuana.

Running for President or Vice President of the United States: On the
January 22nd edition of "Meet the Press," Tim Russert and Obama had
the following exchange:Russert: "When we talked back in November of
’04 after your election, I said, ‘There’s been enormous speculation
about your political future. Will you serve your six-year term as
United States senator from Illinois?’"Obama: "I will serve out my
full six-year term. You know, Tim, if you get asked enough, sooner
or later you get weary and you start looking for new ways of saying
things. But my thinking has not changed."Russert: "So you will not
run for president or vice president in 2008?" Obama: "I will not."

Single-Payer Healthcare: On January 22nd, the Hillary Clinton
Campaign releases a video that proves that Obama lied about his
position on "single-payer healthcare."The video compares statements
Obama made during the January 21st Democratic debate with those he
made to an AFL-CIO conference in June 2003 while campaigning for the
Senate. Contradicting what Obama said at the debate, the old footage
shows the senator saying, "I happen to be a proponent of single-payer
universal healthcare coverage. That’s what I’d like to see."At the
debate, Obama stated: "I never said that we should try to go ahead
and get single-payer (healthcare)."Single-payer healthcare is an
euphemism for socialized medicine.

NAFTA: On February 29th, the Obama campaign told Canadian Television
(CTV) that no message was passed to the Canadian government suggesting
that Obama does not mean what he says about opting out of NAFTA if it
is not renegotiated.However, the Obama camp did not respond to repeated
questions from CTV on reports that a conversation on this matter was
held between Obama’s senior economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, and
the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago.Earlier Thursday, the Obama
campaign insisted that no conversations have taken place with any of
its senior ranks and representatives of the Canadian government on
the NAFTA issue. On Thursday night, CTV spoke with Goolsbee, but he
refused to say whether he had such a conversation with the Canadian
government office in Chicago. He also said he has been told to direct
any questions to the campaign headquarters.CTV didn’t stop there. They
announced that their sources, at the highest levels of the Canadian
government," reconfirmed the story to CTV and one of their primary
sources provided a timeline of the discussion to CTV.

Donations from Lobbyists and Special Interest PACS: Obama say he
doesn’t take money from DC lobbyists and special interest PACS. This
is the type of double-talk "politics of the past" rhetoric Obama rails
against.While his claim is technically true, what he does do is take
money from state lobbyists and other big money contributors who have
substantial lobbyist machines in DC, like law firms and corporations.In
April 2007, the LA Times quoted the Campaign Finance Institute’s
Stephen Weissman as pointing out that the distinction Obama makes on
lobbyist money is meaningless: "He gets an asterisk that says he is
trying to be different. … But overall, the same wealthy interests
are funding his campaign as are funding other candidates, whether or
not they are lobbyists."The Capital Eye reported that "[a]ccording to
the Center for Responsive Politics, 14 of Obama’s top 20 contributors
employed lobbyists this year, spending a total of $16.2 million to
influence the federal government in the first six months of 2007."

Rev. Jeremiah Wright: Barack Obama repudiated what he called
"inflammatory and appalling remarks" made by his Chicago pastor.Obama
said he had not been present during the sermons in question.Obama
told MSNBC, "Had I heard them in church I would have expressed that
concern directly to Rev. Wright."Please note, he says that he would
have expressed concern, not repudiate, the words. (Source: Audacity
of Hypocrisy) Previously Obama had said "I can no more disown him
than I can disown the black community. I can no more disown him than
I can my white grandmother – a woman who helped raise me, a woman who
sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she
loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear
of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one
occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe."

Jerusalem: "Jerusalem will remain the capital of Israel, and it must
remain undivided," Obama declared Wednesday, to rousing applause
from the 7,000-plus attendees at the American Israel Public Affairs
Committee policy conference.

But a campaign adviser clarified Thursday that Obama believes
"Jerusalem is a final status issue, which means it has to be negotiated
between the two parties" as part of "an agreement that they both can
live with."

Meeting with Foreign Leaders: Obama Now Claims That He Will Only Meet
With Foreign Leaders At A Time Of His Choosing If It Will Advance
U.S. Interests, But Previously Said He Would Meet With Rogue Leaders
His First Year In Office Without Preconditions: In His Remarks
To The AIPAC Conference, Obama Claimed That He Would Only Meet
With The "Appropriate Iranian Leaders At A Time And Place" Of His
Choosing. Obama: "Contrary to the claims of some, I have no interest
in sitting down with our adversaries just for the sake of talking. But
as President of the United States, I would be willing to lead tough and
principled diplomacy with the appropriate Iranian leaders at a time and
place of my choosing – if, and only if – it can advance the interests
of the United States." (Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At The Annual AIPAC
Policy Conference, Arlington, VA, 6/4/08) But At A July 2007 Debate,
Obama Said He Would Meet With Hostile Leaders During His First Year
In Office. Question: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately,
without precondition, during the first year of your administration,
in Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria,
Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that
divides our countries?"…Obama: "I would. And the reason is this,
that the notion that somehow not talking to countries is punishment
to them – which has been the guiding diplomatic principle of this
administration – is ridiculous." (CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential
Candidate Debate, Charleston, SC, 7/23/07) At A September 2007 Press
Conference, Obama Confirmed That He Would Meet Specifically With
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Question: "Senator, you’ve
said before that you’d meet with President Ahmadinejad …" Obama:
"Uh huh." Question: "Would you still meet with him today?" Obama:
"Yeah, nothing’s changed with respect to my belief that strong
countries and strong presidents talk to their enemies and talk to their
adversaries. I find many of President Ahmadinejad’s statements odious
and I’ve said that repeatedly. And I think that we have to recognize
that there are a lot of rogue nations in the world that don’t have
American interests at heart. But what I also believe is that, as John
F. Kennedy said, we should never negotiate out of fear but we should
never fear to negotiate." (Sen. Barack Obama, Press Conference, New
York, NY, 9/24/07) Legislation Labeling Iran’s Revolutionary Guard A
Terrorist Organization: Obama Has Been Inconsistent In His Views On
Labeling Iran’s Revolutionary Guard A Terrorist Organization. "Obama’s
campaign suddenly discovered that their man -despite having spent the
last nine months campaigning on his opposition to Kyl-Lieberman – ‘has
consistently urged that Iran’s Revolutionary Guard be labeled what it
is: a terrorist organization.’ Well, not that consistently. Senator
Obama has been scrupulously careful not to call explicitly for
designation of the IRGC as a terrorist organization. Now, however,
with the Democratic nomination almost in hand, Obama feels comfortable
telling a pro-Israel audience what it wants to hear."(Danielle Pletka,
"Obama’s Pander Pivot," Weekly Standard, 6/4/08) "[T]he Audience At
AIPAC Might Ask Why Senator Obama Has Pivoted From Opposition To
‘Lieberman-Kyl’ To Support For The IRGC Designation His Audience
Demands. Is This Really Change They Can Believe In?" (Danielle
Pletka, "Obama’s Pander Pivot," Weekly Standard, 6/4/08) "Which
Barack Obama Will Be The Democratic Standard-Bearer: The One Who
Vowed To ‘Eliminate’ The Iranian Nuclear Threat Two Days Ago, Or
The One Who Opposed Designating The Revolutionary Guards A Terrorist
Organization?" (Editorial, "Obama And Iran," The Washington Times,
6/6/08)

Palestinian Elections In 2006: Obama Says That He Opposed Palestinian
Elections In 2006. Obama: "There is no room at the negotiating table
for terrorist organizations. That is why I opposed holding elections
in 2006 with Hamas on the ballot. The Israelis and the Palestinian
Authority warned us at the time against holding these elections, but
this administration pressed ahead. And the result is a Gaza controlled
by Hamas, with rockets raining down on Israel." (Sen. Barack Obama,
Remarks At The Annual AIPAC Policy Conference, Arlington, VA, 6/4/08)
But During His 2006 Trip To The Middle East, Obama Met With Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas And Said The Election Represented An
"Opportunity…To Consolidate Behind A Single Government." "Illinois
Senator Barack Obama’s journey to the Middle East took him to the West
Bank Thursday for a meeting with the man elected to replace Yasser
Arafat. … For a time Thursday in the West Bank there was only the
clatter of cameras as the newly elected president of the Palestinian
authority, Mahmoud Abbas, met with Illinois Senator Barack Obama. At a
meeting with Palestinian students Thursday, Obama said the U.S. will
never recognize winning Hamas candidates unless the group renounces
its fundamental mission to eliminate Israel, and Obama told ABC7 he
delivered that message to the Palestinian president. ‘Part of the
opportunity here with this upcoming election is to consolidate behind
a single government with a single authority that can then negotiate as
a reliable partner with Israel,’ said Obama." (Chuck Goudie, "Obama
Meets With Arafat’s Successor," ABC 7 News, ,
1/12/06) The Palestinian News Agency WAFA Reported That Obama Was
Supportive Of The Palestinian Elections Being Held At Their Scheduled
Time. "President Mahmoud Abbas met Thursday with the U.S. Senator
Barack Obama (D-IL), in the Presidential HQ in Ramallah…President
briefed the U.S. Senator about the latest developments in the
Palestinian territories including the preparations for the legislative
elections…. Abbas and Obama discussed the means of underpinning
the American-Palestinian economic relations…Obama asserted the
US supports and eager that the Palestinian legislative elections on
its proposed time (January 25)." ("President Meets U.S. Senator And
Armenian Delegation," WAFA, , 1/12/06)

Iraq War: "At a time when American casualties are down, at a time when
the violence is down, particularly affecting the Iraqi population,
is that the right time to try and set time tables for withdrawing
all American troops? I mean you talked about…the end of 2009,"
Kroft remarked.

"Yeah, absolutely. I think now is precisely the time. I think that it
is very important for us to send a clear signal to the Iraqis that we
are not gonna be here permanently. We’re not gonna set up permanent
bases. That they are going to have to resolve their differences and
get their country functioning," Obama said.

"And you pull out according to that time table, regardless of the
situation? Even if there’s serious sectarian violence?" Kroft asked.

"No, I always reserve as commander in chief, the right to assess the
situation," Obama replied.

The Threat of Iran: Obama’s comments in Oregon yesterday: I mean think
about it. Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, these countries are tiny compared to
the Soviet Union. They don’t pose a serious threat to us the way the
Soviet Union posed a threat to us….You know, Iran, they spend one-one
hundredth of what we spend on the military. If Iran ever tried to pose
a serious threat to us, they wouldn’t stand a chance.And we should use
that position of strength that we have to be bold enough to go ahead
and listen. That doesn’t mean we agree with them on everything. We
might not compromise on any issues, but at least we should find out
other areas of potential common interest, and we can reduce some of
the tensions that has caused us so many problems around the world.

Today in Montana, Obama changed his tune: Iran is a grave threat. It
has an illicit nuclear program. It supports terrorism across the
region and militias in Iraq. It threatens Israel’s existence. It
denies the Holocaust…

North Korea: U.S. Democratic presidential frontrunner Senator Barack
Obama has recently indicated he no longer opposes the removal of
North Korea from a U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism. Obama
in January 2005 came out against the removal of the Stalinist nation
from the list until it gives an account of the kidnapping and death
in the North of the Rev. Kim Dong-shik in 2000.

PATRIOT Act: "Giving law enforcement the tools they need to investigate
suspicious activity is the right thing, and the Senate showed earlier
this year that it can be done with the oversight of our judicial system
so we do not jeopardize the rights of all Americans and the ideals
America stands for. We should not let the PATRIOT Act expire at the end
of this year, but instead extend the current law for three months so
that we can come to an agreement on these critical issues in Congress."

On the Issues FactCheck: Promised to repeal Patriot Act, then voted
for it.

Coal: Obama, whose support for coal-to-liquid has been widely
criticized by environmentalists, sent out a press release clarifying
his position on liquid coal: Senator Obama supports research into all
technologies to help solve our climate change and energy dependence
problems, including shifting our energy use to renewable fuels and
investing in technology that could make coal a clean-burning source
of energy…However, unless and until this technology is perfected,
Senator Obama will not support the development of any coal-to-liquid
fuels unless they emit at least 20% less life-cycle carbon than
conventional fuels.

This "clarification" is an important step for the Obama campaign
in trying to gain support from environmental organizations and
voters. However, the LA Times notes that his position change on this
issue is even more significant because it symbolizes "there’s a race
to the top among the Democratic candidates for the strongest position
on how to solve the climate crisis."

PAYGO: Obama promised to "restore a law that was in place during the
Clinton presidency-called Paygo-that prohibits money from leaving the
treasury without some way of compensating for the lost revenue." but
now Obama says he’s not going to sacrifice his domestic priorities
for deficit reduction. Universal health care, renewable energy,
and all he rest won’t be sacrificed on the altar of PAYGO.

Meeting with Ahmadinejad:"Democratic presidential candidate Barack
Obama underscored his willingness to talk to leaders of countries
like Iran that are considered U.S. adversaries but said that does
not necessarily mean an audience with Iranian President Mahmoud
Ahmadinejad." (Caren Bohan, "Obama Says Won’t Guarantee Ahmadinejad
A Meeting," Reuters, 5/26/08) "’There’s no reason why we would
necessarily meet with Ahmadinejad before we know he’s actually
in power. He’s not the most powerful person in Iran,’ Obama told
reporters while campaigning in New Mexico." (Caren Bohan, "Obama Says
Won’t Guarantee Ahmadinejad A Meeting," Reuters, 5/26/08) But in July
2007, Obama said he would meet with the leaders of hostile foreign
nations, including Iran: At a July 2007 debate, Obama announced he
would personally meet with leaders Of Iran, North Korea, Syria and
other hostile nations "without precondition."

Question: "[W]ould you be willing to meet separately, without
precondition, during the first year of your administration, in
Washington or anywhere else, with the leaders of Iran, Syria,
Venezuela, Cuba and North Korea, in order to bridge the gap that
divides our countries?"

Obama: "I would. And the reason is this, that the notion that
somehow not talking to countries is punishment to them – which has
been the guiding diplomatic principle of this administration – is
ridiculous." (CNN/YouTube Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate,
Charleston, SC, 7/23/07)

Illegal Immigrants and Driver’s Licenses: As a state senator in
Illinois, Obama voted to require illegal immigrants to get a driver’s
license. The change? In the November 2007 CNN debate, he was asked
what his stand was on that issue and he said, "I am not proposing
that’s what we do."

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress