Obama: Just the Facts

After writing my last post, I was busted by a friend of mine. I've been accused of publishing fallacies about Obama; misrepresenting his Faith and Politics speech by posting a video clip of the speech, which takes phrases out of context to make a point. I do love and respect my fair minded friend and so (to be objective) here is the link to the whole Faith and Politics speech, straight from Mr. Obama.

If for some strange reason you don't understand politics, taking the words of an opponent and using those words out of context is a common tactic of political parties trying to promote their agenda. Normally I am disgusted by this tactic; however the slander and misrepresentation of certain members of the Republican Party (including V.P. Sarah Palin) is really starting to tick me off and suddenly I'm okay circulating videos of Obama which are obviously taken out of context. (Hey, maybe I could make it in politics after all!)

To be fair Faith and Politics is a beautiful speech, well written and well presented. As an amateur writer I appreciate the language and style of Obama and his writers. In his speech he gives a brief personal history, painting a picture of himself as someone of faith but also as someone who is "fair minded". He very candidly addresses attacks on his character and faith by members of the GOP, including the famous attack by Alan Keys. He emphasizes that although he is a Christian, he doesn't believe faith and politics should mix.

Here's my problem with Faith and Politics: I know what Obama is about. I know his history. I've seen his voting record and listened to his super liberal left ideas. There is a very disturbing message behind this well crafted speech. Here is the message I hear from Obama in Faith and Politics:

Obama: "Look, I am going into the white house to promote abortions and gay marriage (and higher taxes... buy the way) and now you can't call me immoral because I just explained to you that I am a moral person; a person of faith just like you. What you think are morals are actually just "religious beliefs". Why? Because I said so. I just clearly explained (with very intelligent rhetoric) that the things you think are "immoral" (like killing babies and acting on homosexual tendencies) are not immoral. They are just against your "religious beliefs". We need to keep church and state separate so please don't bring your "religious beliefs" into the political realm. Let us kill babies and marry gays and stay out of it. And by the way, if there are any other things that we decide to do that seem immoral to you, those things will henceforth be called "religious beliefs" and they will be legalized because (as I said earlier) we need to separate faith and politics. We wouldn't want to mix church and state, now would we? That would be going against the first amendment."

So Obama is God and he dictates what is "moral" and what is "religion"???

If you haven't researched Obama's resume, or if you only had his incredibly well written speeches as a judge of his character and political agenda, you might be confused about his true feelings on faith and politics. It's tough to figure out what a political candidate is all about these days. So, I decided to take a moment to publish some of the facts about Obama for ya'll, instead of just slandering his name by publishing my last video.

Here are some of the facts:

Barack Obama on Abortion:
Supports Roe v. Wade. (Jul 1998)
Voted NO on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on prohibiting minors crossing state lines for abortion. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
Voted NO on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
Voted YES on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
Sponsored bill providing contraceptives for low-income women. (May 2006)
Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance. (Dec 2006)
Ensure access to and funding for contraception. (Feb 2007)

Barack Obama on Budget and Economy:
Voted NO on paying down federal debt by rating programs' effectiveness. (Mar 2007)
Voted NO on $40B in reduced federal overall spending. (Dec 2005)

Barack Obama on Civil Rights:
Strengthen the Americans with Disabilities Act. (Aug 2007)
Voted NO on recommending Constitutional ban on flag desecration. (Jun 2006)
Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. (Jun 2006)
Ending racial profiling is part of fight for justice. (Jan 2001)
Sponsored bill for special-needs evacuation plans. (Sep 2005)
Sponsored bill for a Rosa Parks commemorative postage stamp. (Dec 2005)
Rated 89% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance. (Dec 2006)
Rated 100% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance. (Dec 2006)

Barack Obama on Corporations:
Voted YES on repealing tax subsidy for companies which move US jobs offshore. (Mar 2005)
Voted NO on reforming bankruptcy to include means-testing & restrictions. (Mar 2005)

Barack Obama on Crime:
Voted YES on reinstating $1.15 billion funding for the COPS Program. (Mar 2007)

Barack Obama on Education:
Voted YES on $52M for "21st century community learning centers". (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on $5B for grants to local educational agencies. (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on shifting $11B from corporate tax loopholes to education. (Mar 2005)

Barack Obama on Energy and Oil:
Passed tax credit for installing E85 ethanol at gas stations. (Feb 2008)
Sponsored legislations that improve energy efficiency. (Sep 2004)
Voted YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on making oil-producing and exporting cartels illegal. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on factoring global warming into federal project planning. (May 2007)
Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR. (Nov 2005)
Voted YES on $3.1B for emergency oil assistance for hurricane-hit areas. (Oct 2005)
Voted YES on reducing oil usage by 40% by 2025 (instead of 5%). (Jun 2005)
Voted YES on banning drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. (Mar 2005)
Sponsored bill for tax credit for providing 85% ethanol gas. (Apr 2005)
Sponsored bill to notify public when nuclear releases occur. (Mar 2006)
Sponsored bill raising CAFE by a 4% per year until 2018. (Jul 2006)

Barack Obama on the Environment:
Voted YES on including oil & gas smokestacks in mercury regulations. (Sep 2005)

Barack Obama on Free Trade:
Voted YES on free trade agreement with Oman. (Jun 2006)
Voted NO on implementing CAFTA for Central America free-trade. (Jul 2005)

On Governent Reform:
Voted YES on granting the District of Columbia a seat in Congress. (Sep 2007)
Voted NO on allowing some lobbyist gifts to Congress. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on establishing the Senate Office of Public Integrity. (Mar 2006)
Election reform is #1 priority to prevent disenfranchisement. (Jan 2001)
Sponsored bill criminalizing deceptive info about elections. (Nov 2005)
Sponsored resolution rejecting photo ID for voting. (Sep 2005)
Sponsored bill to post earmarks on the Internet. (Jan 2006)

On Gun Control:
Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005)

On Health Care:
Voted NO on means-testing to determine Medicare Part D premium. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D. (Apr 2007)
Voted YES on expanding enrollment period for Medicare Part D. (Feb 2006)
Voted YES on increasing Medicaid rebate for producing generics. (Nov 2005)
Voted YES on negotiating bulk purchases for Medicare prescription drug. (Mar 2005)

On Homeland Security:
Promised to repeal Patriot Act, then voted for it. (Jan 2008)
Voted NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad. (Aug 2007)
Voted YES on limiting soldiers' deployment to 12 months. (Jul 2007)
Voted YES on implementing the 9/11 Commission report. (Mar 2007)
Voted YES on preserving habeas corpus for Guantanamo detainees. (Sep 2006)
Voted YES on requiring CIA reports on detainees & interrogation methods. (Sep 2006)
Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)
Voted NO on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision. (Dec 2005)
Voted YES on restricting business with entities linked to terrorism. (Jul 2005)
Voted YES on restoring $565M for states' and ports' first responders. (Mar 2005)

On Immigration:
Voted YES on continuing federal funds for declared "sanctuary cities". (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on comprehensive immigration reform. (Jun 2007)
Voted NO on declaring English as the official language of the US government. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on building a fence along the Mexican border. (Sep 2006)
Voted YES on establishing a Guest Worker program. (May 2006)
Voted YES on allowing illegal aliens to participate in Social Security. (May 2006)
Voted YES on giving Guest Workers a path to citizenship. (May 2006)

On Jobs:
Voted NO on terminating legal challenges to English-only job rules. (Mar 2008)
Voted YES on restricting employer interference in union organizing. (Jun 2007)
Voted YES on increasing minimum wage to $7.25. (Feb 2007)
Voted YES on raising the minimum wage to $7.25 rather than $6.25. (Mar 2005)

On Prinicpals and Values:
Voted NO on confirming Samuel Alito as Supreme Court Justice. (Jan 2006)
Voted NO on confirming John Roberts for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. (Sep 2005)
Member of Congressional Black Caucus. (Jan 2001)
Reject Bush's Florida electors due to election fraud. (Jan 2001)
Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation. (Dec 2006)

On Taxes:
Voted YES on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on allowing AMT reduction without budget offset. (Mar 2008)
Voted NO on raising the Death Tax exemption to $5M from $1M. (Feb 2008)
Voted NO on repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax. (Mar 2007)
Voted NO on raising estate tax exemption to $5 million. (Mar 2007)
Voted NO on supporting permanence of estate tax cuts. (Aug 2006)
Voted NO on permanently repealing the `death tax`. (Jun 2006)
Voted YES on $47B for military by repealing capital gains tax cut. (Feb 2006)
Voted NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends. (Feb 2006)
Voted NO on extending the tax cuts on capital gains and dividends. (Nov 2005)
Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation. (Dec 2006)

On War and Peace:
Voted YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq by March 2008. (Mar 2007)
Voted NO on redeploying troops out of Iraq by July 2007. (Jun 2006)
Voted YES on investigating contract awards in Iraq & Afghanistan. (Nov 2005)

*Disclaimer: I don't disagree with EVERYTHING Obama has voted for... Just 99.9% of it.

**Look for more facts about John McCain in my next post.

***And P.S. I'm sick of hearing that Sarah Palin has no experience. When Obama announced that he was running for President in 2006, he had been a U.S. Senator for exactly 767 days. Sarah Palin had been governor of Alaska for 634 days, handling a budget six times larger than Senator Obama. Here's a great article by Glen Beck on the subject.

Just the Facts :)