WASHINGTON, June 22, 2008
One Person's Flip Is Another's Flop
A Candidate's Changing Position Is A Sign Of Opportunism No, Leadership!
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News and video from the campaign trail.
This past week both presidential candidates made remarkable reversals of long-held positions, opening themselves up to accusations of flip-flopping by the opposing campaigns.
But is changing one's position wisdom or opportunism? Practicality or pandering? It all depends on whom you ask.
This week, Sen. Barack Obama reversed his position on public financing, having previously said he would abide by limitations placed on funds raised and spent in the general election as part of his desire to reduce the influence of money from special interests in politics.
That changed with Thursday's announcement in which he said, "The public financing of presidential elections as it exists today is broken, and we face opponents who've become masters at gaming this broken system."
By opting-out, he is now free to continue raising money from supporters who have already donated a record sum - nearly $300 million to date.
Actually, according to New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, Obama's new stand on public financing demonstrates not an act of opportunism but his ideals as a reformer.
"What Barack Obama has done is in the spirit of reform of the public financing system," Richardson told a disbelieving host Bob Schieffer.
Richardson pointed to statistics of Obama's fundraising prowess: 1.5 million contributors who have given an average of $88 each, not exactly high rollers. "Here we have somebody that takes no money from registered lobbyists, from PACs," Richardson said. "That's reform.
"But look at what Senator McCain has done: He started out with public financing in the primary, then he flip-flopped. Now he's back for public financing. He's had since February nearly five months with a private finance system. I'd say that he is the flip-flopper.
"Senator McCain is still taking that money; he's still taking lobbyists' money; he's taking PAC money," Richardson said. "That's not reform."
According to McCain adviser Carly Fiorina, however, Obama's change is to continue to make financial hay from his supporters. "Barack Obama has in fact said all along that he would accept public financing," she said. "And now he's changed his mind.
"What I find a little disingenuous, I must say, is to blame that on the fact that, for example, there are 527s gearing up to attack him."
Obama has said that money raised would help pay for fending off attacks by 527s - privately-financed organizations who work parallel with a candidate but are not restricted in fundraising - which spread anti-Obama messages.
"So I think the point is he raised a lot of money and he wants the opportunity to spend all that money," Fiorina said. "That's his right, but it clearly is a change in his position."
So when a politician changes a long-held position on a hot-button issue for which there are no practical reasons to switch - say, on expanding oil drilling in environmentally-sensitive areas - then the politician is guilty of political opportunism or pandering, no?
Well, no, according to Fiorina, at least when the candidate is John McCain, a longtime opponent of offshore drilling - who this week came out in support of opening up additional tracts of gas reserves off America's coastline.
When asked by Schieffer if that wasn't a flip-flop, too, she said McCain's change of policy - which has sparked outrage from coastal states over the potential threats to tourism and the environment - is actually a sign of leadership.
"Well, you know, I think a good leader is influenced by the facts on the ground, whether those facts are in Iraq or whether those facts are right here in the United States," she said. "And the reality is we have never before faced a situation where a gallon of gas is over $4 and is likely to remain over $4. We've never before faced a situation where the price of a barrel of oil has doubled in the last 12 months.
"So what John McCain has said is that we now need to take control of our own energy future. And that involves, among other things, tapping our own resources."
Fiorina said McCain's support for expanding offshore drilling, and consequently falling in line with President Bush, is "a matter of economic security, national security, and environmental security."
To which the former energy secretary said, the answer for securing the nation's energy future "is not drill, drill.
"I can tell you that every bipartisan administration has opposed offshore drilling for pristine reasons, the ecosystem," Richardson said, "but also the fact that you're not going to get any of this oil out offshore for the next 10 years, and prices won't go down until the year 2030, according to the Energy Information Agency.
"Senator McCain is basically following the policies of George Bush. We need to shift away from this drill, drill, drill philosophy into new sources of energy, conservation, fuel efficiency, dramatic efforts to develop new sources of energy, natural gas, maybe even look at nuclear, find ways that we can have carbon-clean coal technology, but not just drill into pristine areas like ANWR in Alaska, like offshore in California and Texas. Ask the people in those states if they're for that - they're not."
So for those keeping track at home, the tally of flip-flops this week: Obama 1, McCain 0 - or, Obama 0, McCain 1, depending on who's keeping score.
Read the full "Face the Nation" transcript here.
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See all 163 CommentsCBS is using the second largest flip flopper in this nations history as their authority on what is flip flopping and what is not.
Bill Richardson stands only just behind John Kerry for the title of national all time champion flip flopper.
ROTFLMGTBO!!!
OsamaObama flip flops on Rev. Wright, his long time moral guide of twenty years.
OsamaObama flip flops on the black seperatist church he has been a member of for the past 20 years.
OsamaObama flip flops on his hatred of whitey. Now he loves whitey.
OsamaObama flip flops on his pal''ing around with Rezko.
Now these are blatant flip flops, some of you OsamaObama worshippers might want to remind him of.
John McCain did not flip flop on this issue....He merely put Americas national security above some global warming theory ka,ka.
But, we all know John McCain is a real American.
And, we all know OsamaObama is proud of being a hyphenated-American. IOW: Some percentage less than us real Americans.
No real Americans would ever vote for a man who considers himself somewhat less American.
Especially one who would place Greenhouse theory above this nations national security and economic welfare.
That flat out un-American. The very hyphen I figure most OsamaObama worshippers don with pride.
Remarkably, both Schieffer and Richardson failed to pounce on this misstep of Fiorina''s; especially since she is considered a prime candidate for McCain''s VP.
When McCain was asked to tone back the 527 ads against Obama, he replied that "it was beyond his control", yet MoveOn.org elected to honor Obama''s request. This suggests that McCain isn''t as capable of a leader as Obama, since he cannot even influence his own attack 527''s.
George Soros can give you millions to be his puppet. Then add in the oil and gas companies and the health care insurance industry too.. You silly people thought Bam Bam was getting all his money from poor American households ?? Yea right...keep drinking the kool aid.. How many black families do you know that will throw in $100.00 or more a month to halp Bam Bam ?? Wake up America
On the other hand, Obama has 1.25 million supporters who donated less than $100 each. To accept the public funding that McCain refused to agree to, Obama would be discarding 20% of his supporters. Obama had a choice between siding with his American citizen base, or caving to an agreement that McCain refused to enter. The choice Obama made was right.
You Go, Obama!
What a joke bill richardson has become.
I''m John McCain and I approve this message (just as soon as the check clears that is).
(*John McCain is a wholly owned subsidiary of Exxon-Mobil and other oil companies.)
Obama''s donors are limited to $2300 per year, not the millions you are belying. But then, you knew that ...
Posted by cold777
Excellent question.
(*John McCain is a wholly owned subsidiary of which ever lobbyist group check is the biggest)
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Posted by neoconism
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I agree.....no one is going to forget the Terry Schiavo incident, and Dennis "The Menace" Hastert, and Bill "I Can Diagnose a Patient a Thousand Miles Away" Frist and what they did.
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Posted by neoconism
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I agree.....no one is going to forget the Terry Schiavo incident, and Dennis "The Menace" Hastert, and Bill "I Can Diagnose a Patient a Thousand Miles Away" Frist and what they did.
"... in light of the new politics offered by Barack Obama, I''ve come to believe it''s time to close the 527 forever%u2014and to challenge organizations on the right to do the same thing..."
I think it depends on big-picture principle. The overarching principle of campaign finance reform was to keep special interests from polluting the democratic process. Since Barack''s actions are congruent with that sentiment, it''s of less import that he ''flipped'' on his pledge to go the campaign finance route. Because doesn''t it further democracy to have small donors give greater financial clout to the candidate deemed by the most people to be the best suited for our times? Doesn''t Barack not owe it to we the voters to not put himself on level financially with the gweeb who couldn''t raise two cents without having to have clandestine fundraisers headed by a guy he didn''t even want to be seen with in public for more than 30 seconds (Shrub)?
What were the principles behind all of McCain''s flip flops?
Your rants about George Soros (you spelled it wrong, by the way) are incorrect.
First off, Soros isn''t from Greece. It took .04 seconds to find that out on a Google search. Of course, if you are slinging mud, accuracy doesn''t matter.
Second, Soros doesn''t contribute big sums of money to individual candidates like you claim. He donates money to 527 action groups. The action groups he supports are against George Bush.
Third, Soros isn''t pro-Democrat; he is anti-Bush. His goal in life is to defeat George Bush, and now his surrogate, John McCain. George Soros is an anti-Republican. Clearly you got that one wrong too.
Your post is obviously echoing the misinformation from the Faux News Network, and sounds eerily similar to the rants of Bill O''Reilly. So Sad.
"Politics hates a vacuum. If it isn''t filled with hope, someone will fill it with fear." And that''s what Obama''s opponents are trying to do - fill Americans with fear so they''ll either stay home on election day or vote for McCain, who supports most of George Bush''s policies. If you''re in favor of a third George Bush term, vote for McCain; if you''re not, vote for Obama. A vote against Obama is a vote for McCain.
Senator Obama%u2019s decision not to accept government supported campaign financing is definitely a flip but will probably prove not to be a flop. It the Fall campaign proves to be as contentious and as vicious as many political analysis are prognosticating it to be his decision to flip may very well prove to be an effective strategic battlefield maneuver. In order to be a successful leader/commander a true test is the ability to modify or impliment an alternative battle plan in the %u201Cheat%u201D of battle which surprises the opponent and ultimately leads to victory.
After watching and listening to Lars and Heidi I am flip flopping on my critique of Senator Obama%u2019s decision not to participate in government sponsored public campaign financing. His decision to solicit donations directly from the public inorder to finance his campaign shows, I have now concluded, superior judgment. He will need a substantial war chest inorder to do battle with the barbaric hordes who are determined to destroy him and in the process will either trash or make a mockery of the last vestiges of %u201Cthese truths%u201D that we hold %u201Cto be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.%u201D
Posted by Bec67 at 05:58 PM : Jun 22, 2008
Wow, very apt description of the Liar-in-Chief!
935 lies.
4100 Dead Americans becuase of those lies!
As Reverend Harry Powell said, "A liar is an abomination to the Lord!"
Goerge W Bush is an abomination to the Lord!
George W Bush - Son of Satan!
Damned for all time!
+ report abuse
Guess you don''t care and wouldn''t say it in any case. We are winning in Iraq. It is steadily becoming a safer and more stable place. Also it is becoming more prosperous. Of course people like you wouldn''t notice because it interrupts your rant. If it works we may have transformed an enemy of the US to a friend with a democratic country who could counterbalance the Iranian attempt to become the controling power in the middle east replete with atomic bombs.
Posted by Bec67 at 06:41 PM : Jun 22, 2008
Thanks again for that great word - chameleon!
Perfectly describes our friend John McCain, who''s been able to morph himself into a more senile version of GEORGE W BUSH!
That''s why he''s now known as George W McCain, aka John McBush, aka John G(igolo) McSame!
Go McBush GO!
Posted by alanrobisch2 at 06:53 PM : Jun 22, 2008
Sure!
We''re winning in Iraq! LOL
Mission Accomplished!
Heckuva Job, Brownie!
We''re turning the corner!
The Surge is Working!
Santa Claus is Coming!
ROTFLMAO!
And the only reason he is furious is because McCain suggested a solution that is viable first, when Obama''s own oil and energy supports have paid HIM to do it! He was just waiting on winning the election first, because he couldn''t stir up the environmentalists and lose their votes!
Obama whack jobbed every one of Hillary Clinton''s stances, then adopted them for himself! Except he messed them up with his own stupid ideas because he couldn''t carbon copy them!
You never know from one day to the next what his stance is going to be...he seems to change it every time he spits on his thumb and puts it up in the wind!
continued...
www.youtube/Obamamorphin4/westvideo=342.com
The only one who DID flip-flop was as lying as usual serial coward and racial hypocrite Stepin'' Fetch Obama.
In fact he did it THREE times in less than two weeks!
- on Jerusalem, first declaring to a Jewish audience it should remain Jewish and undivided, then reversing himself the next day, saying the Palestinians have a say
- for someone who says he''s fighting for change, the poor and the middle class, he and the rest of the Dems chose to stick it to the American people by nixing limited drilling and refinery building. He can afford $5 - but I guess he wants our change, right?
- and finally this Public Funding issue. He lied right through his teeth in one of the last Tim Russert airings that he wanted it, but I guess the scent of the Nazi collaborator George Soros'' money - plus those Hollyweirdo bucks was just too much for him.
As for fat Bill Richardson''s comment - no comment for a fat pig who doesn''t even know who he is one day from the next, and refuses to fix New Mexico''s roads -even with those refineries on the roadside.
Obama in ''08 - White House Janitor. Nothing More, Nothing Less.
Posted by Obama4janito
I''ll call your 3 times and raise you to 11 McBush flip flops, lol.
1. Social Security Privatization 6/13/08 %u201CI%u2019m not for privatization of Social Security. I never have been. I never will be.%u201D 11/18/04 %u201CWithout privatization, I don%u2019t see how you can possibly make sure that young Americans are able to receive Social Security benefits.
2. Defense spending 11/07 spend more on Defense. Last week cuts in defense spending would pay for the corporate tax cut.
3. First Term Balanced Budget promised a balanced budget by January 2013. 2/15/08 balanced budget by end of 1st term. Few days later, balanced budget by 2017. April 15th we%u2019re not going to talk about deficit reduction, because economic conditions are reversed. 6/6/08 balanced budget by end of first term.
4. Media%u2019s treatment of Hillary Clinton 6/3/08 green screen speech %u201CThe media overlooked how compassionately she spoke%u2026%u201D 6/7/08 denied he ever said anything against the media %u201CI%u2019m not in the business of commenting on the press.%u201D
5. Estate Tax 6/8/06 %u201Cmost great civilized countries have an income tax and an inheritance tax, and in my judgment both should be part of our system. 6/10/08 %u201Cthe estate tax is one of the most unfair tax laws on the books.%u201D
6. FISA 12/20/07 asked about warrantless surveillance %u201CI don%u2019t think the president has the right to disobey any law%u201D 6/2/08 %u201Cneither the president nor the telecoms need apologize for their actions.%u201C Asked about the incongruity, he refused to answer and said, %u201CLet%u2019s move forward.%u201D
7. Restoring the Everglades 2007 opposed funding for the restoration of the Everglades. 6/5/08 %u201CI am in favor of doing whatever%u2019s necessary to save the Everglades.%u201D
8. Divestment from South Africa 6/2/08 speech to AIPAC target Iran with same sanctions as South Africa. Charlie Black and Rick Davis, McCain advisors, represent firms doing business with Iran. Also, McCain voted against South Africa sanctions on 6 occasions.
9. Fighting Job losses in Michigan Before primary, said it wasn%u2019t the government%u2019s job to bring back lost jobs. 6/5/08 he will fight for Michigan%u2019s lost jobs.
10. Hurricane Katrina 6/4/08 told town hall meeting %u201CI%u2019ve supported every investigation and ways of finding out what caused the tragedy.%u201D 2005, 2006, twice voted against a commission to study the response. Also opposed 3 emergency funding measures providing relief to Katrina victims.
11. 1999 supported drilling moratorium, scolding %u201Cspecial interests in Washington%u201D that sought drilling leases. Now, let%u2019s drill.
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Posted by jerr11 at 06:59 PM : Jun 22, 2008
+ report abuse
yep the jerk continues his rant maybe you should read the facts May was the safest month on record in Iraq since the invasion and people like trudy rubin who routinely roast bush believe there is a real chance for stability there. Its to your advantage to live in the past but maybe you should come out of your hole more than once a year.
Not only that he just plain out lies about every damned thing when he opens his mouth! No, he''''s not going to tax, yes, he''''s going to tax, no he''''s not for hand gun control, yes, he supports municipalities banning hand guns, yes, he''''s for nuclear power plants, no he''''s not for nuclear power plants, yes he''''s for single payer insurance policies, no, he''''s not for them, oh, but yes he is, no, he doesn''''t know his pastor is a racist, oh, but yes he does and loves him anyway...oh wait, I can''''t elected, no I don''''t love him anymore, Rezko only gave me $11,500...he was just some man I knew...oh but wait, he gave me $80,000...oh but wait, he gave me $250,000...but it was my staff''''s fault...Rezko was just some man I consulted on a real estate deal...oh wait no, he was my chief campaign fund raiser, I just FORGOT! I don''''t know what Muslim supporters you are talking about? My great uncle helped liberate Austwitcz...oh wait, no he didn''''t the Soviets liberated Austwitcz...I ut...I just got half a kazillion dollars from Muslim supporters from Chicago, what do you mean? My staff wrote form letters in support of Rezko scamming government money...oh wait, all my records are gone, sorry, can''''t prove it!
I have never seen so many flips that turned into flops in my life!
I doubt the woman on C-Span was stealing ideas from Rowdy, lol. She steals her ideas from every lunatic right-wing website there is.
Posted by BlackShaft at 07:07 PM : Jun 22, 2008
Blackshaft! ROTFLAO!!
Is that what you guys are watching in Israel right now, Shaft?
Man that movie is 40 years old!
But thanks for that link.
No I haven''t seen that video.
But I have seen An Israeli Man morph into Lars, into Terror Salami, into A Negroe man, and now into BLACK SHAFT, all in one day too!
ROTFLMAO
You Israelis are funny!
You forgot Eatmochickn, ANegroeMan, WhoAmI, and countless others.
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