Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Media Ignore Obama’s Flip-Flopping


Ronald Kessler

Contrary to popular impression, President Barack Obama has been remarkably consistent: He has consistently presented major initiatives that have failed and has just as consistently backtracked on changes he has promised.

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Obama’s healthcare bill has turned out to be a disaster, raising costs and driving doctors out of medicine. His stimulus was a failure, doing little to spur the economy and adding close to $1 trillion to the national debt.

His outreach to Iran has produced only more belligerence and a continuation of its nuclear program. His foray into Libya is unfocused and has resulted in a stalemate. On the other hand, to his credit, Obama has backtracked on promises that were unwise. Instead of opposing an extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which is essential to protecting the country, Obama has supported extending it.

Instead of trying terrorists as criminals in civilian courts, the administration will try them before a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay. Instead of closing the prison camp there, Obama is keeping it open.

Obama said he would start pulling out troops from Afghanistan in July. Now the Pentagon is saying that date is not set in stone. While he said previously he would roll back the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000, Obama ultimately supported retaining those cuts.

Obama’s flip-flopping began with his first campaign. Back then, he said
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he favored public financing of campaigns and would take it himself. He reneged on that and is hoping to raise more than $1 billion from private contributors for the new campaign.

Mitt Romney has been singled out as a flip-flopper mainly because of his comment in 1994 about abortion. “I believe that abortion should be safe and legal in this country,” he said in a debate with Sen. Edward M. Kennedy.

Romney later said that, like President Reagan, he has changed his views and position on abortion.

In contrast, Obama has changed his position — for better or worse — on almost everything he has said. The difference between Romney and Obama is that Romney is a Republican, while Obama is a Democrat who is adored by the media. For that reason, you will rarely see Obama described on television or in print as a flip-flopper.

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