Flip Flop Goes the Weasel

Barack Obama has found a new activity since locking up the Democratic presidential nomination—running around the mullberry bush.

Senator Obama has a slim lead on John McCain in the polls. The 5% margin is the same lead enjoyed by John Kerry at this time in 2004. And, like Kerry in 2004, Obama is flip-flopping his way around the political landscape that leads to the White House.

The flip-flopping began late last year while debating the subject of Iraq. The Obama campaign website states: 

Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

However, in a September 2007 New Hampshire democratic debate Obama flipped and refused to commit to his own benchmark.

Russert’s question first went to Illinois Senator Barack Obama, who would not make the pledge to have all troops removed by 2013. “I believe that we should have all our troops out by 2013,” said Obama, “but I don’t want to make promises not knowing what the situation’s going to be three or four years out.”

Flop.

He doesn’t want to make any promises—except on his web site, where he promises to have all combat troops out of Iraq within 16 months of his presidency. My calendar puts that at about June 2010, not 2013.

The Democratic presidential nominee has also performed amazing feats of flexibility with his long-time personal associations. In March of 2008, Fox News broke the story of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright’s fiery rhetoric. Exactly 4 days later, Obama performed damage control by giving his now “famous” speech on the subject of race in America.

…Reverend Wright’s comments were not only wrong but divisive, divisive at a time when we need unity…. But the truth is, that isn’t all that I know of the man. The man I met more than 20 years ago is a man who helped introduce me to my Christian faith, a man who spoke to me about our obligations to love one another, to care for the sick and lift up the poor…. And this helps explain, perhaps, my relationship with Reverend Wright. As imperfect as he may be, he has been like family to me…. I can no more disown him than I can disown the black community.

But Barack Obama could and did disown Wright. However, the flip came only after the good reverend switched from insulting America to insulting Obama.

As I said, whether he gets elected or not, I’m still going to have to be answerable to God November 5th and January 21st. That’s what I mean. I do what pastors do. He does what politicians do.

And how did the Amazing Obama respond?

I want to use this press conference to make people absolutely clear that obviously whatever relationship I had with Reverend Wright has changed, as a consequence of this. I don’t think that he showed much concern for me. I don’t — more importantly — I don’t think he showed much concern for what we’re trying to do in this campaign….

Flop.

Someone sounds just a little bit bitter.

The weasel’s most recent acrobatics have centered on the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Last February, Obama blasted Democratic rival Hillary Clinton for her stance on the controversial trade agreement.

“One million jobs have been lost because of NAFTA, including nearly 50,000 jobs here in Ohio. And yet, 10 years after NAFTA passed, Sen. Clinton said it was good for America. Well, I don’t think NAFTA has been good for America — and I never have,” he said.

Yet, while Obama was attacking Clinton on NAFTA in public, his senior economic advisor, Austan Goolsbee, was whispering a different tune into Canadian ears.

[I]t’s more about political positioning than a clear articulation of policy plans….

And now the presidential candidate is even admitting the flip.

“Sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified,” he conceded, after I reminded him that he had called NAFTA “devastating” and “a big mistake,” despite nonpartisan studies concluding that the trade zone has had a mild, positive effect on the U.S. economy.
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Does that mean his rhetoric was overheated and amplified? “Politicians are always guilty of that, and I don’t exempt myself,” he answered.

Flop.

Barack Obama’s flip-flopping follies prove that Wright was right. Obama will say whatever he needs to in order to get elected. I guess he is still the Barack Obama that Jeremiah Wright has known for the last 20 years.

And if nothing else, it proves that he truely is all about change—at least when it comes to what he believes in. 

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