Among the Christian RIght’s chief criticisms of John McCain has been his reluctance to point out differences between himself and Barack Obama on hot button social issues like abortion and gay marriage. A new McCain campaign briefing shows the Arizona may be shedding that reluctance. It enumerates 17 reported Obama flip flops, including some that are bound to make the Christian Right happy (even though they appear near the bottom of the list):
CHANGE #15: Barack Obama Is Against The California Ballot Measure Banning Gay Marriage Despite His Assertion That Marriage Is Between A Man And A Woman
Barack Obama Came Out Against A California Ballot Measure That Would Ban Same-Sex Marriage. “Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, who previously said the issue of gay marriage should be left up to each state, has announced his opposition to a California ballot measure that would ban same-sex marriages. In a letter to the Alice B. Toklas LGBT Democratic Club read Sunday at the group’s annual Pride Breakfast in San Francisco, the Illinois senator said he supports extending ‘fully equal rights and benefits to same-sex couples under both state and federal law.’” (Aurelio Rojas, “Obama Rejects Proposed California Gay Marriage Ban,” Sacramento Bee, 7/1/08)
· “Obama Had Previously Said He Opposes Same-Sex Marriage But That Each State Should Make Its Own Decision.” (Aurelio Rojas, “Obama Rejects Proposed California Gay Marriage Ban,” Sacramento Bee, 7/1/08)
CHANGE #16: Barack Obama Says That “Mental Distress” Should Not Be Reason For A Late Term Abortion Which Contradicts His Past Extreme Pro-Abortion Views
Barack Obama: Mental Distress Should Not Be A Reason For A Late Term Abortion. “I have repeatedly said that I think it’s entirely appropriate for states to restrict or even prohibit late-term abortions as long as there is a strict, well-defined exception for the health of the mother. Now, I don’t think that ‘mental distress’ qualifies as the health of the mother. I think it has to be a serious physical issue that arises in pregnancy, where there are real, significant problems to the mother carrying that child to term.” (Sen. Barack Obama Interview, Relevant Magazine, 7/1/08)
· Barack Obama Appears To Have Backed Away “From His Long-Stated Positions On Abortion.” “In a recent interview, Obama appears to back away from his long-stated positions on abortion (and a proposed federal abortion rights law he had co-sponsored), repudiate 35 years of accepted Supreme Court rulings on the issue and embrace a view on abortion restrictions that has been expressed on the Court only by Justices Thomas and Scalia.” (Jan Crawford Greenburg, “Obama: Sounding Like Thomas And Scalia?” http://blogs.abcnews.com, 7/4/08)
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posted July 8, 2008 at 4:52 pm
Obama says it is a state issue regarding gay marriage. this means that he is for a voter amendment rather that a court decision in my understanding.
Obama says that “mental distress” is not a “health reason for partial birth abortion. This means he is opposed to partial birth abortions in most cases.
Where does McClain get the idea that Obama is for gay marriage or partial birth abortion from that?
p.s. I’m taking a holiday so you wont be hearing my “Liberal Christian” ideas for awhile. Bye bye.
posted July 9, 2008 at 9:49 am
It’s a shame that Obama seems to be pandering to the religious right rather than standing up to them. There are more than enough mainline denominations to affiliate with, why doesn’t he use the bully pulpit to highlight them rather than bothering with the American equivalent of the Taliban?
McCain similarly seems quite wishy-washy on the issues. And I keep wondering, after seeing yet one more story on his being a POW for 5 years, if he had any sexual activity during that time? I don’t know who will have the cojones to ask, and what kind of backlash they will get, but maybe that’s our October surprise.
posted July 9, 2008 at 3:29 pm
Obama has always said he favoured “civil unions” as opposed to equal marriage for gay Americans. That has not changed, unfortunately.
That he is against a voter referendum to enshrine discrimination into any State’s (or the country’s) Constitution is a totally separate matter. He says he “supports extending ‘fully equal rights and benefits to same-sex couples under both state and federal law’”, something “civil unions” were supposed to do but – unfortunately for the ‘right’ (and I guess, in your view, for Obama) – don’t. Perhaps if they did (and if certain States hadn’t forbade “civil unions” or anything even “resembling marriage”), then gay American citizens might indeed be happy to accept their inherent 2nd class citizenship those on the ‘right’ wish to relegate them to.
(Voters can and do make horrendous misjudgements that often can – and do – run counter to the ‘promise’ inherent in the Constitution that is supposed to guarantee equal treatment before the law to all citizens. The Equal Protections clauses are there to protect minorities from the tyranny of the majority, aka a mobocracy.
This is not a “flip flop” and it is disingenuous of one who claims the name of Christ to imply so. It’s called the bearing of false witness – aka a sin – for which you should be mightily ashamed.
What, Dan, do you suffer from Baracknaphobia? (Thanx and a tip o’ the hat to Jon Stewart.)