The new media meme seems to be that Obama has shifted to the center on many issues like Iraq, guns, abortion, the death penalty, but anyone who has been paying attention knows this isn't true. (we'll leave FISA out of this for now)
His position on Iraq is the same as it was in 2007.He has always said we have to be as careful getting out as we were reckless going in. He will order withdrawal of troops coupled with a surge in diplomacy to help Iraqis take control of their own contry. The goal is to have troops out in 16 months. The timeline is based on expert advice of how quickly troops can leave safely. If a situation arises on the ground where troops have to make adjustments for safety, then they will re-assess.
On Guns, he has said for a long time that he believes(paraphrasing) the 2nd amendment gives the individual the right to bear arms, but communities have the right to impose reasonable restrictions for the safety of the community.
Here is his statement on the DC court ruling:
"I have always believed that the Second Amendment protects the right of individuals to bear arms, but I also identify with the need for crime-ravaged communities to save their children from the violence that plagues our streets through common-sense, effective safety measures. The Supreme Court has now endorsed that view, and while it ruled that the D.C. gun ban went too far, Justice Scalia himself acknowledged that this right is not absolute and subject to reasonable regulations enacted by local communities to keep their streets safe. Today’s ruling, the first clear statement on this issue in 127 years, will provide much-needed guidance to local jurisdictions across the country.
"As President, I will uphold the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun-owners, hunters, and sportsmen. I know that what works in Chicago may not work in Cheyenne. We can work together to enact common-sense laws, like closing the gun show loophole and improving our background check system, so that guns do not fall into the hands of terrorists or criminals. Today's decision reinforces that if we act responsibly, we can both protect the constitutional right to bear arms and keep our communities and our children safe."
Here's the link:link
Obama agreed with the part of the ruling that said reasonable restrictions are constitutional. He did not say he thought the DC ban went to far, but the Supreme Court did.
On issue after issue the media is repeating the "tack to the center" meme, and this morning I think I figured out why. They aren't that bright or they haven't paid attention. For months the Republicans have been saying Obama wants to precipitously withdraw from Iraq. So that became conventional wisdom inside the beltway. Now they are paying attention to what he's actually saying since the primaries are over, (We know they can't pay attention to more than one thing at a time) and he's not calling for precipitous withdrawal. So the Republicans call him a flip flopper and say he's moving to the center, even though his position hasn't changed, and who would have guessed, the media meme this week is how Obama has flip flopped.
I have decided to stop watching TV before my head explodes. Then I come here and Kos is promoting the same theme! How can we get the truth out to America when we are falling for the spin ourselves?
Obama has not moved to the center. He has defied labels. He is very liberal on some issues, very centrist on others. He is well within the mainstream on most everything. We can argue among ourselves about whether he's a liberal or a centrist or a conservative, but the truth is he will be the most progressive president we have had in my lifetime. We need to get past the labels, and start looking at the whole picture.
I know this is a rant, but I needed to get it off my chest. Does anyone have any idea how we can get the media to report the truth?