If you don’t have a record to run on, just make one up!

Obama just unveiled a new ad campaign targeting 18 states, including some very red ones (including my own state of NC).  In it he attempts to paint himself as “values candidate”.  But as we all know, Obama doesn’t have much value at all when it comes to his experience or integrity.  So the only way he has left to sell himself to the American public is to exaggerate his accomplishments.  And in some instances, just flat out lie.  This doesn’t surprise me.  I’ve known Barack Obama to be a liar for some time now.  I wonder if the rest of the country will catch wise…

First of all let’s take a look at the text of the ad.  (all text from the ad comes from his site, which I refuse to link to—google it):

I was raised by a single mom and my grandparents. We didn’t have much money, but they taught me values straight from the Kansas heartland where they grew up. Accountability and self-reliance. Love of country. Working hard without making excuses. Treating your neighbor as you’d like to be treated. It’s what guided me as I worked my way up – taking jobs and loans to make it through college.

It’s what led me to pass up Wall Street jobs and go to Chicago instead, helping neighborhoods devastated when steel plants closed.

That’s why I passed laws moving people from welfare to work, cut taxes for working families and extended health care for wounded troops who’d been neglected.

First off, I just have to laugh at the “working hard” comment.  Just ask Katiebird, the man hasn’t held a full time job since he graduated from law school.  And accountability and self-reliance?  Barack, you haven’t been held accountable since you were, well, I can’t think of when you’ve EVER been held accountable.  Self reliance? don’t make me laugh.  You haven’t had an original idea in your life.  Every “accomplishment” you claim has been in name only.  Other people do the work, and you take the credit–or just completely appropriate their ideas all together (“yeah, what Hillary said”).

Now down to brass tacks: .  Obama makes three rather grand pronouncements in this ad. First of all he says he passed laws moving people from welfare to work.  While this is the truest of the claims,  he does seem to be pandering to a right-leaning audience.  If any of you read my post on Clinton bashing, several commenters blasted Clinton for doing the same thing with his comprehensive welfare reform.  Obama contradicts himself on the Clinton legacy as well.  And while he claims to have moved people from “welfare to work” he was mostly interested in allowing convicted felons to continue to enroll in welfare programs:

Obama: “I am not a defender of the status quo with respect to welfare. Having said that, I probably would not have supported the federal legislation, because I think it had some problems.” (Sen. Barack Obama, State Of Illinois 90th General Assembly Regular Session Senate Transcript, 5/31/97, www.ilga.gov, p. 42)

NOTE: Obama’s Contribution To H.B. 204 Included Determining Which Felons Would Be Eligible For Welfare, And Under What Conditions:

Illinois State Sen. Dave Syverson (R): “[I]n the area of felons, we have decided, through negotiations both with Senator Obama, with the House leadership, regarding this issue, that those who are convicted of Class X and Class 1 felonies will never be able to get onto the welfare system. These are individuals who have sold drugs, been found guilty of selling drugs to our kids, and we don’t believe that they should participate in our tax dollars. We will, however, on Class 2, 3 and 4 felons, they will – they will have a two-year limit, unless they’re involved in a drug treatment program.” (Sen. Dave Syverson, State Of Illinois 90th General Assembly Regular Session Senate Transcript, 5/31/97, www.ilga.gov, p. 40)

Second, Obama takes credit for tax cuts for working families while in the Illinois state senate.  The Governor of Illinois at the time, however, doesn’t quite remember it the same way:

Referencing The Same Legislation, Obama Has Made The Claim That He Created The Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit In 2000. “Obama created the Illinois Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income working families in 2000 and success­fully sponsored a measure to make the credit permanent in 2003. The law offered about $105 million in tax relief over three years.” (Obama For America, “The Blueprint For Change,” www.barackobama.com, Accessed 1/14/08, p. 43)

Obama Was Not The Lead Sponsor Of The Legislation, And The Governor Credited A Different Member Of Congress With Its Passage…

When Gov. Ryan Signed The Earned Income Tax Credit Into Law, He Credited Democrat Senate Leader Emil Jones With Its Passage. “Crediting Illinois Democratic Senate Leader Emil Jones with its passage, Gov. George Ryan Thursday [May, 11, 2000] signed the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) into law, which will put about $50 in the pockets of poor workers. In signing HB 3939, which amends the Illinois Income Tax Act that established the first EITC program for individuals, Ryan said this credit will be equal to five percent of the federal earned income tax credit for the years 2000-2002.” (Chinta Strausberg, “Governor Ryan Signs Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) Bill,” Chicago Defender, 5/13/00) 

Finally, and probably the most blatant lie in the ad, is Obama’s claim to have “extended health care for wounded troops who’d been neglected”.  This is just simply not true.  In keeping with a long standing tradition of skipping out on important votes, Barack Obama did the same with H.R. 4986:

Obama Cites Public Law 110-181 To Support His Claim That He Extended Health Care For Wounded Veterans. (P.L. 110-181, Signed Into Law 1/28/08; Obama For America Website, www.barackobama.com, Accessed 6/19/08 )

Obama Missed The Vote On The Legislation He Cites, Which Passed The Senate By An Overwhelming Bipartisan Majority:

The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act Became Public Law 110-181. (Library Of Congress Website, www.thomas.gov, Accessed 6/19/08 )

Obama Missed The Vote On The Defense Authorization Act, Which Passed By An Overwhelming Bipartisan Majority. (H.R. 4986, CQ Vote #1: Passed 91-3: R 46-0; D 44-2; I 1-1, 1/22/08, Obama Did Not Vote)

And before anyone accuses me of repeating Republican talking points, I fully admit it.  These may be talking points (from the Wisconsin state GOP), but they are facts.  Coming from Democrats who have swallowed the VRWC’s lies and dementia about anything Clinton, it kind of loses its sting.  I’ll make you a deal sweeties, when you get over your raging cases of CDS, I’ll stop looking to Republicans to get the facts on Barry, all right?

Oh, and completely off topic, but another kick in the head from our valiant Democratic leadership in the house.  They have once again capitulated to Bush on the Iraq war, providing funding until he is out of office:

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday approved enough new money to wage wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for another year, while abandoning attempts to set deadlines opposed by President George W. Bush for withdrawing American combat troops.

By a vote of 268-155, the House approved the funding for the two wars. Most of the $161.8 billion the Pentagon will get, which is slightly less than Bush requested, will be used to fight in Iraq.

Thanks for the leadership Nancy.  You sweeties want to throw Iraq in our faces every chance you get when we say we might vote for McCain.  I say go talk to Pelosi.  If she can’t even face down a lame duck president whose approval rating is in the toilet about a war that nobody wants anymore, well, I have a hard time feeling guilty about that. 

Oh, and this just in….House caves on retro immunity:

Hoyer said the bill, opposed by a majority of his Democratic colleagues, was the best possible deal: “Our alternative was essentially between this compromise bill and the protections we built in, or the Senate bill, which gave immunity outright.

“We can’t really change what has happened, but going forward, we would protect and have court oversight of any program that a future administration might undertake,” he said.

Um, no Steny, there was another alternative, Grow a spine!!!  These rats were terrified of what might happen if a real leader like Clinton were to gain power.  No wonder they screwed her out of the nomination. Bunch of cowards….