Obama Campaign Responds To "Redistribution" Comments From 2001

[jefferson_dem]

In this interview back in 2001, Obama was talking about the civil rights movement – and the kind of work that has to be done on the ground to make sure that everyone can live out the promise of equality," Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton says. "Make no mistake, this has nothing to do with Obama’s economic plan or his plan to give the middle class a tax cut. It’s just another distraction from an increasingly desperate McCain campaign."

Burton continues: "In the interview, Obama went into extensive detail to explain why the courts should not get into that business of 'redistributing' wealth. Obama’s point – and what he called a tragedy – was that legal victories in the Civil Rights led too many people to rely on the courts to change society for the better. That view is shared by conservative judges and legal scholars across the country.

"As Obama has said before and written about, he believes that change comes from the bottom up – not from the corridors of Washington," Burton says. "He worked in struggling communities to improve the economic situation of people on the South Side of Chicago, who lost their jobs when the steel plants closed. And he’s worked as a legislator to provide tax relief and health care to middle-class families. And so Obama’s point was simply that if we want to improve economic conditions for people in this country, we should do so by bringing people together at the community level and getting everyone involved in our democratic process."

http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/10/mccain-to-attac.html

[beachmom]

1. Thanks for posting. The truth is this is a very academic discussion.

I am listening to the entire interview, and it is out of my league.

[bklyngrl60]

6. I just posted about this on another thread where the subject line is...

refers to Use Your Brain - Vote for McCain

ROFL

What the Obama campaign is also taking great pains to avoid is highlighting the actual "topic" headline: Slavery and the Constitution.

[high density]

2. I don't see how this will be an effective attack from McCain

For one thing, Obama's comments are just too long-winded for a quick soundbite. Sounds like another thing for the Drudge-lovers while the middle class wonders why McCain still ignores our economy.

[HughMoran]

3. Wow, some reality

without having to see the moronic hundred times reposted "Drudge" word. At least if people could resist reposting the identical story a dozen times, my "hide thread" hand would not be suffering from carpal tunnel - sheesh!

[vaberella]

4. I hate that Obama had to be put in this spot.

Nothing in the tape was even damaging. He made no mention of economic redistribution. Ugh!! It was a great tape and Drudge is shit...end of story.

[Kadie]

5. .

:kick:

[Median Democrat]

7. Actually, Obama's Comments Are Quite Conservative - Against Activist Judges

Obama's books are consistent on this point, Obama does not favor courts unilaterally making decisions without some sort of societal support for the decision. Even Brown v. Board of Education was precipitated by efforts by activists to promote the integration of schools.