Barack Obama Voted For The 2005 Energy Bill.
(H.R. 6, CQ Vote #152: Motion Agreed To 92-4: R 53-1; D 38-3; I 1-0, 6/23/05, Obama Voted Yea; H.R. 6, CQ Vote #158: Passed 85-12: R 49-5; D 35-7; I 1-0, 6/28/05,
Obama Voted Yea; H.R. 6, CQ Vote #213: Adopted 74-26: R 49-6; D 25-19; I 0-1, 7/29/05, Obama Voted Yea)
The 2005 Energy Bill Included $2.8 Billion In Subsidies For Oil And Natural Gas Production. "The conference agreement provides for $14.6 billion in tax breaks and credits between 2005 and 2015, including: - $2.8 billion for fossil fuel production..."
(Toni Johnson, "CQ Bill Analysis: HR 6," Congressional Quarterly's "CQ Bill Analysis,"
www.cq.com , Accessed 7/14/08)
Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY): "When It Came Time To Stand Up Against The Oil Companies, To Stand Against Dick Cheney's Energy Bill, My Opponent Voted For It And I Voted Against It."
(Aaron Burns, "Clinton Questions Obama's Oil Company Claims," Fox News' "Embeds" Blog, 4/25/08)
Senator John Kerry (D-MA): "Instead of reducing our dangerous dependence on oil, protecting our environment and strengthening our economy, this policy gives billions of dollars to the oil, gas and nuclear industries."
(Office Of U.S. Senator John Kerry, "John Kerry Says Energy Policy Fails Americans," Press Release, 8/9/05)
The Washington Post: The 2005 Energy Bill's Provisions "Turned Into A Pinata Of Perks For Energy Industries." "The provision was just one example of how the energy bill, touted as a way to reduce dependence on foreign oil or moderate gasoline prices, has been turned into a piñata of perks for energy industries."
(Michael Grunwald and Juliet Eilperin, "Energy Bill Raises Fears About Pollution, Fraud," The Washington Post, 7/30/05)
The New York Times' Thomas Friedman Said The 2005 Energy Bill Contained "Massive Pork Slabs Dished Out To The Vested Interests Who Needed Them Least."
(Thomas Friedman, Op-Ed, "Too Much Pork And Too Little Sugar," The New York Times, 8/5/05)
Obama-Biden Has Called For Higher Income Taxes, Social Security Taxes, Capital Gains And Dividend Taxes, And Corporate Taxes, As Well As "Massive New Domestic Spending." "Obama's transformation, if you go by his campaign so far, would mean higher income taxes, higher Social Security taxes, higher investment taxes, higher corporate taxes, massive new domestic spending, and a healthcare plan that perhaps could be the next step to a full-scale, single-payer system. Is that what most Americans want, someone who will fulfill a Democratic policy wish list?"
(James Pethokoukis, "Barack Hussein Reagan? Ronald Wilson Obama?" U.S. News and World Report's "Capital Commerce" Blog, 2/12/08)
Obama-Biden Will Increase Capital Gains And Dividend Taxes. Obama Economic Advisors Jason Furman and Austan Goolsbee: "The top capital-gains rate for families making more than $250,000 would return to 20% ... The tax rate on dividends would also be 20% for families making more than $250,000, rather than returning to the ordinary income rate."
(Jason Furman and Austan Goolsbee, Op-Ed, "The Obama Tax Plan," The Wall Street Journal, 8/14/08)
Tax Policy Center: Obama-Biden Would Raise Taxes On One Out Of Every Three Senior Households. "Even though Senator Obama's plan eliminates individual income taxes for seniors with incomes less than $50,000, his plan would raise taxes for almost 10 million senior households, over a third of the total (not shown in table). On average, seniors would face a tax increase of about 2 percent of income."
(Burman et al., "A Preliminary Analysis of the 2008 Presidential Candidates' Tax Plans," The Tax Policy Center, 6/11/08)
Obama-Biden Would Raise Income Taxes. Obama: "[i] would roll back the Bush tax cuts for those making over $250,000."
(Sen. Barack Obama, CNN Democrat Presidential Candidate Debate, Manchester, NH, 6/3/07)
U.S. Department Of Treasury: Small Business Owners "Are Frequently Subject To The Highest Individual Income Tax Rates."
("Topics Related To The President's Tax Relief," U.S. Department Of Treasury,
http://www.ustreas.gov, May 2008)
Obama-Biden Would Raise Social Security Taxes. "Obama's proposal ... would impose social security taxes on income above $250,000 per year. He would continue to exempt income between $102,000 and $250,000 from social security taxes."
(Teddy Davis, Sunlen Miller, and Gregory Wallace, "Obama Kisses Billions Goodbye," ABC News' "Political Radar" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 6/18/08)
Obama-Biden Called For A Tax On Coal And Natural Gas. Obama: "What we ought to tax is dirty energy, like coal and, to a lesser extent, natural gas."
("Q&A With Sen. Barack Obama," San Antonio Express-News, 2/19/08)
Obama-Biden Called For A Tax On Oil. Obama: "I think it is appropriate for us to impose a windfall profits tax on our oil companies."
(Sen. Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Charlotte, NC, 5/2/08)
The Washington Post: Barack Obama's Tax On Oil Companies Will Only Lead To "Higher Prices At The Pump."
(Editorial, "Tapping Tired Wells," The Washington Post, 8/6/08)
FactCheck.org: "Obama's Votes Indicate A Willingness To Raise Taxes." "Certainly Obama's votes indicate a willingness to raise taxes, and Obama has not been shy about saying explicitly that he will raise some taxes."
("The $32,000 Question," FactCheck.org, http://www.factcheck.org, 7/8/08)
During His Time In The U.S. Senate, Barack Obama Requested More Than 300 Earmarks Totaling Nearly $1 Billion.
(Obama Senate Website, 9/6/08)
PolitiFact.com: "But as for his claim in the debate: Is it accurate? Obama, on his Web site, has listed every earmark he's requested - but not necessarily received - as a U.S. senator. It totals $931.3-million. McCain is also correct that it comes to nearly a million dollars for every day that Obama's been in the United States Senate, provided you include just working days. ... We say this claim is Mostly True."
("McCain Right On Amount Of Obama's Pork Requests," PolitiFact.com, 9/26/08)
Citizens Against Government Waste Gave Barack Obama A Lifetime Rating Of 22 Out Of 100.
(Citizens Against Government Waste, "CCAGW Challenges Presidential Candidates On Earmarks," Press Release, 12/27/07)
The Club For Growth Gave Barack Obama A Score Of 33 Percent For His Votes Against Anti-Pork Amendments. "[T]he Club for Growth released its 2007 Senate RePORK Card, compiling a scorecard of all senators' votes on fifteen anti-pork amendments throughout 2007. ... Obama (D-IL) Score: 33% Ratio: 2/6."
(Club For Growth, "The Club's 2007 Senate RePORK Card,"
www.clubforgrowth.org , 11/5/07)
"In 2006, Obama Requested That The University Of Chicago Receive $1 Million To Support Its Construction Of The New Hospital Pavilion." "For more than 75 years, the University of Chicago Hospitals (UCH) has provided state of the art medical care on the South Side of Chicago. UCH is one of the largest Medicaid providers in Illinois, and it provided more than $90 million in uncompensated care for Medicare and Medicaid patients this past year. To continue providing the best care for patients from all walks of life, UCH is proceeding with the construction of a new 600,000 square foot facility that will ensure their ability to provide the best care for patients well into the future. Funding will go towards assisting the construction and equipping a new hospital pavilion that will increase the Hospitals' clinical capacity by over one-third."
(Obama For America Website, answercenter.barackobama.com, Accessed 7/23/08)
Michelle Obama Was Appointed Vice President At The University Of Chicago Hospitals In 2005.
(University Of Chicago Medical Center, "Michelle Obama Appointed Vice President For Community And External Affairs At The University Of Chicago Hospitals," Press Release, 5/9/05)
The Washington Post: In 2006, John McCain Pushed For Fannie And Freddie Regulation While "Obama Was Notably Silent." "In 2006, he pushed for stronger regulation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- while Mr. Obama was notably silent. 'If Congress does not act, American taxpayers will continue to be exposed to the enormous risk that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac pose to the housing market, the overall financial system, and the economy as a whole,' Mr. McCain warned at the time."
(Editorial, "'Always For Less Regulation'?" The Washington Post, 9/19/08)
In Just Four Years, Barack Obama Has Received More Money From Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Than Any Other Member Of Congress In The Past Two Decades (Since 1989) Except Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sen. Chris Dodd.
(Lindsay Renick Mayer, "Fannie Mae And Freddie Mac Invest In Lawmakers," Center For Responsive Politics' "Capital Eye" Blog,
www.opensecrets.org , 9/11/08)
The Washington Post: "Two Members Of Mr. Obama's Political Circle, James A. Johnson And Franklin D. Raines, Are Former Chief Executives Of Fannie Mae."
(Editorial, "Tough Decision Coming," The Washington Post, 8/28/08)
Obama Adviser Jim Johnson Is The Former CEO Of Fannie Mae. "There is no public policy reason to exempt them. It is not fair.' Inside Fannie Mae's sprawling Wisconsin Avenue headquarters, Lightfoot's proposal set off alarms. A team of executives led by chief executive Jim Johnson and Vice Chairman Frank Raines gathered around the firm's 34-foot-long boardroom table to decide how to respond."
(David A. Vise, "Fannie Mae Lobbies Hard To Protect Its Tax Break," The Washington Post, 1/16/95)
The Obama Campaign Has Solicited Franklin Raines, Who "Stepped Down As Fannie Mae's Chief Executive Under The Shadow Of A $6.3 Billion Accounting Scandal," For "Advice On Mortgage And Housing Policy."
(Anita Huslin, "On The Outside Now, Watching Fannie Falter," The Washington Post, 7/16/08)
Former President Bill Clinton Said Democrats Bear Responsibility For Resisting Any Efforts To Reform Freddie And Fannie
Former President Bill Clinton: "I think the responsibility that the Democrats have may rest more in resisting any efforts by Republicans in the Congress, or by me when I was President, to put some standards and tighten up a little on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac."
(ABC's "Good Morning America," 9/25/08)
Obama Has he told the truth ?
