OBAMA TURNS TWO FACES TO AMERICA

by Amanda B. Carpenter (more by this author)

Since his much-hyped initial Senate campaign two years ago, Barack Obama (D.-Ill.) has been portrayed by the liberal media as a political populist who has the potential to unite polarized Republicans and Democrats in a national election.

In his keynote address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, Obama played up this image himself. “The pundits like to slice and dice our country into Red States and Blue States—Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats,” he said. “But I’ve got news for them, too. We worship an ‘awesome God’ in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States. We coach Little League in the Blue States, and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States. There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq, and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq. We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America.”

Citing rhetoric like this, commentators have suggested that Obama is “purple” because he combines “red” conservative values with a “blue” liberal political base. In fact, a close examination of Obama’s public statements reveals not a closet conservative, but a typical politician highly adept at speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

RED-STATE HYPE	BLUE-STATE PUNCH LINE
Gay Marriage
"And I should say that, personally, I do believe that marriage is between a man and a woman." -- Floor statement on the Federal Marriage Amendment (which he opposed), June 5, 2006	"Since 1996, I have been the sponsor or a chief co-sponsor of measures to expand civil liberties for the LGBT community, including hate-crimes legislation, adoption rights and the extension of basic civil rights to protect LGBT persons from discrimination in housing, public accommodations, employment and credit… For the record I opposed DOMA [the Defense of Marriage Act] in 1996. It should be repealed and I will vote for its repeal on the Senate floor. I will also oppose any proposal to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban gays and lesbians from marrying. This is an effort to demonize people for political advantage, and should be resisted.” – Letter to the Windy City Times, Feb. 11, 2004
Welfare
“The people I meet – in small towns and big cities, in diners and office parks – they don’t expect government to solve all their problems. They know they have to work hard to get ahead, and they want to. Go into the collar counties around Chicago, and people will tell you they don’t want their tax money wasted, by a welfare agency or by the Pentagon.” -- Democratic National Convention Keynote Address, July 27, 2004	"I made sure our new welfare system didn't punish people by kicking them off the rolls." -- Hyde Park Citizen, Sept. 30, 1999
Race
“There is not a Black America and a White America and a Latino America and an Asian America – there’s a United States of America.” – Democratic National Convention Keynote Address, July 27, 2004	“I am personally interested in pushing a strong minority perspective. I’m fairly opinionated about this.” – The New York Times, Feb. 6, 1990
Taxes
“At a time when ordinary families are feeling hit from all sides, the impulse to keep their taxes as low as possible is honorable and right.” – The Audacity of Hope, pg. 191	“I consider the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy to be both fiscally irresponsible and morally troubling.” -- The New York Times, Feb. 6, 1990
Guns
“Whenever I could, I would try to share my perspectives I was hearing from portions of the electorate: the legitimate role of faith in politics, say, or the deep cultural meaning of guns in rural parts of the state.” – The Audacity of Hope, pg. 114	“National legislation will prevent other states’ flawed concealed-weapons law from threatening the safety of Illinois residents.” – Chicago Tribune, Feb. 20, 2004

Miss Carpenter is Assistant Editor for HUMAN EVENTS. She is the author of "The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy's Dossier on Hillary Rodham Clinton," published by Regnery (a HUMAN EVENTS sister company).

REASONS TO FEAR HILLARY

According to media reports, Hillary Clinton said at a recent campaign gathering: "I know what Gingrich tells people privately, I know what DeLay tells people privately, I know what Karl Rove tells people privately. I'm the one person they are most afraid of. Bill and I have beaten them before and we will again." That's right...and there are many reasons to fear The Hildabeast. With the strong possibility that Hillary Rodham Clinton will be sworn in as President of the United States in less than 2 years, here are just some of the reasons we should all be afraid...very afraid:

• More socialism. That's right...Hillary Clinton believes that the government knows best, which means government control of just about everything she can imagine. Her biggest goal remains unchanged: socialized medicine and raising taxes to cover all government spending. Hold on to your wallet.
  
• Hillary would be the commander in chief. Ponder that thought for just a minute. A woman who has long held our military in complete contempt would be the commander in chief. My guess ... watch retirements go up sharply as soon as she wins. Disgusting thought.
  
• And if that's not enough, Hillary Clinton would be in charge of appointing Supreme Court justices. Take a look at the court...there are few that are getting up there. Want to kiss your private property goodbye? Just let The Hildabeast install a few judges on the Supreme Court.

So yes, Hillary's right...we do have reasons to fear her. But there is still time for somebody else to win the race...maybe.

THE HOUSE RESOLUTION

House Democrats have introduced a new anti-war resolution [full text pdf].. I like to call it the "Capitulation Resolution." It is aimed at denouncing President Bush's 21,000 troop surge. Some say that it is meaningless .. that all it does is disapprove of the war escalation.

Wrong.

This Capitulation Resolution weakens America. It shows a lack of commitment to fighting Islamic terrorists on their home base. There is no way in hell the Islamic fascists can take anything but comfort and encouragement from this exercise.

When Islamic fascists see what they believe weakness, they resolve to take advantage. I firmly believe that Americans will die as a direct result of the resolution being pushed by Democrats - with no small amount of help from some Republicans - in the U.S. House.

War has been declared on us. We need to recognize the threat and act ... not show our lack of resolve.

BANK OF ILLEGAL ALIENS IN AMERICA

By Michelle Malkin ·

Higher standards...except for illegal aliens

Bank of America has introduced a new credit especially and exclusively for law-breaking immigrants. Really. The story is on the front page of the Wall Street Journal today. It's subscription-only. Here are the details:

In the latest sign of the U.S. banking industry's aggressive pursuit of the Hispanic market, Bank of America Corp. has quietly begun offering credit cards to customers without Social Security numbers -- typically illegal immigrants.

In recent years, banks across the country have begun offering checking accounts and, in some cases, mortgages to the nation's fast-growing ranks of undocumented immigrants, most of whom are Hispanic. But these immigrants generally haven't been able to get major credit cards, making it hard for them to develop a credit history and expand their purchasing power.

The new Bank of America program is open to people who lack both a Social Security number and a credit history, as long as they have held a checking account with the bank for three months without an overdraft. Most adults in the U.S. who don't have a Social Security number are undocumented immigrants.

The Charlotte, N.C., banking giant tested the program last year at five branches in Los Angeles, and last week expanded it to 51 branches in Los Angeles County, home to the largest concentration of illegal immigrants in the U.S. The bank hopes to roll out the program nationally later this year.

The banking giant salivating over the massive illegal alien market insists it's doing nothing wrong:

Bank of America defends the program, saying it complies with U.S. banking and antiterrorism laws. Company executives say that the initiative isn't about politics, but rather about meeting the needs of an untapped group of potential customers.

"These people are coming here for quality of life, and they deserve somebody to give them a chance to achieve that quality of life," says Brian Tuite, the bank's director of Latin America card operations and one of the architects of the program.

BoA is defying federal immigration laws:

1907 Title 8, U.S.C. § 1324(a) Offenses

Title 8, U.S.C. § 1324(a) defines several distinct offenses related to aliens. Subsection 1324(a)(1)(i)-(v) prohibits alien smuggling, domestic transportation of unauthorized aliens, concealing or harboring unauthorized aliens, encouraging or inducing unauthorized aliens to enter the United States, and engaging in a conspiracy or aiding and abetting any of the preceding acts. Subsection 1324(a)(2) prohibits bringing or attempting to bring unauthorized aliens to the United States in any manner whatsoever, even at a designated port of entry. Subsection 1324(a)(3).

Encouraging/Inducing -- Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(iv) makes it an offense for any person who -- encourages or induces an alien to come to, enter, or reside in the United States, knowing or in reckless disregard of the fact that such coming to, entry, or residence is or will be in violation of law.

Conspiracy/Aiding or Abetting -- Subsection 1324(a)(1)(A)(v) expressly makes it an offense to engage in a conspiracy to commit or aid or abet the commission of the foregoing offenses.

Penalties -- The basic statutory maximum penalty for violating 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(i) and (v)(I) (alien smuggling and conspiracy) is a fine under title 18, imprisonment for not more than 10 years, or both. With regard to violations of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(ii)-(iv) and (v)(ii), domestic transportation, harboring, encouraging/inducing, or aiding/abetting, the basic statutory maximum term of imprisonment is 5 years, unless the offense was committed for commercial advantage or private financial gain, in which case the maximum term of imprisonment is 10 years. In addition, significant enhanced penalties are provided for in violations of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1) involving serious bodily injury or placing life in jeopardy. Moreover, if the violation results in the death of any person, the defendant may be punished by death or by imprisonment for any term of years. The basic penalty for a violation of subsection 1324(a)(2) is a fine under title 18, imprisonment for not more than one year, or both, 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(2)(A). Enhanced penalties are provided for violations involving bringing in criminal aliens, 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(2)(B)(i), offenses done for commercial advantage or private financial gain, 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii), and violations where the alien is not presented to an immigration officer immediately upon arrival, 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(2)(B)(iii). A mandatory minimum three year term of imprisonment applies to first or second violations of § 1324(a)(2)(B)(i) or (B)(ii). Further enhanced punishment is provided for third or subsequent offenses.

So what is the Bush Department of Homeland Security doing? Using the BoA outrage to argue for its amnesty plan that would reward illegal aliens en masse! They do not get it:

Department of Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke said banking products aimed at illegal immigrants "reinforce the need for a temporary worker program" that the Bush administration has been promoting. That program would screen, tax and otherwise regulate immigrant workers and, the administration contends, would squeeze out illegal workers who now use forged or stolen documents to get jobs, driver's licenses and occasionally credit.

Dios mio. Banking products aimed at illegal immigrants do not "reinforce the need for a temporary worker program." They reinforce the need to enforce the borders, strengthen interior enforcement of immigration laws, and punish companies openly flouting the rule of law.

Score another victory for phony baloney homeland security.

***

Fun fact: Bush's first Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (2003-2005), Eduardo Aguirre, was President of International Private Banking for Bank of America, where he worked for 24 years.

Flashback: The Illegal Alien Gold Card

Flashback: Banking on illegal immigration

Flashback: Banking on American stupidity

Flashback: Businessweek "Embracing Illegals - Companies are getting hooked on the buying power of 11 million undocumented immigrants"