AP's 'Centrist' Obama Just Another Liberal

AP/NewsBusters ^ | Mark Finkelstein

[governsleastgovernsbest]

(AP) London, March 2, 1867: Karl Marx, a rising star among centrist economists, announced today the publication of the first volume of his work, 'Das Kapital'.

OK, perhaps I exaggerate a tad. But is there any man of the left that the MSM is unwilling to cast as a "centrist" or moderate, particularly when he is seen as a potential Democratic presidential nominee?

The Associated Press offers a perfect illustration of the phenomenon this evening. This article reports Barack Obama's indication on today's Meet The Press that, earlier protestations to the contrary notwithstanding, he is indeed contemplating a run for the presidency. Writes the AP:

"In recent weeks, his political stock has been rising as a potentially viable centrist candidate for president." [emphasis added]

"Centrist"? Really? Let's go to the record, or more specifically, to Obama's interest-group ratings as catalogued at the indispensable Project Vote Smart.

Aside from a small smattering of ratings such as the 33% percent from Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum and the 45% from on Personal Liberties from the Republican Liberty Caucus, Obama fits the liberal profile to a 'T.' Examples:

• Planned Parenthood 100% in 2006.
• National Right to Life Committee 0% in 2005-2006.
• Americans for Tax Reform 0% in 2005.
• NAACP 100% in 2005.
• American Conservative Union 8 percent in 2005.
• Illinois Environmental Council 100% in 2003 .
• Children's Defense Fund [Hillary's old beat] 100% in 2005.
• National Organization 100% in 2005.
• NRA, 'F' in 2004.
• Federation for American Immigration Reform 0% in 2005.
• 2005 AFL-CIO 92%.
• Americans for Democratic Action [old-style liberal organization] 100% in 2005.

What are the odds the AP would call a Republican with mirror-image ratings a "centrist"? The AP's shameless mislabeling of as a Obama "centrist" is nothing short of false advertising. Expect to see lots more of it as the MSM bandwagon for him gains steam.

Finkelstein lives in the liberal haven of Ithaca, NY. Webcasts and podcasts of Mark's award-winning TV show 'Right Angle' are available here. Contact Mark at mark@gunhill.net

[BerniesFriend]

Funny..msm can't find enough to say about making former congressman J.C. Watts a Prez candidate..wonder why????????????????????

[unspun]

Yeah, but doesn't he have a nice soft voice?

[Bahbah]

But doesn't he look really good on tv?

[oldtimer]

So will the anti-Christ look good on TV.

[governsleastgovernsbest]

AP/NewsBusters ersatz-centrist ping to Today show list.

[LibWhacker]

You're reading my mind.

[shankbear]

The press is just pimping this guy. They want to make him the shill as Hillary's Veep choice. He will be used by the DNC like Edwards was with sKerry(he was in Vietnam).

[silent_jonny]

he is indeed contemplating a run for the presidency

Pfft.

[John Lenin]

Guy is an empty suit. Southern Democrats will switch parties.

[Reagan Man]

Barack Obama = socialist.

[Bahbah]

So will the anti-Christ look good on TV.

Yes. But I think you are unaware of the very funny ad done about Harold Ford, Jr. that I was referring to.

[Lancey Howard]

Oh yeah, the march is on to portray that oily scumbag Obama as a "moderate".
I'm sure he's doing all he can to help.

[conservative in nyc]

Obama is a lot of things (hopelessly liberal, gun-grabbing, pro-abortion, among others). But to call him an empty suit is to severely underestimate him.

[Republican Wildcat]

Centrist? He's a communist - saying we need to discourage private ownership and "be in it together." Flowery language, but communism is still communism.

[Solamente]

...His father, also named Barack (Swahili for "One who is blessed by God," and perhaps via Arabic and Semitic roots related to the Hebrew baruch, "blessed") Obama, left his rural Luo-speaking village and his Muslim father to become an "agnostic" and study economics abroad. His son was two when the elder Barack left the boy and his mother to return to Harvard University and then to Kenya, where he became a globe-traveling economist for the government.

When young Obama was six, his mother married an Indonesian oil manager, a "non-practicing Muslim," and the family moved to Jakarta, where his half-sister Maya was born. In this exotic Islamic country, wrote Obama's good friend, the liberal lawyer and best-selling novelist Scott Turow, Barack Obama spent "two years in a Muslim school, then two more in a Catholic school..."

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Voters aren't stupid anymore, and they prefer substance over style. I don't think Obama will get further politically than his current position, and it's quite possible he'll face a better Republican challenger in 2010 once Illinoisans realize they've been had.

[panaxanax]

Is Obama a muslum? I heard his dad and stepfather were and his mom was an athiest? Any info? Thanks

[John Lenin]

But to call him an empty suit is to severely underestimate him.

Sorry, I didn't drink the MSM kool-aide like you have. He has done zero in his political life and I don't see that changing with his ideology.

[conservative in nyc]

Sorry, I didn't drink the MSM kool-aide like you have. He has done zero in his political life and I don't see that changing with his ideology.

I haven't drank anything. Obama did plenty in the Illinois legislature, helping the Illinois Democrats put that state on the road to ruin. That's what we should be focusing on - not pretending that Obama is a stupid man who has never accomplished anything. He's not stupid. And he sure as heck isn't a moderate, as the MSM would want people to believe. Obama is worse than a moderate - he is a liberal in moderate's clothing - and thus far has been able to get away with it.