Posted on 07/18/2008 3:32:37 PM PDT by kellynla
When he was a state senator in Illinois in June 2002, Barack Obama was explicitly asked by Chicago media personality Jeff Berkowitz whether he supports school vouchers. “I would support anything that is going to be better for the children of Illinois,” he said. He emphatically added that “I am not closed minded on the issue.”
In February 2008, Obama spoke to reporters from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel about the issue. Still keeping an open mind, he said, “If there was any argument for vouchers, it was ‘Let’s see if the experiment works.’ And if it does, whatever my preconception, you do what’s best for kids.”
However, last Saturday Obama told the American Federation of Teachers that he was opposed to vouchers. When his campaign was asked about his new position, it released a statement saying, “Senator Obama has always been a critic of vouchers.”
Commenting today is Catholic League president Bill Donohue:
“Guess Obama couldn’t resist pandering to the teachers union. It’s so easy to tell the media that keeping an open mind on school vouchers is the best way to go. But when cash counts—and the American Federation of Teachers has plenty of it—who cares about principle? Fact is, no amount of empirical evidence was ever going to change his mind.
“Obama now joins a long list of African American elites who wouldn’t dare send their kids to an urban public school, but who works hard at every turn to deny poor black parents the same options he and his wife are so lucky to have. We hope that Catholics, as well as African Americans, get the message.”
ping
Well, Obamam, there goes any lib Catholic votes.
Pastor Wright was right, Obama is just a politician.
That would be nice ... but no way. Socialism comes first for that set of voters.
Of course, he's also saying "No Vouchers" to Baptists, Presbyterians, Buddhists, Mormons, Moslems, Zoroastrians, Peyote Church, atheists, and fill-in-your-belief-or-lack-thereof. That's the only way to get the NEA $$$$$$, and he knows it.
Obama's chickens...are coming home...to roost!
Well, Obamam, there goes any lib Catholic votes.Don't count on it.
Where DO Obama’s girls go to school?
Go figure.
With vouchers come requirements. Catholics don’t want those nutballs messing with their curriculum.
I agree the Catholic Democrats will mostly fall in line. I don’t know why, maybe tradition, maybe due to long standing relationships or possibly force of habit.
Yep, same with you protestants
In the past, Obama has reportedly gone on the record in support of merit pay for teachers, something the NEA has always fought. It would be interesting to know his currrent position on this issue.
Perhaps Obama should consider appointing some actual practicing Catholics to his Catholic outreach network.
Anyone else love the South Park episode bashing “The Da Vinci Code” where Bill Donohoe becomes Pope?
Well, lets correct Rev. Wright, he was partially correct when he called Obamanation a politician. Obie far exceeds any low a politician can achieve, Obama is a Whore, maybe a little expensive, but still a whore.
Freep-mail me to get on or off my pro-life and Catholic List:
Please ping me to note-worthy Pro-Life or Catholic threads, or other threads of interest.
“Go figure?”
It's not rocket science...
Again, lets not confuse “practicing” Catholics with CINO’s.
Just like the Jewish, just because someone claims to be Jewish doesn't necessarily mean that that person is a “practicing” Jew. And the same applies to all religions.
ping-aroo
“Where DO Obama’s girls go to school?”
the Chicago Tribune sums up:
“My kids have gone to the University of Chicago Lab School, a private school, because I taught there,” Obama responded. “It was five minutes from our house. So it was the best option for our kids.”
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