The Audacity of Hype

Barack Obama is causing quite a big stir.

The mainstream media is enthralled with him. His recent trip yesterday to New Hampshire brought out large crowds. He’s forcing Hillary to accelerate her presidential campaign schedule. And of course, his new book is selling very well.

Behind the Obama story is a very liberal left voting record. Here are the key votes and positions of the possible presidential contender:

· Voted against extending the Bush tax cuts on capital gains and dividends.
· Voted against permanently repealing the Death Tax. (Called the cuts a "Paris Hilton” tax break for "billionaire heirs and heiresses”)
· Voted against CAFTA.
· Voted YES on raising the minimum wage to $7.25 rather than $6.25.
· Opposed the lifting of $0.54 per gallon tariff on cheaper Brazillian ethanol. Said, "ethanol imports are neither necessary nor a practical response to current gasoline prices."
· Voted against the bankruptcy abuse bill.
· Opposes privatizing Social Security
· Voted against drilling in ANWR.
· Voted against confirmation of Sam Alito AND John Roberts as chief justice.
· Voted against extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision.
· Opposed any bans on partial birth abortions.

Is this the liberal left direction Dems really want to go in 2008?

Sure, they took Congress this year by sounding like Republicans on the campaign trail. But Obama would be a rather big u-turn from that centrist strategy.