In The Illinois State Senate, Obama Didn't Mask His Support For "Redistribution Of Wealth" And "Redistributive Change"

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by the Republican National Committee:

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080519/RNCLOGO )

In 2001, Obama Said The Supreme Court Failed To Pursue A "Redistribution Of Wealth" And Talked Positively Of "Redistributive Change":

Obama Regrets That The Warren Court "Never Ventured Into The Issues Of Redistribution Of Wealth." Obama: "If you look at the victories and failures of the civil rights movement and its litigation strategy in the court, I think where it succeeded was to invest formal rights in previously dispossessed peoples ... But the Supreme Court never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society. And to that extent as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn't that radical. It didn't break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the founding fathers in the Constitution, as least as it's been interpreted. And the Warren Court interpreted in the same way that generally the Constitution is a charter of negative liberties, says what the states can't do to you, says what the federal government can't do to you, but it doesn't say what the federal government or the state government must do on your behalf." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, www.youtube.com, Accessed 10/27/08)

Obama Said One Of The "Tragedies Of The Civil Rights Movement" Was That It Lost Track Of Political And Community Organizing That Could Bring About "Redistributive Change." Obama: "[O]ne of the, I think, the tragedies of the civil rights movement, was because the civil rights movement became so court focused, I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change, and in some ways we still stuffer from that." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, www.youtube.com, Accessed 10/27/08)

-- Obama: "[I]'m not optimistic about bringing about major redistributive change through the courts." (2001 Obama Interview On Chicago Public Radio WBEZ, www.youtube.com, Accessed 10/27/08)

The Obama-Biden Ticket Believes In Redistributionist Economic Policies, Claiming It's Patriotic To Pay Higher Taxes And "Spread The Wealth Around":

Obama: "I Think When You Spread The Wealth Around, It's Good For Everybody." (Charles Hurt, Op-Ed, "Obama Fires A 'Robin Hood' Warning Shot," New York Post, 10/15/08)

-- NOTE: Last Week, Obama Said He Didn't Regret His "Spread The Wealth" Comment. ABC's Robin Roberts: "Any regrets that you -" Obama: "No." Roberts: "No not that you met Joe the plumber, but the fact that you said 'spread the wealth.'" Obama: "Not at all." (ABC's "Good Morning America," 10/24/08)

-- Click Here To View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNVPZaj1sYA

Biden Said It's Patriotic To Pay More In Taxes. "Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden said Thursday that paying more in taxes is the patriotic thing to do for wealthier Americans. ... Noting that wealthier Americans would indeed pay more, Biden said: 'It's time to be patriotic ... time to jump in, time to be part of the deal, time to help get America out of the rut.'" (Douglass K. Daniel, "Biden Calls Paying Higher Taxes A Patriotic Act," The Associated Press, 9/18/08)

Obama's Numerous Refundable Tax Credits Amount To A Redistribution Of Wealth And A Significant Welfare Expansion:

The Wall Street Journal Calls Obama's Numerous Refundable Tax Credits "Tens Of Billions Of Dollars In Government Handouts." "For the Obama Democrats, a tax cut is no longer letting you keep more of what you earn. In their lexicon, a tax cut includes tens of billions of dollars in government handouts that are disguised by the phrase 'tax credit.' Mr. Obama is proposing to create or expand no fewer than seven such credits for individuals: -- A $500 tax credit ($1,000 a couple) to 'make work pay' that phases out at income of $75,000 for individuals and $150,000 per couple. -- A $4,000 tax credit for college tuition. -- A 10% mortgage interest tax credit (on top of the existing mortgage interest deduction and other housing subsidies). -- A 'savings' tax credit of 50% up to $1,000. -- An expansion of the earned-income tax credit that would allow single workers to receive as much as $555 a year, up from $175 now, and give these workers up to $1,110 if they are paying child support. -- A child care credit of 50% up to $6,000 of expenses a year. -- A 'clean car' tax credit of up to $7,000 on the purchase of certain vehicles. Here's the political catch. All but the clean car credit would be 'refundable,' which is Washington-speak for the fact that you can receive these checks even if you have no income-tax liability. In other words, they are an income transfer -- a federal check -- from taxpayers to nontaxpayers." (Editorial, "Obama's 95% Illusion," The Wall Street Journal, 10/13/08) -- "Once Upon A Time We Called This 'Welfare,' Or In George McGovern's 1972 Campaign A 'Demogrant.' Mr. Obama's Genius Is To Call It A Tax Cut." (Editorial, "Obama's 95% Illusion," The Wall Street Journal, 10/13/08)

New York Post: "[O]bama's 'Tax Cuts' Really Amount To A Sizable Expansion Of Welfare." "In truth, as The Wall Street Journal detailed yesterday, nearly all of those 'cuts' actually come in the form of 'refundable tax credits,' by which the government in effect writes a check to those who meet certain criteria -- even if they don't pay taxes in the first place. In other words, Obama's 'tax cuts' really amount to a sizable expansion of welfare. That leaves American taxpayers to foot the bill -- both directly, and through the lost economic opportunity that's sure to follow Obama's promised tax hikes on income, dividends and capital gains." (Editorial, "Ready, Set ... Spend!" New York Post, 10/14/08)

The New Hampshire Union Leader: Obama's Economic Policies Amount To "Failed Redistributionism Wrapped In Pretty New Paper." "There is no question, Barack Obama the man is a new and exciting presence on the national stage. His plan for governing this country is not. It is nothing more than failed redistributionism wrapped in pretty new paper. That isn't change. It is a failure of imagination. And it is a betrayal of trust in the American people and of the ideals on which this great and free nation was founded." (Editorial, "Obama's Agenda: Forcing Us To 'Share,'" The New Hampshire Union Leader, 10/15/08)

Peter Ferrara, Director Of Entitlement And Budget Policy For The Institute For Policy Innovation, Said Obama's Refundable Tax Credits Are Not Tax Cuts And "Should Be Called The New Tax Welfare." "Barack Obama's tax plan is the opposite of supply-side economics. ... Moreover, the tax credits would mostly go to those who pay little or nothing in federal income taxes. His trick is to make the tax credits 'refundable.' Thus, if the tax credit is for $1,000, but the taxpayer would otherwise only pay $200 in taxes, the government would write a check to the taxpayer for $800. If the taxpayer pays nothing in federal income taxes, the government would pay him the whole $1,000. Such credits are not tax cuts. Indeed, they should be called The New Tax Welfare. In effect, Mr. Obama is proposing to create or expand a slew of government spending programs that are disguised as tax credits. The spending on these programs is then subtracted from the total tax burden, in order to make the claim that his tax plan is a net tax cut overall." (Peter Ferrara, Op-Ed, "Obama's Tax Plan Is Really A Welfare Plan," The Wall Street Journal, 8/19/08)

The Washington Times' Donald Lambro: "Barack Obama says he will give 95 percent of all American workers a tax cut but does not mention that his plan would send checks to tens of millions of tax filers who pay no personal income taxes -- payments that critics say look 'suspiciously like welfare.' Mr. Obama's campaign promise, which he has repeated in his speeches and in the presidential debates, stems from his 'Making Work Pay' tax cut that will give a $500 refundable tax credit to every worker or $1,000 to each working couple. But because this provision in his economic-recovery plan is 'refundable,' a large number of middle- to lower-income workers who have no income-tax liability after taking tax credits and deductions the that Internal Revenue Service allows, will be given the equivalent of the tax cut in the form of direct payments from the U.S. Treasury - funded by higher-income taxpayers." (Donald Lambro, Op-Ed, "Obama Tax Cut 'Refunds' Those Who Don't Pay," The Washington Times, 10/13/08)

Americans For Tax Reform: "Most Of The 'Tax Cuts' Obama Claims Credit For Is In Fact Spending. 'Refundable Tax Credits' Means That If You Zero Out Your Income Tax Liability, The Government Gives You A Welfare Check." (Americans For Tax Reform, "Americans For Tax Reform Calls Obama 'Tax Calculator' Inaccurate And Misleading," Press Release, 10/14/08)

A Product Of The RNC Research Department

Paid for by the Republican National Committee.

310 First Street SE, Washington, D.C. 20003 - (202) 863-8500 - www.gop.com

Not Authorized By Any Candidate Or Candidate's Committee.