RNC: Obama Had Greater Role on Liberal Survey

WASHINGTON, March 31 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was issued by
the Republican National Committee and written by Kenneth P. Vogel from The
Politico:

During his first run for elected office, Barack Obama played a greater role
than his aides now acknowledge in crafting liberal stands on gun control, the
death penalty and abortion -- positions that appear at odds with the more
moderate image he's projected during his presidential campaign.

The evidence comes from an amended version of an Illinois voter group's
detailed questionnaire, filed under his name during his 1996 bid for a state
Senate seat.

Late last year, in response to a Politico story about Obama's answers to the
original questionnaire, his aides said he "never saw or approved" the
questionnaire.

They asserted the responses were filled out by a campaign aide who
"unintentionally mischaracterize(d) his position."

But a Politico examination determined that Obama was actually interviewed
about the issues on the questionnaire by the liberal Chicago non-profit group
that issued it. And it found that Obama -- the day after sitting for the
interview -- filed an amended version of the questionnaire, which appears to
contain Obama's own handwritten notes adding to one answer.

The two questionnaires, provided to Politico with assistance from political
sources opposed to Obama's presidential campaign, were later supplied directly
from the group, Independent Voters of Illinois -- Independent Precinct
Organization. Obama and his then-campaign manager, who Obama's campaign
asserts filled out the questionnaires, were familiar with the group, its
members and positions, since both were active in it before his 1996 state
Senate run.

Through an aide, Obama, who won the group's endorsement as well as the
statehouse seat, did not dispute that the handwriting was his. But he
contended it doesn't prove he completed, approved -- or even read -- the
latter questionnaire. ...

But the questionnaires provide fodder to question Obama's ideological
consistency and electability. ...

Taken together -- and combined with later policy pronouncements -- the two
1996 questionnaires paint a picture of an inexperienced Obama still trying to
feel his way around major political issues ...

Consider the question of whether minors should be required to get parental
consent -- or at least notify their parents -- before having abortion.

The first version of Obama's questionnaire responds with a simple "No."

The amended version, though, answers less stridently: "Depends on how young --
possibly for extremely young teens, i.e. 12 or 13 year olds."

By 2004 ... the answer to a similar question contained still more nuance, but
also more precision. "I would oppose any legislation that does not include a
bypass provision for minors who have been victims of, or have reason to fear,
physical or sexual abuse," he wrote.

The evolution continued at least through late last year, when his campaign
filled out a questionnaire for a non-partisan reproductive health group that
answered a similar question with even more nuance. ...

Both versions of the 1996 questionnaires provide answers his presidential
campaign disavows to questions about whether Obama supports capital punishment
and state legislation to "ban the manufacture, sale and possession of
handguns."

He responded simply "No" and "Yes," respectively, to those questions on both
questionnaires.

But a fact sheet provided by his campaign flatly denies Obama ever held those
views... And it points out that as a state senator, he led an effort to reform
Illinois' death penalty laws.

On guns, the fact sheet says he "has consistently supported common sense gun
control, as well as the rights of law-abiding gun owners." ...

[Republicans] allege Obama has a penchant for blaming his staff for gaffes
ranging from missing a union event in New Hampshire to circulating opposition
research highlighting the Clintons' ties to India and Indian-Americans to
underestimating the amount of cash bundled for his campaigns by his former
fundraiser, indicted businessman Antoin "Tony" Rezko.

And the questionnaires play into storylines ... suggesting Obama has altered
his views to appeal to differing audiences.

That suggestion is galling to many members of IVI-IPO, some of whom have
relationships with Obama that date back nearly 15 years. The group had
endorsed Obama in every race he'd run ... until now.

The group's 37-member board of directors ... stalemated in its vote over an
endorsement in the Democratic presidential primary. ...

"One big issue was: Does he or does he not believe the stuff he told us in
1996?" said Aviva Patt, who has been involved with IVI-IPO since 1990 and is
now the group's treasurer. ...

[IVI-IPO board member Lois] Dobry, [Current Treasurer Aviva] Patt and current
IVI-IPO state chairman David K. Igasaki ... agreed Obama likely didn't write
every word of his campaign's 1996 answers. But they all dismissed as
unbelievable his presidential campaign's assertion that Obama never saw or
signed off on the state Senate questionnaires. ...

[Former Obama Campaign Manager Carol] Harwell, a veteran Democratic operative
... last year told Politico she filled out the first questionnaire.

But she did not return several telephone messages asking about the second
questionnaire and the handwritten notes on it. ...

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