attempting to show that Obama is "out of step" with Americans by highlighting things that most people agree with

Obama's Record Has Republicans Dusting Off `Liberal' Attacks

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama promises to bridge the ideological divide between Red states and Blue states, bringing Republicans and independents into a post-partisan coalition.

Republicans plan to paint Obama as a liberal who is out of step with mainstream Americans on abortion, crime and health care, the same label used against failed Democratic candidates George McGovern and John Kerry.

``For someone who's been in office as little as Barack Obama, the guy has a record that defines the word liberal,'' said Chris LaCivita, a Republican media adviser to the Swift Boat veterans who assailed Kerry's Vietnam War record during the Massachusetts senator's 2004 presidential bid.

Opponents such as LaCivita said Obama's vulnerabilities include his support for gay rights, late-term abortions and benefits for illegal aliens. They also portray him as soft on crime, tough on guns and as an advocate of socialized medicine.

Obama, 46, has disavowed or tempered some of the stances he or his campaign once espoused, though on the whole, he stands by what he calls a ``progressive, pragmatic'' agenda.

Gay MarriageHe opposes gay marriage, while supporting civil unions and gays in the military. His abortion views adhere to the Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade ruling, which permits procedures in the third trimester when the mother is at risk. He favors drivers' licenses for undocumented immigrants and state tuition benefits for their children. On crime, he advocates eliminating mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent drug offenders. He said capital punishment is warranted for certain crimes, yet he can't support it due to inequities in its application. While he backs restrictions on guns, he has never voted to ban ownership.

He wants to repeal President George W. Bush's tax cuts, raise the capital-gains tax rate, expand government's role in health care and advocates greater regulation of financial institutions. He also favors a less confrontational foreign policy than Bush, 61.

At same time he proposes some tax cuts, would expand government and regulatory powers only modestly and wants to boost the size of the military.

Conservatives claim Obama's positions place him out of sync with most Americans. They point to the National Journal's 2007 rating of him as the most liberal senator and intend to cite it in advertisements and fundraising appeals.

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Wow - that agenda is the "most liberal"?! He seems barely moderate compared to most people in the US. But what can you expect from one of the Swift Boat liars?

This is hardly a radical agenda! This just goes to show how far right-wing and out of touch the government has become if this centrist is considered an extreme liberal!

Can the so-called "liberals" start harping about the extreme conservative agenda which truly is extremely far out of touch with the average American? Why does this never get addressed? Do they honestly think that Americans do not want progress?

Seriously, WTF is wrong with politicians?!