Tipsheet

Barack Obubba

One of the big reasons Barack Obama has done reasonably well, so far, is that he has essentially modeled his positions off of Bill Clinton's '92 message.  Clinton did a superb job of appealing to average voters, and of disguising himself as "reasonable" and, perhaps, even conservative.  Of course, this was all a sham -- but the point is Clinton was a master at "selling" himself to voters...

Bill Clinton for President 1992 Campaign Brochure

The information below are excerpted from a '92 Bill Clinton brochure (special thanks to Jim Eltringham for finding it).  As you can see, aside from the FHA loan stuff, Obama's positions today sound an awful lot like Bill Clinton, circa '92 ...

"Bill Clinton will cut taxes for the middle class and make the rich pay their fair share.

... Bill Clinton will make certain there are more FHA loans so middle-income families can buy homes.

Demand Corporate Responsibility.

Our National Economic Strategy will make large corporations accountable to the American people and provide incentives for entrepreneurs and small businesses, which create most of the jobs in our nation. We will:

 Ensure tax fairness by cracking down on foreign companies that manipulate our laws to evade taxes. Eliminate deductions for companies that ship American jobs overseas and reward outrageous executive pay.

‘Putting People First’ -- It's Time to Put People First.

... Encourage private investment with tax credits that reward companies that make long-term commitments to new business, and reward those who invest in research and development.

Open up world markets by passing tougher trade legislation, creating a national Economic Security Council and stopping our trade representatives from cashing in on their contacts when they leave government.

Ensure worker retraining by requiring every employer to spend 1.5 percent of payroll on training for all workers -- not just executives.

Take on the powerful insurance lobby to prevent consumers from subsidizing billions in administrative waste.

Guarantee a core benefits package that includes ambulatory physician care, inpatient hospital care, prescription drugs, basic mental health, and expanded prenatal, preventive, and long-term care. The package will be set by a health standards board made up of consumers, providers, business, labor and government.

Provide Affordable Quality Health Care.

Make health care a right, not a privilege, by giving employers and employees the right to buy private insurance or opt for a public package."