Obama=JFK

Did anybody catch the interview with Obama on NBC after the President's State of the Union address? After talking about how pleased he was with the endorcement by Caroline Kennedy & Sen. Ted Kennedy, he went on to compare himself to John F. Kennedy! With good reason? Caroline Kennedy said he "offers that same sense of hope and inspiration" that her father did. Ted Kennedy had this to say: "There was another time, when another young candidate was running for president and challenging America to cross a new frontier. He faced criticism from the preceding Democratic president, who was widely respected in the party (referring to Harry S. Truman).
"And John Kennedy replied, 'The world is changing. The old ways will not do. ... It is time for a new generation of leadership. So it is with Barack Obama."
With these accolades being heaped on him, no wonder he thinks he's the second coming of JFK, but lets compare the men:

JFK: (Taken from the Congressional Quarterly of 1960) Voted for Social Security benefits, education, urban renewal, and civil rights. In addition he voted for a $6 billion tax cut, for reducung taxes on small corporations and increasing taxes on large corporations, for increasing the personal tax exemption, and for across the board cut in Federal spending.

Obama: (Taken from the Congressional voting record): No vote (did note vote yes or no!) on abortion issues, education loans, farm subsidies, child health insurance, on implementing the recommendations of the 9/11 commission, on Guantanamo Bay detainees, offshore drilling in Virgina, Energy Act of 2007 (bill that calls for increasing fuel efficiency and an increase in the production of renewable fuels), Attorney General, and a No Vote on the Iraq Withdrawal Ammendment on 12/18/2007-a bill in which he is listed as a Co-Sponsor! He also did not vote on an immigration bill that would appropriate $3.00 billion to be used to hire full-time border patrol agents, improve employment eligibility verification, and fund security measures along the U.S. and Mexican border that include building a fence, establishing vehicle barriers, utilizing unmanned aerial vehicles, placing ground-based sensors and cameras, and removing and detaining undocumented immigrants. He did vote for such tough legislation as child safety locks on handguns, but he also voted for reducing the Medicaid deduction for generic drugs from 17% back to 11%. He did vote No on declaring English the national language as well as banning illegal immigrants convicted of aggravated felonies, domestic violence, stalking, violation of protection orders, crimes against children, or crimes relating to the illegal purchase or sale of firearms, from gaining legal status (which means he wants to allow these people to become permanent residents here).

Here is a good one:

Voted NO on 12/16/2005 on the USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization which was to invoke cloture on a conference report that extends the authority of the Federal Bureau of Intelligence (FBI) to conduct “roving wiretaps” and access certain business records through December 31, 2009, and makes the remaining provisions of the Patriot Act permanent.
Then he voted YES on 03/02/2006 on the USA Patriot and Terrorism Prevention Reauthorization which was to adopt a conference report that extends the authority of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct “roving wiretaps” and access certain business records through December 31, 2009, and makes the remaining 14 provisions of the Patriot Act permanent.

John Kennedy was willing to make a stand especially on controversial issues such as civil rights. He stated , "I believe that a minimum program must include at least: 1. The enactment of the Part III provisions eliminated from the Civil Rights Act of 1957 which give the Attorney General the right to initiate and intervene in litigation of this nature. 2. Full use of the President's power to issue executive orders stating the constitutional objective of equal opportunity and directing all federal agencies to shape their policies and practices to achieve this goal. 3. Enactment of a bill ... to outlaw the bombing of homes, churches, synagogues and community centers and to bring the FBI into the picture when such bombing occurs. 4. Absolute protection of the right to vote ... by federal registrars or by referees, or by a combination of both ... also ... the maintenance of voting records and the right to inspect those records."( March 28, 1960)

He also stated that The Republicans "talk about their prosperity, but it is a prosperity for some, not for all. And it is an abundance of goods, not of courage. We have the most gadgets and the most gimmicks in our history, the biggest TVs and tailfins, but we also have the worst slums, the most crowded schools, and the greatest erosion of our natural resources and our national will. It will be for some an age of material prosperity, but it is also an age of spiritual poverty." March 28, 1960. This applies to us today.

If Obama's new generation of leadership includes sitting idly by while others take on the challenges of the U.S. and the world, then he is not man I want for President. He is trying to have his words speak louder than his actions and unfortunately that is what most people believe.

So to Sen. Obama I reaffirm the great words of the late Senator Lloyd Bentsen, "Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy."