COMMENTARY: Media Downplay Any Talk of 'Socialism'

Obama's old radio comments make discussion a key election issue, if journalists will actually ask the questions.

By Dan Gainor
Business & Media Institute

Little did Joe the plumber know that Barack Obama was just scratching the surface when he answered Joe’s question with a desire to “spread the wealth around.” A new discovery of a 2001 radio appearance by Obama has thrust socialism into the national spotlight despite the media’s best efforts to avoid doing just that.

In a Jan. 18, 2001, interview on Chicago public radio Obama talked about the limitations of the Supreme Court and how it had “never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth, and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society.”

Obama said one of the “tragedies of the Civil Rights movement” was focusing on legal remedies and not putting together the coalitions to bring about “redistributive change.”

The media have told us repeatedly that Obama promised “change.” Now we know what kind – “redistributive.” There’s an easier word for that. Socialism Read more.