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Obama Tweaks Message

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 8, 2008

ON IRAQ

Then /From Obama's campaign Web site: "Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months."

Now/From a news conference last week: "I am going to do a thorough assessment when I'm there. ... I'm sure I'll have more information and continue to refine my policy. ... We need to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in."

ON CORPORATE TAXES

Then/Speech in Winston-Salem, N.C., April 29: "I think it's time we stopped giving tax breaks to CEOs and corporations who don't need them and didn't ask for them, and start giving relief to working families who need it."

Now/Wall Street Journal interview, June 17: "If we could eliminate loopholes in taxes, create a level playing field, then I think there's the possibility to reducing corporate rates."

ON NAFTA

Then/South Carolina primary debate, Jan. 21: "I think it has been devastating. ... It is absolutely true that NAFTA was a mistake."

Meet The Press, Feb. 26: "I will make sure that we renegotiate NAFTA."

Now/Fortune Magazine interview, June:

Question: But a 2005 Congressional Research Service study shows that NAFTA has a mild, positive effect.

Obama: "In the aggregate. ... I think that sometimes during campaigns the rhetoric gets overheated and amplified."

Question: Should we unilaterally reopen NAFTA?

Obama: "I'm not a big believer in doing things just unilaterally."

ON WEARING A FLAG LAPEL PIN

Then/ABC News interview, October 2007: "That became a substitute for true patriotism, which is speaking out on issues that are of importance to our national security; I decided I won't wear that pin on my chest."

Now/Philadelphia primary debate, April 16: "I have never said that I don't wear flag pins or refuse to wear flag pins."

William March

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