O's Redistribution of Wealth Audio Goes Viral

At this point there are 734k views on youtube; there will be a million by 5pm (if not sooner)

Top Story on Memeorandum.

The BIG LETTERS on Drudge.

Rush Limbaugh is going pedal to the metal on it as I listen.

The RNC is jumping on this.

And so Is John McCain:

"The American people continue to learn more about Barack Obama. Now we know that the slogans 'change you can believe in' and 'change we need' are code words for Barack Obama's ultimate goal: 'redistributive change.' In a previously uncovered interview from September 6, 2001, Barack Obama expressed his regret that the Supreme Court hadn't been more 'radical' and described as a 'tragedy' the Court's refusal to take up 'the issues of redistribution of wealth.' No wonder he wants to appoint judges that legislate from the bench – as insurance in case a unified Democratic government under his control fails to meet his basic goal: taking money away from people who work for it and giving it to people who Barack Obama believes deserve it. Europeans call it socialism, Americans call it welfare, and Barack Obama calls it change," McCain senior policy adviser Douglas Holtz-Eakin said in a statement.

And the Obama campaign is responding. Cass Sunstein:

Obama's remarks came in a long interview on civil rights and Constitutional law with two other law professors on the Chicago public radio station WBEZ in 2001. (The full transcript is here, and audio is here.) Sunstein argued that Obama is discussing redistribution in a relatively narrow legal context: The discussion in the 1970s of whether the Supreme Court would create the right to a social safety net -- to things like education and welfare. He also noted that in the interview, Obama appears to express support for the court's rejection of that line of argument, saying instead that the civil rights movement should aim for the same goals through legislative action.

There's more to say, but stop right there. Cass Sunstein admits right there that Obama supports the idea of redistribution of wealth through the legislative process. The argument in the audio wasn't whether redistribution was evil (it is, but Barack disagrees, obviously).

Why is this a big deal and so potentially damaging? Let's go to the poll:

When given a choice about how government should address the numerous economic difficulties facing today's consumer, Americans overwhelmingly -- by 84% to 13% -- prefer that the government focus on improving overall economic conditions and the jobs situation in the United States as opposed to taking steps to distribute wealth more evenly among Americans.

and the graph:



It's a natural tie-in to Joe the Plumber and even, dare I say it, Reverend "economic justice" Wright and Bill Ayers. Just how radical is Barack Obama? How out of the mainstream of modern American political thought?