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(CHICAGO, OCTOBER 21) – Keyes 2004 campaign manager Bill Pascoe, reacting to Alan Keyes' clear win in tonight's first televised debate against Barack Obama, released the following statement: "The first televised debate is history, and the result is as clear as it was after last week's radio debate: Alan Keyes won this debate hands down. He drew clear and cogent contrasts with Barack Obama on issue after issue, making one thing perfectly clear: Alan Keyes is in the mainstream of Illinois' heartland values, and Mr. Obama is outside the mainstream. "For instance, Alan demonstrated that Barack Obama is an extreme liberal, who cares not for protecting Illinois citizens but instead for protecting entrenched political interests. "Keyes exposed Barack Obama as to the left of the ACLU on issues like crime control during a vigorous discussion of Obama's votes in the State Senate against the death penalty for gang bangers who kill police officers; against allowing police to enter fortified drug houses without knocking; and against allowing Illinois citizens to defend themselves and their families from an intruder in their own home. "Keyes also blew a hole in Obama's erstwhile 'doing it for the children' rhetoric when he questioned Obama about his vote for 'age appropriate' sex education in public schools starting with kindergartners and his vote against Internet filters on publicly accessible computers in our schools. "While emphasizing his independence and willingness to speak the truth regardless of partisan political considerations, Keyes distinguished himself from Obama as he reminded the viewing audience that Obama was the number one recipient of trial lawyers in the nation. Keyes properly questioned Obama's allegiance to this special interest group at a time when the Illinois health care system has been described as "in crisis" by the American Medical Association (AMA) due to skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance rates that are driving medical professionals from Illinois in droves. "Later in the debate, a visibly angry Obama lashed out after being challenged by Keyes on the contradictions between Obama's professed faith and his extreme liberal positions in support of unregulated abortion-on-demand and in opposition to defense of traditional marriage. "So shaken was Obama by the end of the debate that he incorrectly accused Keyes of challenging Obama's heritage on a final question about the importance race in this campaign – a charge Keyes never made. "It was obvious that Obama had little to offer in defense of his record, his positions on the issues and the reasoning behind them except canned talking points prepared by handlers from the very Chicago machine of which he claims to be independent." |
