Say What? Obama and Bush Agree On 20 Major Issues, CNN Article Finds

Tara Wall, a reporter for the Washington Times, has written an article for CNN (Wall is also a special correspondent for CNN) arguing that Obama and Bush have agreed on 20 major policy issues. Here's a link to the Wall's analysis. Among the areas of agreement, Wall lists:

* teaching abstinence to children

* capital punishment

* the bailout legislation and tax cuts (for 95% of the
population)

* Bush's energy bill

* faith-based initiatives (something Democrats
criticized)

* FISA (the legislation authorizing wiretapping, something he
previously opposed)

* opposition to same-sex marriage

* Supreme Court's ruling invalidating DC gun ban and finding
individual right to bear arms protected by constitution (many historians had argued that this was a right held by states - not individuals).

The problem with lists like this one is that they do not allow for nuance. The bailout legislation, for example, went through several changes before Congress approved it, and although Obama opposes same-sex marriage, he has not proposed a constitutional amendment banning it (like Bush did). But the list is interesting, and frankly, I'm surprised that it took this long for someone to analyze the ways in which Obama and Bush have agreed in the past. Interesting reading.