U.S. State Dept. Obama Bio: Boils His Campaign Platform Down To A Single Sentence

CINCINNATI (TDB) -- And it doesn't describe anything that has been central to the Illinois Democrat's run for the White House. Here's the entire passage: "Obama has proposed legislation that would create a new employment eligibility system for companies to verify if their employees are legal residents." That summary of what Obama stands for comes from the U.S. Elections Guide that the State Department is circulating around the world. It appears on the government Web site created to promote American life and culture, a shop that Bush pr master Karen Hughes once headed. Somehow, the State Department seems to completely miss the point of Obama's campaign -- his call to change the political culture of Washington. Instead, he's minimized as a lowly immigration reformer targeting a side issue in the overall immigration debate.

Hillary gets two sentences, and they do get straight to the heart of her top issue: "Hillary Clinton, in 1993, headed a task force that developed proposed legislation to provide universal health care to all Americans. That legislation ultimately was not passed, but she continues to make universal health care one of her top political goals."

What about John McCain, the likely Republican nominee? The Arizona senator gets a quote and even more about some of his platform: "McCain was also a presidential candidate in 2000. He has called for a 'greater military commitment to Iraq, saying that more troops are necessary to rebuild the nation and prevent sectarian violence. McCain supports immigration reform legislation that would provide ilegal immigrants a path of citizenship and establish a temporary guest worker program."

The Web site is produced by the department's Bureau of International Information. Besides short-shrifting Obama, The Daily Bellwether found one factual error in a candidate bio on the government Web site. It said Mitt Romney -- who has withdrawn and is now backing McCain -- was born in Michigan in 1947 when his dad was the governor of that state. George Romney, however, became Michigan's governor in the 1960s. Kim Sigler was the governor of Michigan when Mitt was born.

Iraqi War Refugees: Gov. Strickland Slams The Door

COLUMBUS (TDB) -- The Bush Administration's plan to resettle Iraqi War refugees in the U.S. ran into a snub from Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland, who said the state has helped that nation enough. News reports say up to 7,000 Iraqis may soon be offered shelter in America, but the official transcript of a State Department briefing appears to challenge those press accounts.

The transcript is HERE , and Assistant Secretary of State Ellen Sauerbery indicated 7,000 may be processed as refugees, but not nearly that many could be moved. "The process of processing is a time consuming one because not only do we have a very intense security screening that is in place, but following security screening, there is another health screening. So it does take a matter of months normally, once we have begun the interview process, before someone is travel-ready. So I think it is fair to say that under the best of circumstances, it will be, perhaps, half of the number we actually are addressing in the fiscal year that we'll be ready -- travel ready before the end of September."

The key word there -- half.

Meanwhile, Ohio Gov. Strickland doesn't want anything to do with the resettlement program. "I think Ohio and Ohioans have contributed a lot to Iraq in terms of blood, sweat and too many tears. I am sympathetic to the plight of the innocent Iraqi people who have fled that country. However, I would not want to ask Ohioans to accept a greater human burden that they already have borne for the Bush administration's failed policies."

His statement was carried by The Associated Press.

It looks doubtful that the Bush administration can move large numbers of refugees, not because they would be unwelcome, but because the background checks would be a near-impossible hurdle. Homeland Security officials would have to weed out potential terrorists who might try to slip through the cracks. Worse -- and impossible to guard against -- would be someone who once supported the U.S. and who switched to the other side because of religious, family or tribal ties. Or, they might be subject to pressure or blackmailed by groups still in Iraq, or who kidnaped and threatened to kill relatives.

Right now, federal and immigration courts are stuffed with cases by resident aliens from all over the world who cannot get their U.S. paperwork processed because of security delays over background checks. And U.S. citizens themselves must carry passports to re-enter their own nation upon travelling overseas. The Bush resettlement proposal -- while it sounds admirable -- probably is a pipedream because of the risk a terrorist could slip through.