Obama: The First Year

Obama: The First Year

Why don't we rate the President based on what he said he would do, and what he said got him elected.

1) I'll end the war in Iraq in 16 months and bring the troops home.

Peak troop strength in Iraq and Afghanistan:
Iraq Afghanistan total time period
Bush: 160,000 26,000 186,000 2007 to early 2008
Obama: 124,000 65,000 189,000 October 2009

U.S deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan:
2008 (Last year of Bush): 466
2009 (first year of Obama): 450 (plus 30 in January 2010)
Source : DoD
…doesn't look like much of an antiwar president, does he?

2) I'll reach across the aisle and put an end to partisan politics…and usher in the post partisan era.

Partisanship is the worst it has ever been, and the whine that "they wouldn't let me be non partisan" only evokes the question "who is the leader who said he could get both parties to work together?". It should be embarrassing that the President, with a super majority, couldn't get one major piece of legislation enacted. He didn't need any Republican votes…so how can the Republicans be what stopped him…and why couldn't his great non partisan approach get at least a few Republican votes? No major legislation has been passed without some votes from the other party, yet Obama is the only president unable to influence even one vote. Some "post partisan" era.

3) I'll close Gitmo within the first year of my presidency.

Don't look now, but we're entering month thirteen, and the president hasn't released any more prisoners than President Bush did (and it's still open).

4) Transparency…no more back room meetings….the American people deserve to know what deals are being cut, and who's cutting them. I'll have CSPAN in meetings/negotiations.

The president didn't allow CSPAN to the myriad deal cutting negotiations with special interest groups, but he did drag the cameras to his meeting with Republicans. Pretty sorry performance here.

5) No more Earmarks

Except for the record number in his first year…pretty funny, if it weren't so serious.

6) No lobbyists will be welcome in my administration.

They may not be welcome, but they're there…17 at last count (with Goldman Sachs well represented as well). And read this…"The White House is encouraging you to participate in these calls and will have a question and answer session at the end of each call. As a reminder, these calls are not intended for press purposes." Fred Baldassano, Obama Treasury Dep't Senior Advisor writing to a list of K Street Lobbyists. Does anybody else smell dead fish?

7)I'll get the deficits under control, and cut them in half by 2012

In one year, our new president has increased the deficit almost as much as all the president before him combined (I know, I know, he inherited a mess and there is nothing he can do about it).

A change president? An anti war president? A post partisan president? As they say, I'm just reporting the facts…you decide. (Sure, there are plenty of excuses to be made for failure, I'm just reporting on performance).

The Old Man
P.S. You won't see this on O'Reilly…it would be too impolite.

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Panic in Washington DC

There is panic in the Congress and the White House today. Polls show that the Senate race in Massachusetts is a toss up, and a Republican could take a seat owned (by divine right) by the Democrats. This would not only be sacrilege, but would take away a filibuster proof Senate majority. This means the Senate might have to discuss and DEBATE the Health Care Manifesto. It would have to be discussed on the Senate floor...where C-SPAN is allowed, and the American people could see it. Why,...why...that might even cause... TRANSPARENCY!
Put the Haitian catastrophe on hold, put the war in Afghanistan on hold, put the economic "crisis" on hold,...our President is headed to Massachusetts to deal with a major crisis, and quell the panic in Washington DC.

The Old Man

Mr. President, was Joe Wilson right?

There is no question that Representative Joe Wilson was rude and out of order when he shouted out "you lie!". But now, Mr. President, you must answer a more important question about his conduct...was he rude and out of order...but right? You are on tape numerous times telling the American people that the conference discussions about the health care legislation should be transparent, "on C-SPAN "...and would be in your administration. You said that the American people had a right to see what deals were being made, and what constituents favored. Yet, up to this moment, you sit silently condoning Ms. Pelosi's derisive dismissal of any such thing.

Were you sincere, Mr. President...were you telling the truth about your commitment to "transparency"? Or was Joe Wilson right?

The Old Man