Chamblee54

PG found a feature about BHO from three years ago. It was posted just after Hilary gave up the struggle, and it was obvious who the Democratic nominee was going to be. At the time, many considered BHO to be a charismatic speaker with no substance. The feature below appeared in the fishwrapper , outlining some positions on key issues. PG thought it would be festive to go back to this post, three years later, and see how the man is doing.
There were two game changers before the World Series in 2008. The little known governor of Alaska was chosen as the repubs vice president candidate, and instantly became a superstar. A few weeks later, the economy melted down. Both of these events have affected the BHO presidency.
To the surprise of nobody, the repubs have done everything they could to hurt BHO. The “Tea Party” has erupted, and the corporate media has been on the offensive since Aretha finished singing. The opera is supposed to be over when the fat lady sings, but this one was just beginning.
IRAQ.. has said the goal of increasing troop strength so Iraq’s leaders can establish a stable government has failed. Would remove all U.S. combat brigades from Iraq within 16 months of taking office, except some to protect our embassy and diplomats. ON THE COST OF WAR..”I will spare no expense to ensure our troops have the equipment and support they need … But we also have to understand that the more than $10 billion we’re spending each month in Iraq is money we could be investing here at home.”
At the time this was written, Afghanistan was the forgotten war. It has been escalated and spread to Pakistan. Drone strikes have been increased, with thousands of women and children killed by planes controlled in Nevada. The flow of heroin from Afghanistan has increased. It is tough to see how things are getting better there.
In Iraq, American is supposed to be out by the end of 2011. Whether this will happen is a good guess. The violence and corruption in Iraq continues, although not at the levels of 2006. The issue of taking care of the wounded soldiers from these conflicts is ongoing, and will be for quite some time.
TAXES… would create a tax credit of $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family, for up to 150 million workers; and simplify IRS tax filings for millions of Americans. ECONOMIC STIMULUS.. would index minimum wage to inflation; invest in job creation, training and manufacturing HEALTH INSURANCE.. would make a national health insurance plan available to all Americans and a National Health Insurance Exchange as a watchdog group for all private insurance plans, ensuring fairness and afford ability. SOCIAL SECURITY… is opposed to privatization and would work with Congress on a payroll tax reform package to keep Social Security solvent. ON ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY..”If we unite this country around a common purpose, if we act on the responsibilities that we have to each other and to our country, then we can launch a new era of opportunity and prosperity.”
The economic meltdown, and republican obstructionism, have affected everything BHO tries to do. If the tax proposals went through, we didn’t see it. The stimulus (began by GWB) helped avert a total disaster, but has not made a positive difference. It also has increased the national debt.The health insurance debate, aka Obamacare, has been a partisan bloodbath. The sausage law that was enacted is being phased in, and we will have to wait and see. Social Security has been pushed aside as an issue. As for Economic Opportunity, the rhetoric sounds just as good today as it did in 2008. Yes we can.
STEM CELL RESEARCH… favors relaxing restrictions on federal financing MARRIAGE… opposes a constitutional amendment to ban gay marriage, supports civil unions. ABORTION… has consistently defended a woman’s right to choose. DEATH PENALTY… supports the death penalty in cases “so heinous the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage.”GUN CONTROL… favors measures that respect the Second Amendment rights of gun owners while keeping guns away from children and criminals. CAMPAIGN FINANCE… supports public financing of campaigns combined with free television and radio time to reduce the influence of special interests.
PG wonders when the last time he heard about Stem Cell Research. Same Sex Marriage marches on, with our without the support of POTUS. BHO has done little about Abortion, and a couple of million babies died. The Death Penalty is mostly a state issue, except for Osama Bin Ladin. As for gun control and campaign finance reform, little has been done. These six issues have little to do with POTUS, but are dynamite for exciting the excitable. The spectacle of Congress giving 29 standing ovations to Mr. Netanyahu shows both the need for campaign finance reform, and the difficulty of enacting it.
EDUCATION… would reform No Child Left Behind, expand Head Start programs and make math and science education a national priority. HOMELAND SECURITY… would improve security for chemical plants, keep better track of spent nuclear fuel and upgrade security for public drinking water systems. GLOBAL WARMING… would reduce carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050, invest in clean energy technologies, reduce America’s foreign oil consumption and address climate and environmental issues with the United Nations The homeland security position is common sense.
BHO gave a charming speech to schoolchildren on the first day of school in 2009. It is tough to see much else done about education. Regarding homeland security, that mess seems to be getting worse. We have fewer rights than before, airport screenings are more invasive, and pictures of Andrew Weiner’s goober are being shown. To be fair, there has not been a major terror attack. As for global warming, almost nothing has been done. The deniers are well funded, and telling the people what they want to hear. This might be a time for POTUS to get on the bully pulpit, and say loudly that if we don’t quit playing with the atmosphere we might not have a world fit to live in. On the other hand, BHO hopes to raise a billion dollars for his reelection.
IMMIGRATION… would improve security at borders; supports legalization for undocumented workers after they pay a fine and learn English; and favors a guest worker program. Supports giving legal status to immigrants brought to the U.S. as children, who finish two years of college or military service. TRADE… would fight for a policy that opens up foreign markets to support American jobs, amend the North American Free Trade Agreement to favor American workers.
Whatever has been done about immigration has happened at the state level. Georgia agribusiness is in trouble. BHO can do little right on this issue, and has just done little. As for trade, it is tough for a slack blogger to know what is going on there. BHO has not been outstanding, but we haven’t fallen off the side of the planet, yet.
Overall, it is tough to see much good the man has done. To be fair, there is a lot he does not have control over, and the republicans have openly said they want him to fail. The problem with that is that if BHO fails, American fails with him. You have to wonder about the patriotism of people who want to pay for wars by enacting tax cuts.
Getting back to BHO, this blog gives him a C-. It is a very tough job, but then he knew. Most Presidents have horrible problems in the second term, which makes you wonder why he wants to be reelected. The way the Republicans look now, he will probably win a second term. Maybe then he can do something. Maybe we can.