Mission Impossible: Romney's ambitious first term agenda

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12483319-mission-impossible-romneys-ambitious-first-term-agenda?lite

Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney has laid out a first term agenda that is nothing short of ambitious, outlining a list of priorities that would require him to marshal a near-impossible amount of political capital to achieve.

"What the court did not do on its last day in session, I will do on my first day if elected president of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal ‘ObamaCare,’" Romney said Thursday in Washington, adding to his portfolio the politically thorny pledge to undo President Obama’s health reform law.



Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney gives his reaction to the Supreme Court's upholding key parts of President Barack Obama's signature healthcare overhaul law in Washington June 28, 2012.



The list of promises Romney has made for his first term is extensive. His two “Day One” ads outline other policies the former Massachusetts governor would put in motion on his first day:

•Seeking tax cuts and deficit reduction,
•Approving the Keystone XL oil pipeline,
•Issuing more aggressive strictures for trade with China,
•And seeking the repeal of “job-killing regulations” (the financial regulatory reform bill, Dodd-Frank, is an example Romney mentions frequently on the campaign trail)

More substantially, Romney has promised to seek some type of comprehensive immigration reform – an accomplishment that has escaped both Obama and President George W. Bush – in his first year in office.

"In my first year I will make sure we actually do take on immigration, we secure our border, we make sure that we grow legal immigration in a way that provides people here with skill and expertise that we want," Romney said at a fundraiser earlier this week.

All this is on top of lofty expectations Romney’s set for himself on the economy; he said in May that an unemployment rate above 4 percent is “not cause for celebration.”

“It's going to be busy,” deadpanned a House Republican leadership aide, speaking of Romney’s agenda.


The Daily Rundown's Chuck Todd talks about the mood at the White House and the mood of Republicans after the Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the health care reform law.

Presidential candidates are not typically modest in their election year promises.

Obama, as a candidate in 2008, made a number of promises that haven’t made their way to fulfillment. Romney has been eager to highlight, for instance, the president’s inability to accomplish comprehensive immigration reform.

And to Romney’s credit, despite the criticism the presumptive Republican nominee has weathered for offering few specifics about his first-term agenda, his first term proposals seem to outpace Obama’s ambitions for his second.

Romney, like Obama and any number of candidates entering their first term as president, might encounter a stark reality. Governing is about as easy as herding cats, and that process isn’t helped by the glacial pace on Capitol Hill.

First Thoughts: Ending the month on a high note

Presidents often enjoy a “honeymoon” in which they’re able to advance a major element of their platform. Bush got education reform and his signature tax cuts; Obama got his stimulus bill.

And that’s to assume, the Republicans maintain control of the House and take over the Senate – in which case, prospective Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would be tasked with convincing a non-trivial number of Democrats to join the GOP in advancing Romney’s agenda.

Romney could seek the repeal of health care as his first priority, something he might accomplish by using the process of budget reconciliation. House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA) suggested Friday on “Morning Joe” that Republicans could use this tactic, which allows the Senate to approve legislation with a simple majority of votes, to gut the heart of Obama’s law.

But even if this were to be achievable practically, it would be a bloody fight on which Romney would have to spend considerable political capital.


Soon after the Supreme Court made its ruling on the president's health care act, Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., and many other leading Republicans called for full repeal of the law. Cantor has since set a July 11 date for a full repeal vote in the House. Cantor joins Morning Joe the day after the decision to discuss. NBC News' Tom Brokaw and Chuck Todd join the conversation.

“He comes into office, and Day One is getting your secretary of State or secretary of Treasury confirmed!” said former Delaware Sen. Ted Kaufman (D), who long served as an aide in the chamber before succeeding Joe Biden in the chamber, of a new president’s traditional to-do list.

“You’re just going to declare war on the Democrats from the first day you get into office?” Kaufman said. “Obama didn’t do that, and he had 60 votes.”

There are always foreign policy crises and the unexpected issues – like 2010’s oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico – that can divert from the business of governing.

“If the Democratic leadership wants to criticize a President Romney for fulfilling his promises, it's not something that's going to play well with voters,” said the House Republican aide, evaluating the broad range of issues Romney has promised to advance.

On some of those issues, too, Romney is boxed in politically. Republicans in Congress have so frequently voted to repeal the president’s health care law – the next vote is set for July 11 – in part because they made it a cornerstone of their 2010 campaign.

“If Romney is to win, that's a major part of what he's run on,” the GOP aide said of Romney’s vow to repeal the law. “Despite protestations from Democrats, some of whom will vote for repeal, that A) depoliticizes it, but B) is also part of why he's running.”

But Romney will also have to reckon with the so-called “fiscal cliff” – the cocktail of expiring tax cuts, automated spending cuts and necessary extension of the nation’s debt ceiling – early in his term, unless Congress were to reach a deal in its lame-duck session, an unlikely prospect.

“You may be critical of Obama – why’d he use up all of his mojo on health care reform?” Kaufman noted. “You’re going to need mojo just to get a debt limit vote and figure out what we’re doing on the Bush tax cut.”


Obama senior advisor David Axelrod shares his reaction to the health care ruling calling it  "a really meaningful event in the lives of people across this country." Axelrod also talks about the reaction in the White House saying it was an "emotional moment." A Morning Joe panel, which includes NBC's Tom Brokaw, also joins the conversation.

Even after all of this has been addressed, even in the best case scenario for Romney, in which the GOP controls both chambers, he’ll be dealing with a Congress that prides itself on regular order. Romney has prepared few detailed plans or pieces of legislation to drop on Capitol Hill’s doorstep; in fact, when asked earlier this month on CBS about which tax exemptions he’d kill to finance tax reform, Romney said he’d “go through that process with Congress.”

That process can be lengthy, though, and force any president to prioritize agenda items. And congressional Republicans are cognizant of that.

“It's something that could be moved through a process,” the GOP aide said of Romney’s immigration reform plans. “Does it end up at a president's desk? That remains to be seen. Things that are comprehensive take a long time.”

[MrsPincince]

The Presidents job is not an easy one....Romney has no clue.......

[orphanedhawk]

Romney will say, and has said anything  very often contradicting himself.

[brice1967]

He's just like any other politician... even our beloved President.  They all say things to get them elected.  Romney is no different than anyone else that ran for office in front of him.

Mrs. Pincince....  If Romney has no clue, the President certainly had none going into it.  At least Romney has business experience on a scale much, much larger than Obama had.

[orphanedhawk]

It's true Obama had little experience and Romney's experience makes me think he'd only benefit those like him, already quite rich.
His business Bain Capital caused lots of smaller businesses to fail, this is the guy who said he likes firing people. Is that the experienced business man you want as president ? I don't.

Actually, I don't want either of them.

[brice1967]

I've got no problem with Romney or Obama for that matter, firing the incompetent.... A little bit of that is warranted.  It would probably get some of these a-holes that have been appointed to positions back on track and making positive things happen.  Instead, these appointees have their job until they resign or the reign of the President that appointed them is over.

Honestly, Romney doesn't need money.  He's probably pretty well off.  Obama is in there creating and protecting peoples wealth.  This is money we are talking about.... make no mistakes about that.

I don't think either of these guys is more capable than the other in righting this sinking economy.  In campaign speeches alone, either one is saying, "I'm going to do this", "I'm going to do this in the first year",..... the bottom line is that they haven't taken into account all of the other peoples minds and opinions that they will be working with.  These clowns won't do anything if they can't get people on board.  With that said, democrats and republicans alike are going to have to drop hard party lines.  Some will.... there are some out there that are independent and able to think of a larger picture.  The line riders won't.

[MrsPincince]

"Mrs. Pincince....  If Romney has no clue, the President certainly had none going into it.  At least Romney has business experience on a scale much, much larger than Obama had. "

You're absolutely right! HOWEVER, the economy now is not what it was in 2008....Obama kept it from sinking. Romney would just be reaping the benefits of what Obama has done to keep our counntry afloat...Sorry but IMO Obama is the lesser of two evils and I think you all know that:)

[brice1967]

"Obama kept it from sinking".... really?  Numbers are currently on the fall again.  

[MrsPincince]

YES he did. Wheter you want to accept it or not! We could be in a hell of a lot worse place.....

[brice1967]

It could be worse.... who's to say it won't?  If it gets worse, will you be the first to say that it got worse?

[MrsPincince]

ABSOLUTELY....I'm a REALIST.....

[el_em_en_oh]

When Romney is elected and takes office in 2013, if the economy gets worse, will it still be Bush's fault, or does Romney get to blame Obama?

Just curious.

What's good for the goose...

[MrsPincince]

If it gets worse, we blame Romney..IF he wins, he's inheriting a more docile economy than Obama did. Things aren't getting worse now. They are improving..Maybe not at the speed that behooves US (the American People) but it is moving in the right direction nonetheless...If it gets worse,  it will be Romney's doing...IF Romney wins..IF it gets worse under Obama then it's his doing Obviously.....

[el_em_en_oh]

Wait a second...

For Obama's ENTIRE presidency, he's been blaming Bush for everything bad. When something goes right, Obama takes full credit.

You're saying that when Romney wins, if things go badly, he'll NOT be able to blame Obama, as Obama's been doing for the last 3 years?

Talk about a double-standard.

Then again, I AM talking to a democrat, and democrats are ALL ABOUT double-standards.

What's good for the goose is DEFINITELY not good for the gander.

[brice1967]

"More docile economy"???  There are more nations floundering right now than there were when President Obama took over.  The European market and what happens there will affect us here.  

Oh... did anyone see that the CEO from Barclays is stepping down in the light of price fixing or something?  Too sad he's stepping down rather than being flogged out of office.

[MrsPincince]

"For Obama's ENTIRE presidency, he's been blaming Bush for everything bad. When something goes right, Obama takes full credit."

Did Bush not drive this economy down? He did it in 8 years...U can't undo that type of damage in 4.

"You're saying that when Romney wins, if things go badly, he'll NOT be able to blame Obama, as Obama's been doing for the last 3 years?"

Yes because things are not on a downward spiral rifght now. They are actually looking up. WHen Obama came into office the economy was already on a downward spiral.. A fast one at that. He made it stop.....

"Talk about a double-standard."
Nit a double standard at all. Just FACTS....

[brice1967]

Actually, if one wanted to get nit-picky they could say that the creation of NAFTA had a lot to do with the economy going to the toilet when it did..  NAFTA made it easier for US companies set up shop elsewhere.  With that, skilled jobs left the country.  Although Clinton balanced a budget, he also increased our trade deficit in a big way.  That in turn showed up on Bush's watch.

With that, things that happened on Clintons watch had a bit of a negative affect on Bush's watch and consequently both of those things had a bit of an affect on Obama's watch.

There have been improvements, but there is so much that is clearly up in the air that nobody with a sound mind could say and mean, 'things are peachy".  There are things from past administrations even before Bush that are negatively affecting this economy.

[orphanedhawk]

I have to agree with you about NAFTA being a piece of the puzzle that has gotten us into the mess we're in now.

Jimmy Carter keeps looking better all the time.

[el_em_en_oh]

All politicians make "promises" while on the campaign-trail.

Once they get into office, they realize that it's a lot more difficult to do those things than originally anticipated.

Case & point, President Obama. He promised, day 1, to shut down Guantanamo Bay. It's still open for business.

I'm not saying that he did anything wrong, mind you, I'm just saying that politicians will say just about anything to get elected.

B.O. did it, ad continues to. Romney is doing it, and will learn the hard way, when he's elected at the end of this year, that's things are a lot easier said than done.

Not sure why these guys continue to make these sweeping gestures of grandeur, when they know in the back of their mind, that they'll not be able to follow through on their "promises".

If B.O. had come out, day 1, and said, "It's going to take me 8 years to fix the problems this country has and is facing", he'd have won a lot more points with a lot more people.

Pointing fingers, as he's done for the last 3 years, and only NOW saying that he needs 4 more years, just makes him look impotent and ineffective.

[brice1967]

I'll respectfully disagree with you on these guys knowing in the back of their mind that they will not be able to get these promises done.  I think they do believe it... I think as any momentum builds on the campaign trail, they let things slip from their lips (Guantanamo), their handlers/assistants start trying to figure out a potential BS way to make that happen, and then they feed it to the general public.

They sweeten this garbage so much that they even fool themselves.

[el_em_en_oh]

You really think they believe what they say???

"I'll fix the economy in 4 years!"

How can anyone in their right mind even BEGIN to think that it was possible to fix this mess in a 4 year period?!?

H3ll... it took 30 years to get us to this point. Injection $1T into the economy was a fools errand, at best.

You really think he thought it was possible to fix our entire way of life & thinking, in 1,460 days???

[MrsPincince]

"You really think he thought it was possible to fix our entire way of life & thinking, in 1,460 days???"

He would've accomplished a hell of a lot more if the party of No took off their blinders and really tried to help the American people...

[el_em_en_oh]

I can't disagree with you, that Congress (in the last 2 years) hasn't exactly been "receptive" to B.O.'s ideas.

HOWEVER, his first 2 years in office, Congress was controlled by Democrats.

What are your thoughts on that?

[brice1967]

That first 2 years is kind of easy to forget.  It was B.O's break in period and the democrats were busy helping him settle in....

[MrsPincince]

1. Ordered all federal agencies to undertake a study and make recommendations for ways to cut spending
2. Ordered a review of all federal operations to identify and cut wasteful spending and practices
3. Instituted enforcement for equal pay for women
4. Beginning the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq
5. Families of fallen soldiers have expenses covered to be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB
6 Ended media blackout on war casualties; reporting full information
7. Ended media blackout on covering the return of fallen soldiers to Dover AFB; the media is now permitted to do so pending adherence to respectful rules and approval of fallen soldier’s family
8. The White House and federal government are respecting the Freedom of Information Act
9. Instructed all federal agencies to promote openness and transparency as much as possible
10. Limits on lobbyist’s access to the White House
11. Limits on White House aides working for lobbyists after their tenure in the administration
12. Ended the previous stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan longer than their enlistment date
13. Phasing out the expensive F-22 war plane and other outdated weapons systems, which weren’t even used or needed in Iraq/Afghanistan
14. Removed restrictions on embryonic stem-cell research
15. Federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research
16. New federal funding for science and research labs
17. States are permitted to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards
18. Increased infrastructure spending (roads, bridges, power plants) after years of neglect
19. Funds for high-speed, broadband Internet access to K-12 schools
20. New funds for school construction

[MrsPincince]

More:
21 The prison at Guantanamo Bay is being phased out
22. US Auto industry rescue plan
23. Housing rescue plan
24. $789 billion economic stimulus plan
25. The public can meet with federal housing insurers to refinance (the new plan can be completed in one day) a mortgage if they are having trouble paying
26. US financial and banking rescue plan
27. The secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere are being closed
28. Ended the previous policy; the US now has a no torture policy and is in compliance with theGeneva Convention standards
29. Better body armor is now being provided to our troops
30. The missile defense program is being cut by $1.4 billion in 2010
31. Restarted the nuclear nonproliferation talks and building back up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols
32. Reengaged in the treaties/agreements to protect the Antarctic
33. Reengaged in the agreements/talks on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions
34. Visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any president in his first six months in office
35. Successful release of US captain held bySomali pirates; authorized the SEALS to do their job
36. US Navy increasing patrols off Somali coast
37. Attractive tax write-offs for those who buy hybrid automobiles
38. Cash for clunkers program offers vouchers to trade in fuel inefficient, polluting old cars for new cars; stimulated auto sales
39. Announced plans to purchase fuel efficient American-made fleet for the federal government
40. Expanded the SCHIP program to cover health care for 4 million more children
41. Signed national service legislation; expandednational youth service program
42. Instituted a new policy on Cuba, allowing Cuban families to return home to visit loved ones
43. Ended the previous policy of not regulating and labeling carbon dioxide emissions
44. Expanding vaccination programs
45. Immediate and efficient response to the floods in North Dakota and other natural disasters
46. Closed offshore tax safe havens
47. Negotiated deal with Swiss banks to permit US government to gain access to records of tax evaders and criminals
48. Ended the previous policy of offering tax benefits to corporations who outsource American jobs; the new policy is to promote in-sourcing to bring jobs back
49.. Ended the previous practice of protecting credit card companies; in place of it are new consumer protections from credit card industry’s predatory practices
50. Energy producing plants must begin preparing to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources
51. Lower drug costs for seniors
52. Ended the previous practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug manufacturers for cheaper drugs; the federal government is now realizing hundreds of millions in savings
53. Increasing pay and benefits for military personnel
54. Improved housing for military personnel
55. Initiating a new policy to promote federal hiring of military spouses
56. Improved conditions at Walter Reed Military Hospital and other military hospitals
57 Increasing student loans
58. Increasing opportunities in AmeriCorps program
59. Sent envoys to Middle East and other parts of the world that had been neglected for years; reengaging in multilateral and bilateral talks and diplomacy
60. Established a new cyber security office
61. Beginning the process of reforming and restructuring the military 20 years after the Cold War to a more modern fighting force; this includes new procurement policies, increasing size of military, new technology and cyber units and operations, etc.
62. Ended previous policy of awarding no-bid defense contracts
63. Ordered a review of hurricane and natural disaster preparedness
64. Established a National Performance Officer charged with saving the federal government money and making federal operations more efficient
65. Students struggling to make college loan payments can have their loans refinanced
66. Improving benefits for veterans
67. Many more press conferences and town halls and much more media access than previous administration
68. Instituted a new focus on mortgage fraud
69. The FDA is now regulating tobacco
70. Ended previous policy of cutting the FDA and circumventing FDA rules
71. Ended previous practice of having White House aides rewrite scientific and environmental rules, regulations, and reports
72. Authorized discussions with North Korea and private mission by Pres. Bill Clinton to secure the release of two Americans held in prisons
73. Authorized discussions with Myanmar and mission by Sen. Jim Web to secure the release of an American held captive
74. Making more loans available to small businesses
75. Established independent commission to make recommendations on slowing the costs of Medicare
76. Appointment of first Latina to the Supreme Court
77. Authorized construction/opening of additional health centers to care for veterans
78. Limited salaries of senior White House aides; cut to $100,000
79. Renewed loan guarantees for Israel
80. Changed the failing/status quo military command in Afghanistan
81. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan
82. New Afghan War policy that limits aerial bombing and prioritizes aid, development of infrastructure, diplomacy, and good government practices by Afghans
83. Announced the long-term development of a national energy grid with renewable sources and cleaner, efficient energy production
84. Returned money authorized for refurbishment of White House offices and private living quarters
85. Paid for redecoration of White House living quarters out of his own pocket
86. Held first Seder in White House
87. Attempting to reform the nation’s healthcare system which is the most expensive in the world yet leaves almost 50 million without health insurance and millions more under insured
88. Has put the ball in play for comprehensive immigration reform
89. Has announced his intention to push for energy reform
90. Has announced his intention to push for education reform

[MrsPincince]

1. Appointing two Supreme Court Justices: When people consider their presidential voting decision, most don’t consider that amongst the most important and enduring presidential responsibilities is the president’s ability to appoint supreme court justices. This is arguably a president’s biggest opportunity to influence his country, because Supreme Court justices sit until they retire or pass away, so the impact of his decision generally will last many decades beyond his years as president.  Obama has been fortunate enough to have two Supreme Court Justices retire in his first few years in office and he has managed to secure both of his nominations through wise selection and political skill.  He has added two Democrats, replacing two moderate Democrats in the process.  If a Republican has won the presidency instead, we would now be looking at an unbalanced Supreme Court with six conservatives and only three liberal judges – a balance that would have been in place for many many decades.  In the appointment process, Obama also introduced needed diversity to the bench with two more women on the court, bringing the count to a record three women sitting, while also introducing the nation’s first Hispanic to the Supreme Court with his choice of Sotomayor.

2. Passing Universal Healthcare: Obama accomplished what no prior Democrat could in expanding coverage to 32 million more Americans while simultaneously reducing the deficit by an estimated $1.3 trillion over the next 20 years. It delivers on every provision of the Patient Bill of Rights that Bill Clinton unsuccessfully tried to get passed, including making it illegal to deny coverage for people with pre-existing conditions and capping out of pocket expenses when people get sick (so people don’t go in to bankruptcy after getting ill).  It helps shift our medical system’s focus to preventative care by covering the cost of early warning tests so our doctors find diseases before they are too advanced - avoiding larger medical expenses down the road and requires the largest and richest American companies to provides insurance for all their employees.  It attempts to lower health care costs by forcing all Americans to have medical insurance and pay their fair share so the system is more efficient – similar to how all Americans need to have car insurance – while providing tax credits to help the poor and small businesses afford this coverage.  It increases competition by creating marketplace exchanges to make it easier for small businesses and those without insurance to shop and compare plans.  It funds co-ops who can offer competitive insurance plans and provide further competition for insurance companies.  It allows insurance companies to offer plans across state borders further increasing the supply of competitive plans.  It provides funding, infrastructure, and support to automate, digitize, and unify the country’s outdated medical information system reducing system-wide costs, improving care, and increasing productivity.  Perhaps most importantly, it sets up an independent commission of doctors and medical experts to identify and root out medical system waste, fraud, and abuse and includes many pieces of reform that will reduce the most wasteful medical system practices.  

3. Financial industry reform: The most sweeping financial industry reform legislation since the Great Depression, this legislation tries to correct those industry issues that helped create the current recession we are still digging outselves out of.  It provides a system to allow the government to break apart large financial institutions that threaten the economy, creates a council of federal regulators to coordinate the detection of risks to the financial system, subjects a wider range of financial companies to government oversight, creates a Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection to help protect citizens from unscrupulous practices, and reins in banks’ ability to trade in risky financial instruments such as credit derivatives.

4. Preventing a 2nd Great Depression: While preventing a depression is not sexy and certainly is reactive, history may say that this is still one of his most important accomplishment to date.  The vast majority of economists and experts say that the nation had a high chance of slipping in to a Depression had this stimulus not passed along with the innovative actions of the Fed.  Obama has worked with Bernanke and the Fed, put a team of some of the best economic minds around him, helped save America’s 3 major car manufacturers from going out of business, passed the largest economic Stimulus Bill in the nation’s history, and executed other legislative changes to keep liquidity flowing in our economy, save jobs that would have otherwise been lost, and fund areas of our economy that are strategic and important for our long term economic competitiveness including health care, education, green energy, science, and infrastructure.

Of course, critics will say that the economy today is still sputtering, holds some risk of sliding back in to a recession, and that a real recovery will take many years.  These are all true statements and Obama has not moved us from a possible Depression to a fast growing economy – but this is a completely unrealistic, almost childish, expectation given the severity of the financial crisis, our current debt, and other economic realities that we have to deal with.  Could he have done more or done it differently?  Certainly.  I would have loved to see Obama do more, faster to invest in small businesses, help them get loans, and help them become more competitive with the large corporations that increasingly dominate our economy.  But today we are not in a horrible depression and things are stable and this alone is a tremendous accomplishment.

5. Bringing the war in Iraq to an end: Obama has reduced troops from a peak of 170,000 down to 50,000, with the remaining troops focused on training and recruiting Iraqi forces, rather than participating in combat.  With this news, Obama delivered on a campaign promise he made while bringing to an end a misguided, expensive, and costly war which served no clear purpose.  He also ensured that, in the process of wrapping up efforts in the region, he did so responsibly.  Iraq is not in utter chaos as it once was at the peak of the insurgency and it stands a chance of having a reasonable future and being a reasonably stable Democratic state in the Middle East.

6. Passed legislation to curb greenhouse gases and improve the environment: Obama implemented new regulations on power plants, factories, and oil refineries to limit greenhouse gas emissions and curb global warming, required energy producing plants to produce 15% of their energy from renewable sources, allowed states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards above federal standards, increased, for the first time in more than a decade, the fuel economy standards for Model Year 2011 for cars and trucks, funded investment in clean energy technologies through a combination of spending and tax breaks, signed an omnibus public lands bill, which allows for 2 million more acres to be declared wilderness, and issued a Presidential Memorandum to the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances, like dishwashers and refrigerators, which, over the next three decades, will save twice the amount of energy produced by all the coal-fired power plants in America in any given year.

7. Nuclear non-proliferation agreement: Obama met with 47 presidents in a 3 day nuclear summit to lower the nuclear weapons count with a treaty signed between US and Russia, putting the world back on a path to reducing nuclear warheads.

[MrsPincince]

8. Repairing Our Image Abroad: After 8 years of damage to our country’s image, Obama has helped repair badly damaged relationships with foreign powers across the world from Russia to Europe and reached out to the Arab world.  This is necessary and critical in order for the most influential countries to work together to fight challenges such as Global Warming and Nuclear expansion.  It also helps to fight terrorist recruiting by helping change America’s negative image.  It is increasingly important for the US to engage with other countries as fast-growing nations like Brazil, China, and India join the traditional powerhouses and as America adjusts to a world with more diverse and influential players in the political equation.  

9. Lifted Bush restrictions on embryonic stem cell research: Obama provided federal support for stem-cell and new biomedical research, helping make it easier for scientists to find cures for our most dangerous diseases.

10. Reversed George W. Bush’s ban on federal funding to foreign organizations that allow abortions.

11. Implemented education reforms: Made higher college more accessible and affordable through significant increases in scholarships and funding, funded early learning programs, and, most importantly, through an innovative program called Race to the Top, spurred reforms in state and local district K-12 education by providing states with incentives to make positive changes to their education systems.  Race to the Top prompted 48 states to adopt common standards for K-12.  Some notable changes prompted by the program include Illinois lifting a cap on the number of charter schools it allows, Massachusetts making it easier for students in low-performing schools to switch to charters, and West Virginia proposing a merit pay system that includes student achievement in its compensation calculations.

12. Tobacco regulation. On June 22, 2009, Obama signed the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, which, for the first time, gave the U.S. Food & Drug Administration the authority to regulate the manufacturing, marketing, and sale of tobacco.

Whereas my last assessment, made 8 months ago, on what Obama had done in office was subdued (”has not blown anyone over by his administrative record to date.  His most significant accomplishment, while a job well done, was primarily a reaction to the economic environment handed to him while his other accomplishments are relatively tactical.”), my conclusion today is completely different.  The list of his accomplishments are staggering for any US president – particularly when you compare him against our more recent US presidents.  Try to come up with a list of positive accomplishments by Clinton or both Bush presidents over their entire tenures and you won’t be able to count them on one hand.  Meanwhile, in less than 2 years, Obama has done what most had said was politically impossible and absolutely essential for us to maintain a competitive economy in the future (Universal health care), tackled highly challenging and comprehensive economic reforms (Financial industry reform), and stabilized a very troubling economy.

After all of these achievements, it will be interesting to see what else Obama can get done over the next few years of his first term.  Even if he did not achieve anymore legislative accomplishments during the remainder of his tenure, Obama will have had one of the most productive terms of any president in the history of our country.

[MrsPincince]

http://3chicspolitico.com/president-obamas-accomplishments/

So what do you nay sayers have to say now?

[brice1967]

LOL.... we have a believer!  When I have a bit more time Ill address this.

[el_em_en_oh]

I can do it too, see?!?

Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V... Ctrl-C... Ctrl-V...

Now, see if you Ctrl-C Ctrl-V all the things that he's FAILED at...

I think MedHelp limits comments to 1,500 characters, so this may take up 20 or 30 comments.

Waiting...

[brice1967]

Okay, that is quite a long list above but I'll take a poke at a few things I noticed.  You touted transparency and the "Freedom of Information Act".  Not so sure we are seeing either.  Right off the top of my head, I think of the Fast and Furious scandal..... were not getting information and the thing is far from transparent.

New funds for schools.... we pay taxes for that already.  Where did additional money come from and whats actually happening with these "new schools"?

Guantanamo is no closer to shutting down now that it was 5 years ago.  There's no smoke or mirrors there.... there's a reason that the President has backed off on that and I'd imagine it has a lot to do with National security issues....

The stimulus spending.... were not even close to knowing what that really did for us.  It stopped some of the stuff in its tracks, simply because the shenanigans revolved around money.  We fed the beast more money and simply satiated its appetite for a while.  Spending like that always has something attached on the hind end of things, so we have to sit and see what happens.  Giving money to broken systems is something that all Presidents are guilty of, and it never seems to work.  The reason is, were not addressing the problem because we don't take the time to identify the problem.  Its easier to throw money at it and move on to something else.... Very common and everyone (Presidents) has their issues with that.

The Banking rescue can be mixed in with the previous paragraph.  The big banks made numerous bad financial decisions.  We gave them money.  For now, since they have new revenue under their belts, it looks like the problem is over on paper.  It's not over until they rewrite policies that will prevent the bad decision making of the past.  These people (bankers) are creatures of habit...... there will be another banking fiasco and it might not be too far down the road, simply because they are not changing operating procedure.

Visited more middle east countries for bilateral meetings..... I could be mistaken, be we are no closer to being the sweethearts of the middle east.  In fact, those people pretty much hate us now as much as ever.  We didn't accomplish a whole bunch with this endeavor, yet Mrs. Clinton is landing in far reaching parts of the globe for what amounts to be "nada mucho".

Cash for Clunkers.... it that would have been a "break even" it would have been confused for a success.  It didn't, and it shouldn't be seen as a success.  Look around the next time you are out and about.  Plenty of gas guzzling, green house gas/exhaust spewing jalopies out there for all of us to have one, if we desired.

Announced plans to buy a more energy efficient, American made fleet for the federal government.....  Obviously he exempted himself from that.  His Cadillac gets 6 miles to the gallon at best... the planes he and Hilary use to get across the ocean, and all of the support planes that go with them are still sucking down the octane.  Not an improvement if you think in regards of him having 'been to more countries than any other President".

Appointed a National Performance Officer to monitor spending within the government.  I always thought that that position came with supervisory positions.....  each little department of the FED has numerous supervisors that should be playing this guys part.  Even with this guy, we are going through money like $hit through a goose.

Look, I am not picking on the man.  These are the realities of these things.  Some of the above were clearly marked as "intentions".  That means nothings happened yet and giving the guy credit for something that hasn't happened yet is wrong.

Oh, you mentioned that he appointed the first Latina to SCOTUS.  I would like to think that he did that with the woman's integrity, honor, and ability at hand way before her race....   George H.W. Bush appointed the first black man to SCOTUS.  Do we have a fair wash with that???  To me, it is awesome that we've come this far as a country if these 2 appointees were appointed because of their perceived ability, honor, and integrity well before their race was considered.  I mean, I don't want anyone in there if they are incapable or not qualified.... your race means nothing in these positions.

I think this President did the best he could with what he had.  I do believe that.  

[el_em_en_oh]

I'll 2nd your last sentence... he did the best he could with what he had.

He had very little experience coming in and taking over the mess that was left him by the previous 4 decades of presidents, so why anyone is surprised that he's not been able to do anything about it, is beyond me.

I have to say though... it's just so much fun to beat up on the guy;-) He's a wide open target! Just as GW was, so is B.O.

I keep waiting for someone to throw a shoe at the poor guy!!!

[MrsPincince]

You asked fir accomplishments, you got them...Pick away all you want. It doesn't take away anythuing that he gas accomplished.....

[brice1967]

El, your second paragraph above is what I've been trying to get at, but you've done a far more eloquent job than I.

That paragraph sums it up completely.

[Vance2335]

Kool-Aid, get your ice cold kool-aid here.

[brice1967]

Some of the things mentioned above were clearly marked as "intentions".  How can anyone list an "intention" as an accomplishment?  And with some being labeled as accomplishments (take "been to more countries than any other President"), I'm not sure what good that did....
We certainly don't sit better in the eyes of the world for that endeavor.  With that, and using that alone as a model.... this President can be seen as the most gas guzzling, wasteful President of all times.

The only time I spend an ounce of time nagging about Obama is when the blinded tout all of his successes and blame all of his failures on Bush and the "Congress of No".  I find it horribly amusing that some of the 'accomplishments' above happened while the "Congress of No" was present and some of the before mentioned failures were when he had a democratic congress.  

It is so hard for any through and through Obama supporter to acknowledge any short comings.  There is always an excuse other than, "he didn't get that done".  It's okay to say that and it doesn't mean that you do not support the man...

I cannot think of one President in my life time that was a great President.  Not one.... Every President has had some kind of a debacle or created at least one thorn in the side of America.  It's the way it goes and it starts with making promises that cannot be kept.

These people need to quit making promises.  The can say that they "intend" to do things like "shut down Guantanamo" or "no new taxes" bet we as Americans have to be smarter than that..... we have to get smarter than that....  I don't care how big or small the promises are, politicians need to be held accountable for the things they say and promise, even if the promise flew out of their rectums....

[R Glass]

"The Presidents job is not an easy one....Romney has no clue"

Sure he does, all he has to do is follow Obama’s lead and blame the previous administration  for everything. It seems to work for Obama.
Who knows, Democrats may take the House back and that would be like the “Golden Ticket” for excuses.
Yep, all Romney needs, is to loose the House, Blame Obama for everything, then live like Royalty for 4 years.

[R Glass]

Apparently you can find a Website to make anyone look good. Here are Bush’s accomplishments. There are more I can post but, I think I made my point.
http://newsburglar.com/2009/01/14/george-bushs-accomplishments/

·  9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was captured and is in custody.
·  Iraqi forces have taken over security responsibilities from U.S. forces in more than two thirds of Iraqi provinces and helped reduce attacks to the lowest level in more than four years.
·  More than six million children now attend Afghan schools, compared to fewer than one million in 2001; a third of these are girls who were previously barred from attending school.
·  The Afghan economy has doubled since 2001.
·  President Bush implemented the largest reorganization of the Federal national security apparatus since 1947.
·  More than 400 individuals and entities that posed a threat to America had assets frozen, transactions blocked, or were isolated from the U.S. financial system.
·  The increase in defense funding is the largest increase since the Truman Administration.
·  Intelligence experts believe the 2006 plot to blow up multiple passenger jets traveling from London was only weeks from being carried out.
·  The President launched a global threat reduction program that has removed enough material for more than 30 nuclear bombs from sites around the world.
·  President Bush persuaded Libya to disclose and dismantle all aspects of its WMD and advanced missile programs and renounce terrorism.
·  The Administration dismantled the A.Q. Khan nuclear proliferation network, which had previously spread sensitive nuclear technology and capability to Iran and North Korea.
·  To protect against the danger of rogue regimes armed with ballistic missiles, the Administration withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty and made missile defense operational.
·  This Administration halved the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile by 2007—five years ahead of schedule.
·  The President’s Proliferation Security Initiative united more than 90 nations to cooperate to stop of the spread of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, and related materials.
·  The United States persuaded the UN Security Council to require all UN members to take enforcement actions against the proliferation of WMD and related materials.
·  The President increased the budget for the National Endowment for Democracy by more than 150 percent since 2001.
·  The United States provided more than $1.5 billion in new funding for humanitarian and peacekeeping aid to Darfur.
·  President Bush directed all senior U.S. officials serving in undemocratic countries to maintain regular contact with political dissidents and democracy activists to help give them a voice.
·  Since 2001, the United States has provided $16 billion in food aid.
·  The MCC has now signed agreements, which seek transformational change in the development of recipient countries, for $6.7 billion in grant funding for 35 countries.
·  The President committed $1 billion through the African Education Initiative and the Initiative for Expanded Education for the World’s Poorest Children to educate children in poor nations.
·  The United States has provided $10 billion for international disaster relief and other humanitarian efforts since 2001.
·  The President’s tax relief helped fuel growth that led to the largest three-year increase in revenues in 26 years.
·  A family of four earning $40,000 kept an average of $2,000 more of their own money in 2007 thanks to the President’s tax relief.
·  Americans with the highest incomes—the top five percent—pay a greater share of the total Federal income tax burden today than they did before the President’s tax relief.
·  Growth in exports, to a record $1.6 trillion, accounted for about half of U.S. economic growth in 2007.
·  U.S. agriculture exports were $92.4 billion in 2007, up 74 percent from 2000.
·  After-tax per-capita income increased 12 percent from 2000 to 2007.
·  NCLB helped increase the percentage of first graders reading at grade level in 44 of 50 States.
·  President Bush created a $100 million Teacher Incentive Fund to reward teachers who improve student achievement in high-need school districts.
·  1.2 million more students are attending college in the 2008-09 year compared to 2001-02 thanks to a near doubling of Pell Grant funding to $16.2 billion and an increase of the largest maximum Pell Grant award to $4,700.
·  The number of charter schools in the United States has doubled since 2000, thanks in part to an infusion of Federal funding.
·  Nearly 10 million Americans are enrolled in private Medicare Advantage programs, and virtually every county in America has a private plan option.
·  Among seniors, the satisfaction rate with the drug benefit is close to 90 percent.
·  The President added preventive screening to Medicare to help diagnose illnesses earlier.
·  Since 2001, more than 1,200 community health centers have opened or expanded nationwide.
·  Nearly seven million more Americans now have coverage in HSA-eligible plans.
·  The President’s first Executive Order established the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives. Similar offices were established at 11 Federal agencies, and 35 Governors now have State offices or liaisons of their own.
·  More than 515,000 children received after-school tutoring through Supplemental Educational Services, many from faith-based and community providers.
·  In response to Hurricane Katrina, National Service programs have given more than 5.4 million hours of service, directing 405,000 volunteers in recovery efforts.
·  In 2007 alone, more than 2,200, or 87 percent, of partners in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief were indigenous groups, and nearly one-quarter were faith-based.
·  The President also signed a GI Bill for the 21st century. This legislation significantly expanded education benefits and allowed those who have defended our country to transfer unused benefits to their spouses or children.
·  The President committed more than $6 billion to modernize and expand VA facilities.
·  VA’s polytrauma system of care was expanded to 22 network sites and clinic support teams to provide state-of-the-art treatment to injured veterans closer to home.
·  Under this Administration, DoD, in cooperation with VA, created the Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury to take advantage of cutting-edge medical technology.
·  Ethanol production quadrupled from 2000 to 2007, and nearly $1 billion was invested to advance cellulosic ethanol made from switchgrass, wood chips, and other non-food sources.
·  This Administration launched the Nuclear Power 2010 Program and other significant efforts that helped encourage industry to submit 17 applications for 26 new nuclear reactors in the United States.
·  The President’s $2 billion commitment to the Coal Research Initiative was fulfilled three years early.
·  $1.2 billion was invested in hydrogen and fuel cell vehicle research and development.
·  Between 2001 and 2008, the United States committed more than $22 billion total to climate change technology research.
·  The new Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument protects more than 7,000 species. More than 220 Preserve America grants were awarded in more than 650 communities in all 50 States to protect America’s cultural and natural heritage.
·  Record funding was provided to repair and improve our national parks through the President’s National Parks Centennial Initiative, a priority of First Lady Laura Bush.
·  Thanks in part to the creation of Project Safe Neighborhoods and innovative programs for enforcing Federal firearm laws, the overall rate of reported crimes reached a 30-year low in 2007

[brice1967]

None of that looks too bad.....

[MrsPincince]

and EL, and Brice, and Vance....

Ctrl V??? What else am I supposed to do? The sa part is even with my post the right (on ce) find a way to destort the facts.........No one ever said Bush didn't have good accomplishnents. I know I have never attacked Presidnet Bush on this forum in a way that you all attack President Obama...You all are ALWAYS saying how Obama failed as a president and he's done nothing since he's been in office. I just gave you a list of EVRYTHING he has done (so far).You find a way to spin it and NEVER give the guy credit. You bash him and berate him and YES I feel like as a supporter I should show what his accomplishments are. I've never once bashed or desrspected President Bush. Yes I've said he put our countr in this crisis with two wars and the first bailout. (Wether you right wingers want to admit it or not he did approve the frst $700+ Billion dollars).....I have come to the realization that when it come to this CE forum and politics, the rigt supporters bash and say nay to the left supporters and vice versa. The difference is you right supporters tend to get nasty and make things personal. Maybe not all of you but some of you.........I will never stop supporting President Obama. I will continue to "drink the kool aid and be a part of the "sheeple"....I do know I will never make my posts personal or use it to insult you or your intellegence...You are republicans and I respect that. I just wish you would do the same.

[Vance2335]

When have I ever made anything personal against you? I haven't.

Yeah I bash Obama because I can see things through clear eyes. If this would a Republican in office I would bash him too for doing nothing or better then doing nothing doing something and failing.

[el_em_en_oh]

The Ctrl-C/Ctrl-V thing was a joke... I  know there's no other way to get stuff onto this board, besides copy/paste. Just a little jab is all.

As for giving B.O. a hard time...

If he were a Republican and doing this bad a job, I'd be giving him JUST as hard a time.

Sure, B.O. has done some good stuff while in office, but overwhelmingly, he's fallen short on many more items (he's had more failures than successes).

If the shoe was on the other foot, and B.O. was a Republican and doing this poorly, I'd be blasting him.

I'm an equal-opportunity basher, when it comes to politicians!

[brice1967]

Geez us.... Did I even read that right, Mrs. Pincince?  Berate the President?  Lets see, I said you listed intentions as accomplishments.... is that berating?  I said he did as good a job as a guy could, with what he was handed... is that berating?  I also said that the only time I nag Obama is when someone starts in on Bush (I'm talking the blame game and am giving fair blame to Obama as I am Bush, Clinton, Bush, Reagan and Carter before that.... I've clearly blamed ALL of them for the mess were in today.) because they can't stand to hear anything bad about Obama.  Is that berating him?  If it is, then I've berated 30 years worth of Presidents.... and its somewhat warranted.

I don't really see any disrespect going on here.  You posted all of the Presidents "successes" and I differed with that.... that is disrespect?  If it is, you are disrespecting me, but I won't lose sleep over that.  It's a matter of opinion....  I don't think this president or any of the previous 7 did a wonderful job.  I can clearly see that things that happened in previous administrations are screwing us today and have the foresight to understand that some of what this president is doing now, will cost us down the line as well.  It always does....  Look at history....

Everyone knows that Bush spent the first $700 billion.  It was followed by another $700 billion and not much came of it.  In my opinion, but spending sprees were probably well intended but ended up as bad, bad, bad decisions.  Were borrowing more money than ever and are in no better position to be paying it back.  That looks miserable to me, and if that offends you... sorry toots.  You cannot think for a second that it is a great thing that we are borrowing money from the commies in China... is that sound business????  Worse than borrowing, we aren't changing the way we (government) does business.  Until we do, I don't give a rats a$$ who's President, we are going to tumble.

I fully expect to see some aspects of the economy improve.... I also expect to see others (even some that are showing improvement) to erode again into the rubble we are trying to crawl out from now.  That is being a 'realist".  That is looking at whats happened in the past, knowing that it doesn't work, seeing what we are doing today, and expecting a different outcome is dreaming.... simply dreaming.

[MrsPincince]

I did say some of you not all of you. I guess I should've said with the exception of Brice. You do tend to lean in the middle or should I say you try to see both sides (sometimes..)....My bad!

To El..

"I'm an equal-opportunity basher, when it comes to politicians!"

LOL...You always know how to make me laugh even when I'm annoyed with you..Thanks for that!

Vance,
"When have I ever made anything personal against you? I haven't"

My apologies. You are new tpo this forum. I wasn't directinmg that at you!

[R Glass]

You listed 4 names,  then Vance got a Bi, you retracted Brice, so that leaves me and El. When have I been nasty and made things personal?  

[MrsPincince]

I listed 4 names b/c u 4 were the ones that responded. Vances "BI" is legit b/c he is new to the forum and as for Brice I did not retract. It is true! Brice is more in the middle of the 3 of u. Besides, I only excluded him sometimes;). You two do tend to get personal. Not personal like calling me names or berating me but in a sense that if  ever I or any supporter of President Obama start defending or post article about him that is in a good light you both get mad or say i'm drinking kool aid or I'm amogst the sheeple blah blah blah. It's like when facts are presented that show the President in a good way you and El mostly, dismiss it, spin it and make it look negative or make it seem like its crap.You both never give credit where it's due. IF you do (and I stress the IF) you minimize it..Whatever, It's really not that serious.. All I'm saying is when it comes to us on this forum that are on the left, it seems like you guys get mad and it's like we are wrong for defending him or are delusional for believing in him and we have no right to do so cus you think otherwise......I like everyone on this forum, we may have our political defferences but I do genuinely like everyone. Maybe I'm the one that takes thing personally maybe not but in the end we are all adults and we can be civil and respect each other most of the time anyway.....

[R Glass]

Maybe your right about not giving credit where credit is due so here goes, He has good taste in Vacations  LOL

[Vance2335]

I assume he must be a scratch golfer now since he has played more rounds than any other President. So that is something good, he has improved his golf game while in office. Hey I just found an accomplishment of his. Improved golf game...I like it.

[brice1967]

Thanks for the fair assessment of where I stand.  Politicians on both sides of the spectrum and even some near where I am, frustrate the ever loving $hit out of me.  I am over these people talking out of their a$$es and making promises they can't keep and making their own spin on any subject in order to make themselves look good.  None of these chumps, and I do mean none of them... will step up and say that they are collectively failing the people.  NONE OF THEM.  In fact, either side thinks they are doing a wonderful job.  IN the mean time, people like us on this board grow ever more frustrated and go to defending whom we think needs defending.  Its that or we blame who we think needs blaming.... bottom line is, its all of them.... they all stink!

I respectfully say this.... some people here do all they can to protect the President.  Some people find absolutely no wrong, short comings, failures with this president and resort to pointing fingers at the failures of previous administrations.  Simply, there has been failures here.  There have been some successes too, and at some point the administration should admit that, and they really could benefit from doing so.  Every administration should admit when something went down the toilet, but they don't.  They blame... it's easier and you don't have to eat the sour grapes.

I honestly believe that there are people who hate this president for any number of reasons.  Race, religion, "lack of experience" (unless they get re-elected, they all have lack of experience), all come in to play plus many more reasons.  But I do think this guy could get more people to respect him, (even some of the crustiest) if he could admit that he failed on some levels.  NOBODY in politics is willing to accept any failure and will create a poll in their favor, twist the facts, or out right lie to avoid looking like they failed.  To me, this is a lack of integrity.  I can't think of a president who didn't lose some integrity and it all comes to this.

This vote will be about integrity.  People will have to evaluate if this President did a good job, kept his integrity intact, and can improve on what he's been working on.... or give another guy a shot.

Again, respectfully..... there are people that would support this President for wrong doings, but blame another president for doing the same thing on other side of the spectrum.

We tend to excuse this $hit... "well, you're guy did that!!!!"  We won't admit that our guy "screwed the pooch" but have no problem racing to point out that the other guy did.

We can't keep accepting failures.  We can't keep excusing them.  We can't keep blaming someone else.  There's a million other things that we can't keep doing, but we do and we expect change.  Lunacy... pure lunacy!

We've got to quit making the election of a President a "popularity" contest.  We are doing it right now with all of the favoritism polls.  

[MrsPincince]

"I respectfully say this.... some people here do all they can to protect the President.  Some people find absolutely no wrong, short comings, failures with this president and resort to pointing fingers at the failures of previous administrations."

Yes, I do all I can to protect the President when things are said about him and his policies that are untrue or baseless. I'd like to think that I have more common sense than to see "no wrong" in his "short comings". I don't condone failure. I try to be a realist and look at the facts and then base my own decision. I don't understand! Enlighten me, what are these failures? What has he done to ruin the economy? What has he done to make the situation of our country WORSE? What has he done to directly affect you in a negative way? Maybe I'm missing something....DId he make campaign promises that he hasn't come thriugh on, YES. Let's think of why, NO COOPORATION from a republican controlled Congress. Yes the democrats held contol for 2 yrs but they lost it at a critical time. We (as a country) were looking for that "fast" change. We ourselves had high expectations and wanted fast results. Since we didn't see that, the majority figured let's give the republicans a chance. The Republicans gained control and totally road blocked almost every policy the President put in place.. Realistically, turning the economy around in 4 years from what it was is not doable fir ANY President. I hear you guys say he should just come out and say he didn't come through (yet) on some of his campaign promoises". This is politics, NO President is going to come out and say yes I didn't come thorugh on .... (I'm rambling...I need to stop) Anyway, I am a democrat, I support the Democrat President. Has he fallen short of some things? Yes, are those things Dire compared to what he has accomplished? IMO, NO.

[brice1967]

"I don't condone failure"... But... you touted "cash for clunkers" as a success.  

I've got to find that article I read the other day and get that to you.  It showed the horrible financial breakdown of the subject.  Amount of gas used by clunkers, the amount of petrol saved and the cost of the project (basically) and we ended up in the hole substantially.

In principle, it was a wonderful idea.  It just didn't work as planned.  And it's okay.  It really is.  But instead of saying that it didn't go according to plans, it got swept under the rug and there is seldom a mention of it anymore.  (Until this thread, I hadn't heard of it in better than a year.  Just goes to show how short our attention span is.  Primarily, it was forgotten because it didn't work and did not address issues that the majority of the country see as "important".)  

If it was largely successful, they would be touting it.  Their not....

[orphanedhawk]

"This vote will be about integrity. "

You have more faith in the American people than I do. People vote for all kinds of silly reasons, from liking the way some candidate looks to simply because their families always voted with a certain party.

Personally, I'm not happy with either candidate or party.

[brice1967]

Me neither, and there isn't a bunch of integrity floating around either camp.  It'll actually boil down... once again... to who is most likely to not screw up the country more.  Talk about a crap shoot!!!  This thing cant get sour in every direction from the middle.

[orphanedhawk]

When you have so much money involved I'm not sure there can still be integrity.

Remember the old saying:
Power corrupts. Absolute Power corrupts absolutely.

I'm all for campaign funding caps, but in these times, that's like saying I'm for unicorns.