Obama Has Been Busy

I have no problem with Obama and I have stated many times in the past that I will review his performance as President prior to the next election to see if he gets my vote. What I have a problem with is the desperate acts on the part of democrats to prove how great Obama has been. This list falls into that category. None of the items on list are substantiated with any type of reference and most items are extremely vague. For Example:

66. Improving benefits for veterans

Exactly what is being done to improve benefits for veterans? How much money is being spent? How and where is that money allocated?

How about this one:

81. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan

How many troops were deployed and what has the result of the additional troops been on the situation? If the situation didn't improve, is it still an accomplishment?


If you want to boost the credibility of a President who you strongly support, then do some actual research and post something with substance that might actually have a chance at changing someone's mind. Posting a bullet point list without references created by a professor from a second rate Liberal Arts college isn't going to cut it.

It is part of the Presidents job to handle attacks from the opposition party. Besides, I have to endure the likes of you, Craig, and TomCorona. Although, it appears that cornchips has filled TomC's void as of late.

 

81. Deployed additional troops to Afghanistan

Isn't one of his other "accomplishments" the removal of troops in the Middle East?
So, let me get this right...one accomplishment is bringing troops home while another accomplishment is sending in more troops? This sort of fuzzy logic is par for the course with the current administration.

 

This list is tantamount to one bid negative campaign ad. Pick someone he put in a job, find something nasty to say whether it is true or not, and write it down to make Bush look bad. For example:

67. Nominated Bennett Raley, who advocates repealing the Endangered Species Act, for Assistant Secretary for Water and Science

Here is a link to a website that provides a brief biography of Raley.

http://www.wkconline.org/index.php/seminars/speakerpage/?sid=412

Here is a quote from another website that discusses Raley and his accomplisments after he resigned his post.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/state-and-regional/article_b4729238-9d48-5f44-a66a-7a0501d25f44.html

Lists such as these are designed to be inflammatory and sensationalistic. I mean how could anyone be against the Endangered Species Act? Once you dig deeper, you find out that the person was incredibly qualified for the position and that the negative bullet point characterization of the man is nothing more than a smear tactic. Can you really say that Raley was not qualified to be the Assistant Secretary for Water and Science De Orc? Does this analysis of on item on the list call into question the validity of the remainder of the list? IMO, it does!


I notice you conveniently forgot to tell us where this list came from. Let me guess, a radical left wing website.

 

The changes in the ways credit card companies can do business has been a very positive change to consumers and especially for college kids. It won't do a THING for the economy, because I'm sure large chunks of the economy has relied on all this credit being out there. But it is a very good thing for individuals. Unfortunately, since the banks pretty much run the government, they had 6 months advanced warning and were able to wreak havoc with people before the new rules went into effect. But I will admit it was a positive accomplishment and needed to be done.

I am willing to praise and thank Obama over any 'physical thing or action', that actually, physically takes place AND ALSO helps out the vast majority of the American people. At least say, 100k people. The big impact things are what I'm looking for. To brag about having a few federal vehicles going green, 'maybe'..., seems like grasping at straws to find any positive crumb that you can possibly come up with. Maybe it should be mentioned that he smiled at an old lady today too?

Most of your list has very little impact, and includes few things that are physically being done. That's my only problem with it. And the praise of the stimulus bill which 80% of the American public despised because it bailed out the big banks who lost their gambles with your money. Yet every Friday, more and more banks are being shut down by Federal regulators anyway. For as huge as the stimulus was, it seems as though only a small fraction of it gave the common man any help.

And I agree that just because he's doing his job doesn't mean there should be a parade thrown in his honor.

 

Remember...it is EASY to be "busy" spending somebody else's money...and money you don't have...or "thinking" about spending all of the money you don't have.

 

Probably the funniest (or scariest) part of all of this is that there are people out there who really see this "list" as a series of accomplishments. They won't take the time to read through the list & think (as moen had hoped).

 

I respect that you are willing to wait and see the entire body of work before making a judgment. If that is true, you are unlike many on the Right who are unwilling to wait a single day before leveling attack after attack no matter how frivolous and petty.

The charge Republicans in particular seem stuck on is that there is some sort of Obama cult of worship on the Democratic side. The excitement of electing this historic candidate being the first black president long ago faded for most everyone I've met but the ferocity of the attack on the Right have only grown. I’m a little disgusted by his unwillingness just to ram legislation through the way George Bush did so often. If that’s what the Right calls “worship” they need to consult Webster’s.

I don't believe your criticism of this list is valid since it wasn't intended to be a detailed list but rather a laundry list of priorities. If you actually went into the details of any one of these issues, we'd be here the rest of our natural lives.

The opposition party is supposed to provide an alternative perspective, new ideas, and a check on the power of the other party. I wouldn't call the tactics of the GOP anything less than obstructionist, divisive, and inflammatory. No ideas of their own, no ideas that haven’t already been tried and failed, just opposition to anything and everything proposed even if they were formally for it or even if they themselves proposed it. Opposed to the stimulus while also being for it, being against health care reform even when it contains their ideas, lying about death panels, costs, Medicare cuts, savings, and the list is endless.

My only question is how can you (figuratively “you”) support a party that has stooped to such un-American, anti-American, morally vacant tactics? I’m not just blaming Republicans either. The Conserva-Dems/Blue dogs or whatever you want to call them have also been at fault here but it makes more sense to focus on the party that is 100% in the pocket of the big business interests in this country rather than the party that has a handful of sell-outs to big business. All and all conservative in this country = anti-middle class and that is what Obama is up against. I’m middle class so I’m supporting Obama over the party of the wealthy and convenient morals. I hope you can also respect my reasoning.

 

I am registered as a Republican but have lost the love for the Republican party. Since the Republicans have decided to spend as much if not more money than their Democrat counterparts, I really am left without a political party to support. Furthermore, every Republican needs to temper their criticism after Bush's performance for the last 8 years. However, blaming the Republicans for un-American & morally vacant tactics is unfair. That is the calling card of every politician regardless of political party. The Republicans behave badly when thier is a Democrat in office & the Democrats behave equally as bad when a Republican President sits. Then you have the media which deliberately escalates issues in order to boost circulation and ratings.

If you had presented the list as a list of priorities instead of a list of accomplishments, I promise that I would have reacted differently. I actually like most of the items on the list. I too am middle class. However, I don't think any of the politicians are concerned with helping the middle class, including Obama. For better or worse, Obama is our President, and I am hopeful that he can affect some measure of positive change in our country over the next four years.

 

As usual, we are left voting for the lesser of two evils. So what else is new eh?

 

OK down to facts here do you deny that President Obama authorised more troops for Afghanistan? when President Bush refused?
Do you deny that any help for vets is better than no help, do you wish me to remind you about the debacle at Walter Reed in 2007!
Do you deny that for the 1st time in 9 years Pakistan has started to actualy co-operate with the American goverment?
Do you deny that he has provided assistence for families to attend the return of there fallen kin?
do you deny that he has started to carry out his promise to reduce troop numbers in Iraq?
Do you deny that his additional troop number have allowed the advance to be made in Hellmande province?
Do you deny that he has increased the budget for the armed forces?
Do you deny that a long hard look into how millitery contracts are issued is not long over due?
He authorised some 30 thousand extra troops in case you missed that one

Do you actualy care about the wealfare of your service personel?

Oh and Lehigh if you happen to actualy read what I said in my opening statement regarding the President Bush list you would have noticed that I said "a amusing list" No were did I say it was all true nor that I believed it, but do you want to deny that some of it is actualy true?

Do you want to know what he is doing for Vets? well it's not hard to find out try reading this for a start

http://www1.va.gov/opa/vadocs/09_accomplishments.pdf

Just a few highlight

VA spent $400 million on ending Veteran homelessness in 2009

The new Veterans National Suicide Prevention hotline received over 185,000 calls and interrupted over 5200 potential suicides.

VA hired over additional 1,000 mental health professionals in 2009

VA awarded over $200 million in Rural Health Initiative projects in 2009, an increase of over $150 million from 2008

VBA initiated a rule change to relax the stressor proof requirement for Veterans who pursue a claim for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Leveraging Technology and Innovation to Reduce the Benefit Claims Backlog

Expanding Vietnam Veterans Benefits for Agent Orange Exposure

Continuing the Nation’s Lowest Foreclosure Rate through the Housing Loan Program

Expanding Access to Veterans Insurance and Housing Loan Services

VA awarded 10 state grants for $40 million to fund five new state Veteran cemeteries. Two new state Veteran cemeteries opened in Kansas (Ft. Riley) and Texas (Abilene). In 2009, five new federal Cemeteries were opened for a total construction cost of $89.1 million.

Want me to go on!!

 

If you believed the list to be nothing more than propaganda, then why post it. IMO, it was an attempt to spin how great a job Obama is doing by making his predecessor look bad using questionable tactics. This is something I have never understood. Bush did so many things that were actually bad, there is no reason to embellish or spin anything. Regardless, Obama needs to stand on his own merits. Simply doing a better job than Bush is not going to be good enough as it is a foregone conclusion. In other words, how could he be worse?

Regarding the initial list. If the list had been 10 items with details similar to those you listed for improving veteran benefits, it would be a great list of accomplishments. As it stands, it is still just a "to do" list.

 

Lets see I never mentioned propoganda! you did I said it was amusing, now I posted it because I felt like posting it and found it amusing. whats your problem with that?
Do I ask that any other member here show me what they are going to post?
You said it is a to do list yet I have shown a number of things that have been done but you still wont admit it.
Why cant he be compaired to the last administration it is the closest benchmark that anyone has.
Now I never convieniantly forgot to tell you were the list came from I just didnt bother, all you have to do is google President Bush,s 100 achievments in his 1st year in office.

None of the items on list are substantiated with any type of reference and most items are extremely vague. For Example:

66. Improving benefits for veterans

Now you wrote that sir and I have linked you directly to the Vet affairs web site, with highlights of what has been done under President Obamas 1st year in office yet I dont see any retraction from you? You say you are willing to Judge the man on what he has done well?

I would also ask what exactly do you mean by this comment

I have to endure the likes of you, Craig, and TomCorona. Although, it appears that cornchips has filled TomC's void as of late.

You have to endure!! Do you wish to try accusing me of treating you unfairly or something? do you want to try and call me a Leftie LOL I would place my ideology against yours at any time, the biggest difference is I actualy do take the time to check what he (President Obama) has been doing rather than just rampage against everything that is attributed to the man.
I believe in fairness can you say the same, now I will be honest I doubt it very much.

 

Are you a little cranky today De Orc. I guess I will have to go through these points one by one for you!

Saying the list is amusing is tantamount to admitting the the list is BS. When you post a BS list of Bush's evil accomplishments in a thread that finds a list of Obama's accomplishments under attack, the intent is clearly to take the heat of Obama. Call it spin, propaganda, or whatever you like, that is what it is!

I don't know what this is about. My comment was intended to mean that posting spin is beneath you.

You have proven only one item on the list to my knowledge which I gave due credit in my previous post. Announcing an intention to do something is a "to do" list whether you like it or not.

I already explained in my previous post that comparing Obama's performance to Bush's is pointless because of how bad Bush was. Being better than Bush does not mean he is doing a good job.

I thought it was standard practice to reference something that you take from another source. Guess I was wrong!

Yes Sir, I did write it. I also wrote this:

For the record, I have always stated that I will judge the man at the proper time which is right before the next election.

You need to get your facts straight on this one. That comment was written in a response to one of Moen's posts. The likes of "you" refers to Moen. It was meant to be humurous as Moen was whining about Obama having to deal with incessant Republican attacks. My comment alluded to the fact that I have to endure constant left wing attacks from the members listed in the post. I don't see your name anywhere in there.

Furthermore, I am not one of the members of this forum who constantly attacks Obama without cause. That would be David and Midas. If you research my posts, you will find that I am more than fair to our President. However, I will call a spade a spade. The OP of the thread even admitted that the list was basically a "to do" list. In his words:

The most concerning part of your post De Orc is that you seem to think I am an Obama basher. I promise you I am not. I you feel I have been unfair to the President in some way, I would be happy to discuss it with you.

 

1. I found it amusing nothing more nothing less not full truth nor simple bull, it contained elements of both.
2. I listed more than 1 thing he had done, have we allready forgoten the additional troops for Afghanistan
3. Regardless of how people might now feel about President Bush and his term in office the comparison is quite fair as he is the president most closely related to what President Obama is now dealing with, and that is everything from the war to the economy.
4. you post links if you feel the need, if as I did I simply found the list amusing and as that was all that was on the web page why link to what I had allready posted?
5. Your comments appeared to be aimed at me so I reacted
6. I asked anyone here to post a list of any acomplishment by any of the last 4 Presidents but no one did!
7. you dismissed the entire list out of hand along with others, and yet it contained some very important things that have happend under his watch so give the man credit. I hear continualy how he is anti the Armed forces and hates America what utter BS
8. You still called it simply "a to do list!!"

 

1. When something is part BS, it affects the credibility of the parts that are not.
2. I have previously stated that raising troop levels is not an accomplishment. It is an action. An accomplishment would be seeing an improvement in the war situation that is a direct result of the troop increase. We are not there yet, though I am hopeful that Obama's action in this area will prove successful.
3. Let me go a different route. If Obama wants to get re-elected he probably won't want to compare his performance to Bush. I can see his re-election slogan now. I wasn't very good but I was better than Bush.
4. You have to be kidding. How about, because you didn't write and you should give credit to the person who did!
5. My comments were not aimed at you ever and I don't know how you came to that conclusion.
6. I have no intention of posting a list of accomplishments of previous Presidents.
7. I dismissed the list because when part of something is BS, those parts affect the credibility of the parts that are not.
8. Because it is!

I don't have a problem with Obama, I have a problem with the list and how it was presented. I have no doubt that some of the list is valid. Perhaps you would like to go down the list line by line.

 

I will say this about the VA stuff (since I have a little knowledge in that area ).

Homeless programs have been going on before the current administration. As has the expansion of the CBOC Program (the outpatient/rural clinic stuff mentioned). We have been doing home based healthcare, etc for vets before this administration too.

It is fine to give the current Pres credit for continuing funding, etc but things like that (and I am sure many others on the list) are not new initiatives. Just continuations.

 

Never said it had not been Stu what I reported on was the increases to older projects for the most part, not new ventures.
Most of my reponse was directed at comments made about this

66. Improving benefits for veterans

Raising troop numbers is a acomplishment as the Genrals have been demanding it for over 8 years! but heck no forget it it was only the guy who hates the millitery who responded.
Why would I bother you have written everything off that was listed anyway and said so in writting, it's only whgen you are pulled about your comments that you backtrack.

 

De Orc,

I distinctly remember Bush raising troop levels in Iraq and that "surge" saw very positive results in the face of incredible Democratic opposition. His refusal to increase troop levels in Afghanistan was directly related to the fact that he did not care about the war in Afghanistan which was only the precursor to the war in Iraq. I give Obama credit for increasing troop levels in Afghanistan but if it does not have the desired effect, what has he accomplished?

Furthermore, I have not written off the entire list and am willing to discuss each and every item one by one. I don't ever remember backtracking either, unless you consider giving you proper credit for a good point backtracking.

 

Obama and Lady Hillary both claim to be 21st centuty progressives. An old term, but one that covers socialist groups and movements.
Mr. Obama surrounds himself with avowed socialists and communists,but this is not the first time we have had the pleasure of their company.

Pep

 

If you believe all what is written anywhere you are going to have a very difficult life !
Obama is an ideologue. Progressive is the new Socialist.
Speaks well , lies like hell !
In November move out all incumbents . Dems and GOP. Let the independents decide which party left standing is worth taking a chance with.
The Declaration of Independence gives us the right to start a new government and abolish the old if the old is destructive in recognizing , Life liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Pep
Bang , bang