Tuesday, April 28, 2009
The First 100 Days: 100 of Obama's Lies, Blunders, Gaffes, and Abuses of Liberty
For the first hundred days of President Barack Obama's administration, here is a complete list of 100 blunders, mistakes, gaffes, and public policies that threaten our freedom:
1. Promising to "publish all non-emergency legislation to the website for five days... before the President signs it," then breaking that promise over and over again.
2. Despite promising to keep lobbyists out of his administration, Obama has broken his word again and again (making 17 exceptions to this promise in his first two weeks).
3. Obama promised to eliminate income taxation for seniors making less than $50,000 a year. He has broken this promise despite numerous opportunities to keep it, including the economic stimulus package and his administration's first budget proposal.
4. The President also boasted during his campaign that "During 2009 and 2010, existing businesses will receive a $3,000 refundable tax credit for each additional full-time employee hired," and has failed to keep his word.
5. Obama made it part of his agenda to "allow withdrawals of 15% up to $10,000 from retirement accounts without penalty (although subject to the normal taxes). This would apply to withdrawals in 2008 (including retroactively) and 2009," but didn't include this measure in the stimulus package or his budget proposal.
6. Obama broke his promise to recognize the Armenian Genocide.
7. Obama did a shameless 180 degree turn on earmarks by sharply criticizing them (and bragging that he would pass legislation without a single one) and then signing a spending bill with literally thousands of them.
8. Obama promised a $4000 tax credit for college tuition, but backpedaled when he signed a much smaller $2,500 college tax credit into law.
9. Obama
presidential "signing statements" (letters of interpretation and recommendations attached to Congressional legislation) unconstitutional... then attached a signing statement of his own to a $410 billion spending bill.
10. Obama promised a different tone in Washington D.C. and a move past bitter, partisan rhetoric. It took him less than a week as president to berate Republicans and sully the dignity of his office by picking a very public rhetorical fight with a private citizen, Rush Limbaugh.
Anti-Obama Merchandise:
11. In his first private meeting with Congressional Republicans, instead of "reaching across the aisle" and seeking earnest dialogue, he smugly told them that he should have his way because "I won."
12. The White House violated the custom of keeping private meetings private by leaking this comment to the press.
13. Taking a page out of the Bush Administration's playbook, Obama applied shrill, frantic, fear-mongering rhetoric to assure passage of his stimulus package.
14. Obama revealed the duplicity of his rhetoric and the arrogance of his character when he took off on a ritzy Valentine's Day vacation in Chicago for the weekend instead of signing the stimulus bill that he said needed to be passed as soon as possible to avert an irreversible economic meltdown.
15. Obama did not criticize Congress for its secrecy and closed-door committee meetings in crafting the stimulus package despite his calls for greater transparency in Washington.
16. Obama's appointment of Hillary Clinton to the office of Secretary of State was unconstitutional.
17. His movement of the United States Census out of the Department of Commerce and under the direct control of the White House was unconstitutional, politically motivated, and a dangerous, undemocratic expansion of executive power.
18. Obama's decision to continue Federal funding for religious organizations that discriminate on the basis of religion is unconstitutional and just plain unseemly for a "liberal" Democrat.
19. One promise Obama has kept is in his distribution of TARP II funds to non-financial institutions, which is contrary to the stated intention of those funds in the legislation passed by Congress, making his action illegal, unconstitutional, and an expansion of unlimited executive power.
20. Despite the buzz surrounding Obama's closing of Gitmo, indefinite detainment and torture are alive and well under Obama's administration with his chilling executive order to continue the practice of "CIA renditions" -secret abductions and transfers of prisoners to other countries where they are detained indefinitely and their interrogations are outsourced to other governments.
21. Backing "the continued imprisonment of enemy combatants in Afghanistan without trial."
22. Asking "the Supreme Court to overrule long-standing law that stops police from initiating questions unless a defendant's lawyer is present, another stark example of the White House seeking to limit rather than expand rights."
23. Limiting "the rights of prisoners to test genetic evidence used to convict them."
24. Despite claiming our environment is in a state of crisis, Obama's extravagant inauguration alone emitted over 500 million pounds of CO2.
25. His lavish inauguration also cost $170 million.
26. After saying "We can't drive our SUVs and eat as much as we want and keep our homes on 72 degrees at all times... and then just expect that every country is going to say okay," journalists discovered that Obama cranks the thermostat in the Oval Office.
27. Obama's Earth Day flights burned more than 9,000 gallons of fuel.
28. The Obama Administration ended funding for Washington D.C.'s school voucher program, while suppressing a study that showed it delivered better results at a lower cost.
29. Obama's daughters however, attend a private school in Washington D.C., enjoying the freedom of educational choice that the Obama administration has denied to poor children who live in Washington.
30. Out-of-control deficit spending.
More Anti Obama Merchandise:
31. Blaming Bush for America's deficits, but then increasing spending.
32. This is after saying on the campaign trail: "There is no doubt that we’ve been living beyond our means and we’re going to have to make some adjustments."
33. Made a big show of challenging his cabinet to cut a measly $100 million from the Federal budget (a .0027% cut in Federal spending).
34. Admitting that this doesn't even represent a spending cut by saying that it will free up more money for Federal spending on other things like health and education.
35. Moving to convert U.S. Federal loans to banking institutions into common stock, effectively nationalizing major portions of the U.S. banking industry.
36. Forcing U.S. banks to accept TARP money, then attaching strings ex post facto.
37. Acting to oust corporate executives like the CEOs of GM and Citigroup.
38. Promising that the U.S. government (i.e. American taxpayers) will guarantee GM's warranty.
39. Every time Obama talks about the economy or signs economic legislation, the stock market tanks.
40. "We can't go back to a bubble and bust economy." President Obama on April 14, while touting the kind of inflationary monetary policies that cause bubble and bust cycles.
41. "The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system. The proposal is politically problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one he denounced in the presidential campaign as ‘the largest middle-class tax increase in history."
42. Increasing the timetable for withdrawal from Iraq beyond his campaign promises and leaving 50,000 troops in Iraq after the "withdrawal."
43. Deploying 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan, then several thousand more on top of that.
44. Obama calling on European leaders at G20 to provide more troops for the war in Afghanistan: "Europe should not simply expect the United States to shoulder that burden alone. This is a joint problem it requires a joint effort."
45. Using Bush-era war rhetoric and tactics.
46. Officially changing the name of America's vast, expensive, and endless overseas wars to "Overseas Contingency Operation."
47. "President Barack Obama asked Congress on Thursday for $83.4 billion for U.S. military and diplomatic operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, pressing for special troop funding that he opposed two years ago when he was senator and George W. Bush was president. This would push the costs of the two wars to almost $1 trillion since Sept. 11, 2001."
48. "President Obama’s plan to require private insurance carriers to reimburse the Department of Veterans Affairs for the treatment of troops injured in service has infuriated veterans groups who say the government is morally obligated to pay for service-related medical care."
49. Appointing Tim Geithner to the office of Secretary of the Treasury, even though he was a part of the problem with the economic status quo and evaded his taxes for years.
50. Selected Annette Nazareth for the position of Deputy Treasury Secretary, who withdrew after a month long probe into her taxes.
51. Appointed Tom Daschle to the Department of Health and Human Services, who had to resign his nomination for the position because of tax evasion.
52. "Barack Obama has been embroiled in a cronyism row after reports that he intends to make Louis Susman, one of his biggest fundraisers, the new US ambassador in London. The selection of Mr. Susman, a lawyer and banker from the president’s hometown of Chicago, rather than an experienced diplomat, raises new questions about Mr Obama’s commitment to the special relationship with Britain."
53. Appointed Nancy Killefer for Chief Performance Officer, but she had to step down because she didn't pay her taxes either!
54. Samantha Power resigned from the Obama campaign f0r calling Hillary Clinton a "monster," but was later hired by the Obama Administration for a position on the National Security Council.
55. Appointed Rahm Emmanuel as Chief of Staff, who failed to report five years of free rent at a US Congressman's property in accordance with IRS policy and congressional ethics rules.
56. Adolfo Carrion, Director of White House Office of Urban Affairs, "pocketed thousands of dollars in campaign cash from city developers whose projects he approved or funded with taxpayers' money."
57. Appointed Janet Napolitano to the office of Secretary of Homeland Security, who was clueless enough to falsely claim that the 9-11 terrorists came into America through Canada.
58. “The willingness of a small percentage of military personnel to join extremist groups during the 1990s because they were disgruntled, disillusioned or suffering from the psychological effects of war is being replicated today.” — Department of Homeland Security intelligence report
59. Transparency: "Administration Permits Only One Question, No Follow-Ups About Extremism Report"
60. Appointing Attorney General Eric Holder, who said "Though this nation has proudly thought of itself as an ethnic melting pot, in things racial we have always been and continue to be, in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards."
61. AIG's second biggest campaign donation beneficiary: Barack Obama, who acted angry about the results of a bailout he helped to craft as U.S. Senator.
62. "For months, the Obama administration and members of Congress have known that insurance giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off government bailouts. It wasn’t until the money was flowing and news was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in anger and vowed to yank the money back."
63. Giving Henrietta Hughes a house instead of downsizing the government to free up productive capital that could be used by businesses to employ her so that she can afford her own living arrangements while providing value to other Americans.
64.
, smiling at, and shaking hands with Venezuela's brutal, autocratic dictator- Hugo Chávez.
65. Bowing to Saudi King Abdullah. U.S. Presidents do not bow before foreign monarchs.
66. Then a White House aide poorly and awkwardly lied about it: "It wasn’t a bow. He grasped his hand with two hands, and he’s taller than King Abdullah."
67. At their first meeting, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's gift to Obama: "an ornamental pen holder made from the timbers of the Victorian anti-slave ship HMS Gannet," and "a framed commission for HMS Resolute and a first edition of the seven-volume biography of Churchill by Sir Martin Gilbert." Obama's gift to Brown: a box set of 25 classic American DVDs... that don't work on European DVD players.
68. Used "England" to denote the U.K. -a gaffe that people from Scotland, Ireland, and Wales don't appreciate and chalk up to American ignorance and parochialism.
69. Repeatedly reminding House Republicans that none of them voted for the stimulus package. He's really going to regret that during the 2010 midterm elections when they'll be the ones reminding America.
70. "The White House says the president is unaware of the tea parties-" either they're lying or the President is clueless. Pick one.
71. "Mr Obama is an accomplished orator but is becoming known in America as the "teleprompt president" over his reliance on the machine when he gives a speech."
72. This has lead to numerous gaffes such as Obama thanking himself for being invited to speak with the Irish Prime Minister, as well as...
73. The bizarre spectacle of the President "arguing with" a teleprompter during a recent speech.
74. "I’ve been practicing bowling. I bowled a 129. It was like the Special Olympics or something." -Obama on The Tonight Show
75. Choosing purebred dog, "Bo" for the White House family's "first dog" instead of adopting a dog from a shelter like Obama promised.
76. Gaffe: "I didn’t want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances." -President Obama
77. False: "More than 90% of the guns recovered in Mexico come from the United States." -President Obama
78. What? "If we do everything right, if we do it with absolute certainty, if we stand up there and we really make the tough decisions, there’s still a 30% chance we’re going to get it wrong." -Vice President Biden
79. Clueless: "You know, I’m embarrassed. Do you know the Web site number? I should have it in front of me and I don’t. I’m actually embarrassed." -Vice President Biden, who should be.
80. Scary: Obama to Rep. Peter DeFazio, one of the Democratic congressman who voted against the stimulus package, "Don’t think we’re not keeping score, brother."
81. Airforce 1 panics New York City residents with extremely low flight plan for photo op and no public announcement.
82. Obama's perpetual campaign. The only thing our President has ever really led in his life was his campaign... instead of actually governing, he's been sticking to what he knows for the past 100 days- campaigning.
83. Obama's perpetual campaign failing.
84. Brushing off, laughing at, and dismissing a serious and valid question about the legalization of Marijuana and its impact on our economy.
85. SCHIP.
86. The regressive cigarette tax that falls mostly on lower income households to fund SCHIP.
87. Buying into and perpetuating the swine flu hysteria.
88. Allowing the Department of Homeland Security to take the lead in managing the swine flu. It should be the responsibility of the Department of Health and Human Services. Flu epidemics are not national security issues- they're health issues. Conflating the two is a dangerous precedent that puts too much power into the hands of the DHS.
89. Making a big flashy deal out of releasing the President's and Vice President's income tax returns (Oooohh- transparency!), which every President has done for years now.
90. Being totally shown up by the Bushes- according to their respective tax returns, the Obamas gave 6.5% of their 2008 income to charity while the Bushes gave 23% of theirs to charity in 2007. Embarrassing.
91. Supporting and signing The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus Package)
92. The health provisions in the stimulus bill.
93. Actually believing and preaching to others that consumption, not production, drives economic growth.
94. Obama's war on small business.
95. Bragging about his tax cut for 95% of Americans and not realizing (or conveniently not addressing) the fact that if it's funded with deficits and debt, it isn't really a tax cut because taxpayers will have to pay off the debt eventually (with interest) and the tax cut is offset by the rising prices of inflation.
96. Echoing Bernanke and Geithner's line that the economy needs more credit, while running trillion dollar deficits that hog up the credit market.
97. Timothy Geithner getting owned by Congressman Michelle Bachmann during his testimony in Congress.
98. Blatantly and unambiguously supporting policies that take from poor and middle class Americans to give to wealthy businesses and corporate executives.
99. Justifying these policies by saying that these businesses support poor Americans by giving them jobs and that they are simply "too big to fail."
100. Not realizing how suspiciously similar his argument sounds to "trickle-down," supply-side, Reaganomics.
AND THAT WAS JUST HIS FIRST 100 DAYS! Need I go on?
