By Jessica Hopper
Rock Center
UPDATED 6:50PM EST -- In the midst of 48 hours of non-stop campaigning in crucial swing states, President Barack Obama said that the tightening of the race between him and Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney doesn’t surprise him.
NBC's Williams with President Barack Obama in Davenport, IA. (Photo Credit: Neal Carter/NBC News)
In an exclusive interview with NBC News’ Brian Williams, during a campaign stop in Davenport, Iowa, the president said that he never believed that the excitement surrounding his historic election four years ago and the achievement of taking out al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden would inflate his likelihood of re-election.
“You guys have some short memories. Folks in your business were writing me off a year ago, saying there's no way I would win,” President Obama said. “These things go in ebbs and flows and, you know, the one thing I've tried to always be is just steady in terms of what I believe in, who I'm fighting for, and, you know, I think that one of the qualities I bring to bear in this campaign is, people see, what did I say I was going to do in 2008? And what have I delivered? And they can have some confidence that the things I say, I mean.”
Both the president and former Massachusetts Governor Romney are fiercely campaigning, criss-crossing the country in the final 13 days of the campaign.
“We always knew this was going to be a close race from the start. And what we have right now is a lead that we’ve maintained throughout the campaign and we are going to just continue to drive home the message that there are two fundamentally different choices in this election about where we take the country,” the president said.
After speaking to the crowd in Davenport, the president’s first stop in an eight-state campaign blitz, Obama sat down with Williams and discussed his relationship with Romney, his lackluster performance in the election’s first presidential debate and his administration’s handling of the crisis in Libya.
Obama defended his campaign’s release of a 20-page document detailing his plan for the next four years. The document was released the day after the final presidential debate and left pundits questioning whether its release was a late move made by a campaign that believes its opponent might be gaining momentum.
“I don’t know why you say that this is late in the game. This is exactly what I laid out at my convention,” the president told Williams. “Every point that’s in there is what we said when I accepted the Democratic nomination, is what we do to build up the middle class in this country and it’s been on our website for weeks and I hope that everybody takes an opportunity to read it, because as folks now narrow their focus on the election, in fact people here in Iowa are voting. You know, the more informed voters are and the more engaged they are about how big the stakes are, the better I think we’re going to do.”
When asked about the dynamic between he and Gov. Romney, the president said that his feelings towards Romney are no different than the feelings other presidential candidates have had before.
“I don’t think anybody would say that while you were in the middle of a campaign that you felt deep affection for the other guy, because, you know, look, you’re fighting for competing visions,” President Obama said.
From Iowa, the president traveled to Colorado and Nevada for campaign events before flying overnight to Florida to continue the second day of his battleground swing.
NBC News cameras have been granted wide-ranging access to the president as he embarks on his multi-state journey in the all-out push to appeal to voters. Clips from the president’s interview will be aired Wednesday evening on NBC Nightly News and Thursday morning on Today, with a complete behind-the-scenes profile airing Thursday night at 10pm/9c on NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams.
Leave a Comment:
Just to be clear, NBC has made the opportunity for this type of coverage available to Romney, but Romney is not doing any media by the choice of his campaign for the remainder of the time before the election.
Because Romney knows NBC would do a hit piece on him and not a fluff piece like this one will be for Obama.
^QFT for CheddarIsBetter
Yeah Obama means what he says. Lie, Lie, Lie.....
Yes President Obama does mean the things he says!
that's why it is Romney/Ryan 2012!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the problem is Romney doesn't or hasn't or won't or might or might not.
CHeck in tomorrow for the latest ROmney position.
OH SNAP!
Obama Flip Flops: Barack Obama's Broken Promises, Policy Reversals and Continuous Flippity Flop Flop Flops...with more to come!
Posted by Allen Ginzburg in Blog, Featured, Politics on April 16, 2012 9:15 am / 22 comments
President Obama's reelection campaign has accused Mitt Romney of being a flip-flopper that changes his positions all the time. In actuality, it is the President himself who has a history of doing just that. Here is an extensive list ofn President Obama's flip-flops, hypocrisies and broken promises:
Running for President
The very first flip-flop that Obama committed since running for President is actually running for the office in 2008. Obama said in 2004 that he would not run for President in the next election. Based on what has happened in the last 3 years, this is one promise that most Americans would likely prefer he had kept.
Taxes & Spending
Adding Debt & Raising the Debt Ceiling
As a Senator, Obama opposed raising the debt ceiling, and said adding 4 trillion in was "unpatriotic". As President, he insisted the debt ceiling be raised and has added substantially more than 4 trillion to the debt.
Bush Tax Cuts
In 2008, Obama said that, as President, he would repeal the Bush tax cuts for the rich. In 2010, he extended those cuts.
Capital Gains Taxes
In 2008, Obama said that, as President, he would raise taxes on capital gains and dividends for higher-income taxpayers. He has not done so.
Raising Taxes
In 2008, Obama pledged that, "no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes. My opponent can't make that pledge." However, he has raised taxes on tanning, cigarettes, and those who do not purchase health insurance (regardless of income).
Senior Income Tax
In 2008, Obama said that, as president, he would "eliminate all income taxation of seniors making less than $50,000 per year". He has not done so.
PAYGO
Shortlyafter entering office, Obama signed PAYGO legislation which demanded that all expenditures be paid for unless they are part of an emergency. Democrats in Congress started using the loophole to bypass the legislation almost immediately. Obama touted that a previous extension of unemployment benefits was fully paid for, but later blasted Republicans for not continuing to extend those benefits without paying for them.
Spending Freezes
In 2008, Obama derided spending freezes as "using a hatchet where you need a scalpel" and "unfair burden-sharing". He said that, although it's "proposed periodically", a spending freeze "doesn't happen". In 2010, Obama announced support for a three-year federal spending freeze on discretionary spending not related to national security.
Earmarks
In 2008, Obama's campaign said that, as President, he would reduce earmarks "to less than $7.8 billion a year, the level they were at before 1994″. Earmarks for fiscal year 2010 were more than $15 billion.
Competitive Bidding on Earmarks
In 2008, Obama said that, as President, he would "ensure that federal contracts over $25,000 are competitively bid". He has not done so.
Tax Credits for Child Care
In 2008, Obama said that, as president, he would increase the tax credits for child care and dependent care, and make such credits refundable. He has not done so.
Killing NASA Program
"In August 2008, Senator Obama announced, as The Washington Post noted, "a detailed comprehensive space plan that includes $2 billion in new funding to reinvigorate NASA".
But, as The Washington Post reported in March 2010, President Obama later shattered the dreams of the NASA community with a decision "to kill NASA's Constellation program, crafted during the Bush administration with an ambitious goal of putting astronauts back on the moon by 2020."
Foreign Policy
Iraq Timetable
Obama promised to end the war in Iraq and bring the all the troops home in 2009. He later changed his tune to say the withdrawal depends on conditions on the grounds and troops remained in Iraq past 2009.
Iraq Surge
Obama originally opposed the Iraq surge and claimed that extra troops would not do anything to quell sectarian violence. However, after the surge was clearly successful, Obama suggested that everyone knew the surge would decrease violence in Iraq.
Military Action without Congressional Approval
"President Obama has shown a striking lack of consistency with regard to the question of Congressional authorisation and the use of force. In a 2007 interview with The Boston Globe, then Senator Obama declared:
"The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation. In instances of self-defense, the President would be within his constitutional authority to act before advising Congress or seeking its consent. History has shown us time and again, however, that military action is most successful when it is authorized and supported by the Legislative branch. It is always preferable to have the informed consent of Congress prior to any military action."
However, as President in March 2011, Barack Obama authorized military action against the Libyan regime without consulting Congress, a decision which drew heavy fire on Capitol Hill."
Dropping Missile Defenses in Poland to appease Russia
"In his Prague speech in April 2009, President Obama pledged to move forward with the Bush-era plans for Third Site missile defences in Poland and the Czech Republic…
Just six months later however, the Obama administration surrendered to Russian demands, and dramatically dropped plans for Third Site."
There has been speculation that Obama's recent Hot-Mic comments to Russia's president about flexibility after the election signal further concessions in this area.
Israel
While giving a speech in front of the Pro-Israel group AIPAC in 2008, Obama proclaimed that Jerusalem must remain the undivided capital of Israel. However, a few days later his advisers were clarifying that he no longer believes that and the division of Jerusalem is actually an issue to be addressed in negotiations.
Obama repeated the same strategy in 2012 when he promised to "have Israel's back" on Iran in his 2012 AIPAC speech and backtracked a few days later.
Letting Sudan off the hook for the Darfur genocide
"In 2004, Senator Obama was a prominent supporter of a "humanitarian intervention" to halt state-sponsored mass killing in Darfur, declaring in a speech that 'we cannot, in good conscience, stand by and let the genocide continue.' He advocated tough UN sanctions against the brutal regime of Omar Hassan al-Bashir, which "should freeze the assets of the Sudanese government, its leaders and business affiliates; outlaw arms sales and transfers to Sudan; and prohibit the purchase of Chinese oil."
However, as president, Obama dramatically changed his tune, extending the hand of friendship to Bashir, despite the fact the Sudanese government and its proxy Janjaweed Arab militias had butchered hundreds of thousands of people".
Abandoning Mubarak in Egypt after calling him a "stalwart ally"
"Big picture foreign policy strategy has not been a forté of this administration, as demonstrated by its inconsistent policy on Egypt and the Middle East. In an interview with the BBC's Justin Webb in June 2009, when asked if he viewed President Mubarak as an authoritarian ruler, President Obama declared:
No, I tend not to use labels for folks. I haven't met him; I've spoken to him on the phone. He has been a stalwart ally, in many respects, to the United States. He has sustained peace with Israel, which is a very difficult thing to do in that region, but he has never resorted to unnecessary demagoguing of the issue and has tried to maintain that relationship. So I think he has been a force for stability and good in the region.
20 months later, the White House emphatically called for Mubarak to go".
Cuba Embargo
Obama opposed the embargo in 2004, but later supported it when speaking in front of a Cuban audience during his run for president. It is still in place today.
Recognizing Armenian Genocide
In 2008, Obama said he would recognize the Armenian Genocide once he is president. He has not done so.
Meeting with Iran Without Preconditions
Obama tried to distance himself from the position that he would meet with Iran without preconditions during the 2008 campaign by claiming there would be "preparations", before returning to his original position.
Iran Threat
Obama has never had a consistent position on Iran, but one particular shift over a two day period in 2008 is the greatest example of Obama's waffling on the issue. On one day Obama suggested that Iran does not "pose a serious threat to us", but the very next day he was describing Iran as a "grave threat".
Designating Revolutionary Guard as a Terrorist Group
In September 2007, Obama voted against the Kyl-Lieberman bill which would designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization. Obama attacked Hillary Clinton for voting for the bill, but later claimed that he supported labeling the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization. Obama explained his vote against the bill using a variety of different reasons at different times.
NAFTA
During the 2008 campaign Obama was very critical of NAFTA, but later referred to his own rhetoric as "overheated and amplified."
Meeting with Chavez
While running for office, Obama stated that he would meet with Hugo Chavez and discuss his support for FARC on one day and then said governments supporting FARC should be isolated the next.
Annual "State of the World" Address
In 2008, Obama said that, as president, he would "give an annual State of the World address to the American people in which I lay out our national security policy". He has never given any such address.
Promised to Improve America's Image
A key foreign policy theme of the Obama presidential election campaign was the notion that President Bush had damaged America's image on the world stage, with his supposedly 'cowboy' policies. In the words of a campaign document, "Barack Obama and Joe Biden will restore America's standing in the world by providing a new American leadership to meet the challenges of a new century".
As President, however, Obama has done exactly the opposite, insulting key allies such as Great Britain, Israel and Poland, projecting weak leadership, and undermining the standing of the United States as the world's only superpower. As I've noted before:
"No American president in modern times has invested less effort in maintaining US alliances than Barack Obama. Whether it is siding with Marxists in Honduras against pro-American forces, condemning Israel, throwing the Poles and Czechs under the bus, or trashing the Anglo-American Special Relationship, the Obama administration has gone out of its way to kick its allies in the teeth while kowtowing to America's enemies. For a president who boasted in his election campaign of restoring America's "standing" in the world, Obama has done a spectacularly bad job of preserving friendships with Washington's closest friends."
Energy
Gas Prices
Obama, along with many other leading Democrats, blamed George W. Bush for high gas prices when he was President. Yet now that prices have reached near record highs under his administration, Obama is claiming that he has no control of those prices. Furthermore, Obama has previously said he supports a gradual shift to higher gas prices, but now laughs off the claim that he is rooting for higher prices to reduce dependency.
Cap and Trade
In 2008, Obama said that, as president, he would "set a hard cap on all carbon emissions at a level that scientists say is necessary to curb global warming – an 80% reduction by 2050″. No cap and trade legislation has been passed.
Selling Oil from Strategic Reserve
In July 2007, Obama rejected selling oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which he said should be "reserved for a genuine emergency." A month later, Obama said, "We should sell 70 million barrels of oil from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve for less expensive crude, which in the past has lowered gas prices within two weeks", even though gas prices were higher in July 2007 than in August 2007.
Keystone XL
Obama touted the possibility of a pipeline during his 2008 campaign, but rejected rapid approval of the Keystone XL pipeline this year.
Nuclear Power
Obama told a group of Democratic Governors in June of 2008 that he was open to expanding nuclear power after having previously opposed it.
Immigration & Healthcare
Immigration Reform
In 2008, Obama said that, as President, he would introduce comprehensive immigration reform legislation in his first year. He did not. He has now made the same promise for the first year of his second term.
Health Care Mandate
Obama was against the individual mandate before it became a central part of his signature legislation.
Single Payer Health Care
In 2003, as an Illinois state senator, Obama said, "I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care program." In 2009, Obama said, "I have not said that I was a single-payer supporter."
Keeping Your Insurance
Leading up to the passage of Obamacare, Obama promised Americans that they would be able to keep their current insurance plan if they like it. Further analysis by the CBO has revealed that Obamacare would cause many seniors to have their Medicare Advantage coverage cut in half and millions to be dropped from their employer-provided insurance.
Cost of Obamacare
Obama promised that he would "not sign [a healthcare bill] if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period." Yet, a new analysis determines that his bill will add quite a bit to future deficits.
Insuring All Americans
Obama outlined three goals for his health care legislation. Lowering the cost curve and insuring all Americans were two of the three. It has now been determined that Obamacare will add to the deficit and 25 million Americans will remain uninsured.
Reconciliation
In 2010, Obama signed into law health care reform that was passed via reconciliation, contrary to his 2007 insistence that health care reform should not be passed by a bare "50 plus one majority", and his 2005 rejection of the 'nuclear option' in the Senate.
Televising Healthcare Negotiations
In 2008, Obama said, when it came to crafting health care reform, "we'll have the negotiations televised on C-SPAN." Many crucial negotiations pertaining to health care reform were not televised.
Taxing Health Benefits
In 2008, Obama criticized his presidential opponent, Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), saying, "for the first time in American history, he wants to tax your health benefits." In 2010, Obama signed into law health care reform legislation that puts a 40% tax on some health insurance policies.
Importing Cheaper Drugs
In 2008, Obama said that, as President, his health care reform would allow Americans to import cheaper prescription drugs. The health care reform he signed into law does not allow this.
Cracking Down on Employers of Illegal Immigrants
Obama opposed cracking down on employers of illegal immigrants before running for President, but supported it during his run.
Defense
Closing Guantanamo
In 2008, Obama's campaign said that, as president, he would "close the detention facility at Guantanamo." And, in January 2009, Obama signed an executive order calling for the Guantanamo Bay facility to be closed. It remains open.
Military tribunals for terror suspects
In the 2008 campaign, Obama said that, as president, he would end the use of military commissions with respect to terrorism suspects and detainees. However, they are still in use.
Rendition of Terror Suspects
"In a 2007 Foreign Affairs article, Senator Obama gave a strong indication that he would end the Bush administration practice of rendition of terror suspects:
"To build a better, freer world, we must first behave in ways that reflect the decency and aspirations of the American people… This means ending the practices of shipping away prisoners in the dead of night to be tortured in far-off countries, of detaining thousands without charge or trial, of maintaining a network of secret prisons to jail people beyond the reach of the law."
But, as The New York Times reported in August 2009, the Obama administration's Interrogation and Transfer Task Force announced that it would retain renditions, but with what The Times referred to as "more oversight.'"
Photos of Detainee Abuse
In April 2009, the Obama administration said it planned to release photos depicting abuse of detainees being held by the U.S. overseas. The administration then reversed its decision, and said it would resist court rulings demanding the release of such photos.
Patriot Act
Obama said he would repeal the Patriot Act in a 2003 questionnaire, but later voted to renew it in the Senate.
FISA
In 2007, Obama pleased liberal advocates by promising to filibuster any bill that gave amnesty to telecommunication companies that were assisting authorities with wiretapping activities. Obama voted for a bill that did just that in July of 2008.
Killing Osama Bin Laden
Obama highlighted the importance of killing Osama Bin Laden while running for president and after OBL was killed in Pakistan, but made the claim that it was no longer "essential" when he first got into office.
Other
Public Financing
Obama promised to seek public financing for his presidential campaign in 2008, but ended up rejecting public financing.
2008 Debates
In May 2008, Obama said he would meet McCain "anywhere, anytime to have a debate about our respective policies in Iraq, Iran, the Middle East or around the world". But he rejected town hall debates proposed by the McCain campaign.
Voting Along Party Lines
In 2010, Obama decried Senate candidate Scott Brown's (R-MA) record of voting with Republicans 96% of the time, saying it showed Brown was not "independent." When he himself was in the Senate, Obama voted with Democrats 96% of the time.
Minimum Wage
In 2008, Obama said that, as president, he would raise the minimum wage to $9.50 an hour, up from the current $7.25 an hour. It has not been raised.
Civility
"After the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) and several others (six people were killed), Obama said, "at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who happen to think differently than we do — it's important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we're talking with each other in a way that heals, not in a way that wounds". Yet Obama has frequently described Republicans as Social Darwinists. He has said that the difference between Democrats and Republicans is that Democrats "have a sense of neighborliness and a sense of community, and we are willing to look out for one another and help people who are vulnerable and help people who are down on their luck".
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In his book, "The Audacity of Hope", Obama lamented the description of abortion opponents as"right-wing ideologues who want to take away a woman's right to choose". Obama said the"standard boilerplate" rhetoric had been written — not by himself — but by someone on his U.S. Senate campaign staff, and he had the "offending words" removed from his website. In recent months, however, Obama has described Republican opponents of abortion as seeking to "turn back the clock", "prevent millions of women from getting basic health care that they desperately need", and "stirring up fights over a woman's right to make her own health care choices".
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Despite advocating civility and civil debate, Obama has appointed Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL) to chair the DNC, even though she has frequently resorted to name-calling (e.g., here, here,here, here, and here). Rather than chastising her for her incivility, Obama has praised her.
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After James "Jimmy" Hoffa, Jr., launched this invective at the Tea Party – "President Obama, this is your army. We are ready to march. Let's take these son of a bitches out and give America back to an America where we belong" – during an event at which Obama was about to speak, the Obama administration refused to denounce Hoffa's offensive (and violent) rhetoric, saying they would not act as the "speech police". Days later, Obama's presidential campaign launched AttackWatch.com, a website dedicated to policing the speech of Republicans and denouncing them when they say unfair things about Obama."
Questioning Patriotism
"In 2008, Obama said, "I will never question the patriotism of others in this campaign. And I will not stand idly by when I hear others question mine. [...] Patriotism can never be defined as loyalty to any particular leader, or government, or policy." However, in that same year, he called the Bush administration's decision to raise the debt ceiling "unpatriotic". [Obama] has accused Republicans of putting party before country, and he has stood idly by as others in his party — e.g., Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) — have said Republicans are "not patriotic.'"
Presidential Commissions
In 2008, Obama derided presidential commissions as "Washington-speak" for "we'll get back to you later." In 2010, he appointed the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform to look for solutions to the debt crisis. The commission did not have the votes to submit their plan to Congress, and Obama has not championed their proposals.
Furthermore, in 2008, Obama said that, as president, he would create a national commission to look at whether programs such as Social Security Disability Insurance, Supplementary Security Income, Medicare and Medicaid create an incentive for people to not work. He has yet to do so.
Public Posting of Bills Before Passage
In 2008, Obama's campaign said that, as president, he would "not sign any nonemergency bill without giving the American public an opportunity to review and comment on the White House Web site for five days". He has since signed non-emergency bills without the five-day public review period.
White House Fleet
In 2008, Obama said that, as president, he would convert the White House fleet of cars to plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. He has not done so.
Gay Marriage
Obama's position on this issue is constantly changing. President Obama openly opposed gay marriage during the 2008 election. Obama also supported states deciding the issue at that point. However, later on Obama opposed California's ban on gay marriage and has said his views on the issue are "evolving."
Super PACs
Obama opposed use and coordination of Super PAC's following the Citizens United decisions, but recently changed course and signaled approval of Super PAC's that are supporting his re-election effort.
D.C. Handgun Ban
Obama supported the D.C. hand gun ban before agreeing with the Supreme Court decision that it "went beyond constitutional limits."
School Voucher Program
Barack Obama suggested he would support a D.C. voucher program before opposing it and eventually cutting funding to it.
Decriminalizing Marijuana
Obama told students in 2004 he supported decriminalizing marijuana usage, but opposed it during his run for president. He has yet to take significant steps to decriminalize marijuana as President.
Union Support
"In January [2008], the Obama campaign described union contributions to the campaigns of Clinton and John Edwards as 'special interest' money. Obama changed his tune as he began gathering his own union endorsements. Since gaining his own union support, Obama refers respectfully to unions as the representatives of 'working people' and says he is 'thrilled' by their support."
Abortion
Obama disagreed with the Supreme Court decision upholding a ban on partial birth abortion and had a 100% NARAL rating in 2006, 2007 and 2008, but while being interviewed by a Christian magazine Obama said that "mental distress" should not count as a "health of the mother" exception to a ban.
Wearing a U.S. Flag Pin
Obama refused to wear a flag pin during the 2008 primaries because he considered them a substitute for "true patriotism", but he started wearing it again once the primaries were over.
Welfare Reform
Obama called Bill Clinton's 1996 Welfare Reform legislation "disturbing" at the time it was passed, but he celebrated the reforms and what they resulted in once running for president.
Jeremiah Wright
When videos of the controversial remarks of Obama's long time pastor and mentor, Reverand Jeremiah Wright, first appeared, the President said he can no more disown Wright than his white grandmother. Once it became even clearer that Wright was an extreme individual, Obama did disown and disassociate himself from Wright.
Accepting Donations from Lobbyists
Obama had a campaign pledge to not accept political contributions from lobbyists, yet Obama accepted money from registered airline lobbyist Ron Klein.
No Lobbyists
President Obama promised and made a campaign issue of not have a revolving door of lobbyists joining and leaving his administration, but has consistently violated this pledge by providing waivers to circumvent this promise.
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PolitiFact has a few more broken promises here.
All of the statements above have been fact-checked, but I need to give credit to several sites for being the source of many of the points on this list: Audacity of Hypocrisy, Telegraph, Director Blue, Yahoo Voices
Looks like all hat, no cattle from the comments of the righties. Same old, let's blame Obama for everything that Bush did, and ignorance of the fact that Obama did a lot to get this nation rolling again. Now, if those on the right would join in, instead of obfuscating every request by Obama to fix our infrastructure, we could accomplish much more together.
But Republicans don''t believe in together. Republicans have ended all doubts about their willingness to work for common goals as they filibustered 400 bills that had majority agreement in the Senate, while the Republican majority in the House of Representatives voted down every jobs bill Obama proposed!
So, it must be Obama's fault for thinking that the purpose of the House of Representatives is to craft legislation...
The only notable legislation Republican leaders propsed were 14 more attacks on women's rights, sliding these poison pill amendments into good bills that needed to be passed, and pushing 35 bills designed to repeal ObamaCare. And nothing else! Republicans unanimously agreed to block every bill Obama proposed! Before Obama took office!
How's that going to look to our future generations who study history and see the uselessness of the Republican Party at this point in American history? Of course, the ownership of the media will allow the Republicans to contain the crap they pulled by lying about it, but lies have a way of coming back to haunt the liars that use them, sooner or later,,,,
Ownership of the media? What a crock of crap that is. If you said "Fox News"...maybe. NBC is firmly in the land of liberal socialist democrat.
As far as the rest of it goes, I'll grant you that Republicans haven't made it easy. That's where the President is lacking. He needs to figure out how to work both sides of the isle. Poor guy hasn't done it. Time to replace him.
Rite on Jack, The Republicons have destroyed the American dream through thirty years of trickle down economics, dropped the income tax rates for the top 2% from 75% to 35% since Ronald Reagan and we wonder why the country is broke, Two wars on the credit card to China and tax cuts to the wealtiest people in the history of the world is what broke this country, the Republicons make me sick and the blue collar people who follow them are stupid and I feel sorry for them, all they know is hate.
Nice try. Obama is the most arrogant, divisive person ever to hold the office of President. He hears one delusional voice - his own. He has no track record of working across the aisle - Romney does.
Keep paddling Jack, your ship is going to keep on taking water until it sinks in two weeks and Obama faces his failed presidency. Or maybe he will send Hillary out to take the blame.
Jack-295117
ref: #30
I have seen no one blame Obama for what Bush did. I have seen every last one of you so called liberals blame Bush for policies that were put in place before he took office. Policies that caused the severity and length of the difficult economic times we are experiencing now.
My question is.....is Mr. Obama "hop scotching" across the country using my tax dollars to pay for the gas and personnel for Airforce One and Airforce Two? Or is the cost of gas and airplane coming out of his campaign money?
Idiot,every president uses our taxes as long as you are USA president, not only in USA all around the globe.
Mom, ALL Presidents use Air-force one when campaigning because the business of running does not stop because you are on the campaign trail.
You can call me an "idiot" if you want; but I wasn't stupid enough to put him in office.
Mam, I did not call you an idiot.
@mom you tell ,um girl good for you
R-R Nov6
Obama has accomplished nothing other than irrevocably dividing the nation, raping the treasury and driving the debt beyond control. He has broken essentially every promise he has ever made and is driving this once great Republic into fiscal oblivion. Believe this charlatan at your own peril.
Nothing?
Created 2m jobs with the stimulus, averted a credit industry collapse with TARP, ended the IRaq War, provided an exist strategy for Afghan, killed most of al queda leadership, provided health care for poor, ALL of which (except al queda part) GOP fought against tooth and nail. That's a lot of "nothing".
Imagine if GOP helped instead.
He did not end the Iraq war. It was already negotiated by the Bush administration before Obama took office. Stop giving Obama credit for what was not his and stop blaming Bush for the issues that weren't his like the housing collapse.
down 9 million jobs since Obamas inauguration. The 2 million you say were created still leaves us way down.
Obama said he would end the Iraq Abortion and said when. At the time bush/cheney were saying the Iraq Abortion would not end in a decade. It was not until McSame was running that he changed his tune and did what Obama said he would do.
It is waiting of time and nonsense to be talking about this election,president Obama should be re-elected on opposed,Romney/Ryan are not ready to be in white house' so far,if you vote for Romney/Ryan you have Romnesia disease which is contageous,these guys are luddites and they looks ludicrous on television.Vote for president Obama to move this country forward.
McCain was way more qualified than Obama in 2008 - especially on foreign policy. Obama just had a better marketing team and nice slogans.
What an apologist you are! McSame sank his boat when he picked Failin Palin.
Health Care for everyone (not just for the old folks) - end of two disastrous republican wars (cost: $1.5 Trillions!) - Dow jones up 100% (from 6,700) - unemployment down from 11.5 % to 8% - Financial collapse (under republican non-leadership) avoided - America respected again by the rest of the world (no more embarrassing "Mission Accomplished"). Not perfect, but much better than where we were 4 years ago. And there is still hope for even more accomplishments.
Financial collapse was the result of Dodd/Frank and Clinton policies.
Ok, but you agree with everything else?
ObamaCare is screwing the poor working man. Companies are choosing to cut every ones hours to part time, and provide no coverage.
The only way for hundreds of thousands of workers to keep their health insurance is to exempt them from the government-imposed “fix.” McDonald's warned federal regulators that it could be forced to drop its affordable health insurance plan for nearly 30,000 restaurant workers unless it got a pass.
How do these hundreds of thousands of part time workers afford Health Insurance? How much will the fine be for them not being able to afford insurance?
___________
As of September 2012, the unemployment rate in the United States was 7.8%, but the government’s broader U-6 unemployment rate, which includes the part-time underemployed was 14.7%.
_______________
We are not and never will be more respected in the Middle-East.
He is not more liked in Israel, you know our ally.
_____________
The wars were Bi-partisan Biden even voted in favor.
I like the President and believe that he is sincere and thoughtful in his leadership. I think he's really had it rough dealing with the republicans in Congress. Which is why I also believe that Romney is the better choice at this point. The President has to face facts, he's been ineffective in working both sides of the isle. Time for a change.
Also, thanks so much NBC for yet-again demonstrating your wide liberal pro-democrat bias by providing free national campaign air-time to the democrats.
Yep he had it rough with all the multi-Million dollar vacations and all that golfing
I am sure he was not asked about all of the on going lies coming from the White House and the cover up that continues to grow.
I'm having a hard time finding this story on MSNBC, can anyone point me in the right direction?
(Reuters) – Officials at the White House and State Department were advised two hours after attackers assaulted the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, Libya, on September 11 that an Islamic militant group had claimed credit for the attack, official emails show.
The emails, obtained by Reuters from government sources not connected with U.S. spy agencies or the State Department and who requested anonymity, specifically mention that the Libyan group called Ansar al-Sharia had asserted responsibility for the attacks.
The brief emails also show how U.S. diplomats described the attack, even as it was still under way, to Washington.
It was on the front page a little while ago.
Yeah, type DRUDGEREPORT.COM...Thanks for bringing it to Chris Matthew's leg.
I'm sure they'll squeeze it in in between Rachel Maddow and Al Sharpton.
No Mark, that was NBC's version not the actual Rueters story.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/10/24/us-usa-benghazi-emails-idUSBRE89N02C20121024
I stand corrected.
I do not think such a story exists or I would be glad to point you in the right direction. LOL
The things he says he means, hmmm. Slept like a baby when our our embassy staff were being drug through the streets. Might have been watching that video 13 people saw. See ya Nov. 6 NOBAMA. Out.
agree!!
What a joke of a news outlet.
Romney/Ryan 2012
Wow, I didn't know the President only watched Fox News...
Of course it's a tight race! Look how many years passed before Josef Stalin clearly defeated his opponent Adolph Hitler? Who would you have chosen in that debate; the 'Socialist' or the 'Fascist' (by the way that's corporate Fascist)?
Really stupid stuff dom.
On the campaign trail In 2008 you promised the Amercian people that you would not sign any bill that contained "pork", yet the very first thing you did when you became President was to sign a piece of legislation that was so bloated with pork that it should have been called "The Other White Meat Bill". You are a phucking liar, just like the rest of the politicians in D.C. and throughout this great country. Come 11/6, you're fired!
And replace him with someone who has no plan but to give more money to the rich and take health care away from the poor?
I'll take Obama's accomplishments anyday.
hadenuff-1173496 - You misunderstood him. He said you can have confidence in what he says, not what he does.
Planned Parenthood provides mammograms. We got back every dime we used to rescue the financial system. Benghazi violence was caused by an internet video & demonstrations. My budget will cut the deficit by $4 Trillion over 10 years. You Didn't Build that. I've done more for Israel's security than any President ever. Rich doesn't pay their fair share. The health care bill will not increase the deficit by one dime. The Health Care Package will pay for itself.
RTFS - that is one of the most intelligent recaps of the last 4 years and the current campaign that I have read thus far. Excellent summation. President Obama deserves respect for what he has done - and tried to do with very little cooperation in DC - during his term in office. No one - not Mitt Romney, not the "revered" Ronald Reagan, I repeat no one, could have resolved the issues President Obama was faced with when he took office in just one term. Anyone who believes otherwise lacks rational thinking. Although things are slowly improving, if we allow the tighter regulations on banks & Wall Street to fall by the wayside, we will be right back on that same sinking battleship - and that will be one of the first things a republican presidency will try to do.
Sophisticated logic has a place in a sophisticated dialog, with sophisticated, genuine people of character and purpose. The President has shown that he can operate effectively at that level. We are, however, engaged in a struggle for our principles and social stability with thieves, liars, amoral politicians, pandering zealots and big money interests. This is a transformational struggle for our Future, with the powerful interests of greed & indifference.
We need clear direction, decisive action, bare knuckles tactics, impeccable strategy and spiritual inspiration. We need to be brave, attack on all fronts and concede no ground. This isn’t a gentleman’s contest. Fortunately, we have President Obama on our side.
I wonder what would happen if Democrats didn't have Republicans to blame? I guess they would find someone else. How soon they forget that Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid along with Democrat majorities in both Houses of Congress took over in January 2007 and controlled the legislature until 2011. Why don't they deserve some of the credit for our financial collapse or more importantly, why doesn't the media remember Pelosi's acceptance speech?
"After years of historic deficits, this 110th Congress will commit itself to a higher standard: Pay as you go, no new deficit spending," Pelosi said in her speech from the speaker's podium. "Our new America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not burden them with mountains of debt."
At the close of business on Jan. 4, 2007, Pelosi’s first day as speaker, the national debt was $8,670,596,242,973.04 (8.67 trillion), according to the Bureau of the Public Debt, a division of the U.S. Treasury Department. As of today, it is over $16 trillion.
Pelosi, the 60th speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, added more to the national debt than the first 57 House speakers combined.
OMG. Get over it already.
Owebama says "The things I say, I mean"
After Billions in Stimulus in 2009. "With the stimulus we will get unemployment down to 5.4%! There are thousands of Shovel Ready Jobs that will be created! "
2011- "Oops I guess there weren't as many Shovel Ready Jobs as I thought"
The B S er in Chief!
Would you have rather we did nothing at all during the worst economic times in 100 years?
Do you think we'd be better off had the banks failed, had GM and Chrysler laid off 1m workers, had the stimulus not created 2m jobs?
Is that what you think government should do..NOTHING?
Why do you think every other country do roughly the same thing? Because it was the right thing to do.
Show a little respect. He is our President.
@savvy
yes he is our POTUS but a piss poor one
R-R Nov6
Saavy: Just like the press and liberals respected Bush? Name calling, words much worse than "retard" and a Broadway play about George W.Bush assassination?
Savvy.....I was taught growing up that one has to earn respect. I can not and will not respect a liar.
And this is why I just can't vote Republican any more. 55, white, 6 figure salary in private business and I lost my party so I will vote for the President. After 8 years of Bush we were so screwed up, two wars and cratering economically. The Karl Roves of the Republican Party thought they could include the tea party and the right wing religious nuts and nobody would notice. They brought their stink with them though. The religious nuts, what the guy in Missouri or today in Indiana, tell me, why are they any different than the Taliban??? They are just trying to shove their Sharia down my throat. The white trailer trash that makes up the tea party, they are just angry a black guy is frigging president, tea party is just a fancy name for Klan or Militia. When you let people like Rush Limbaugh, Sarah Palin and Michelle Bachman become the intellectual giants of your party you become a joke and that is what the Republican Party has become
Excellent comment too.
excellent for a Union hack
Cover up in Benghazi? You people really need to stop watching Fox News.
Romney is the champion of political and financial opportunism and deception. He will smile and tell you one thing while plotting to do the exact opposite. How can anybody trust a man who has flip-flopped REPEATEDLY on EVERY major issue of our time? I do not want a person with no core of convictions or beliefs leading our nation. Don't forget, Mitt may be showing his moderate face right now, but he will be the figurehead of a radically conservative Republican party that has sought to obstruct economic progress for four years and that wants nothing more than to radically transform our nation on issues from women's rights to medicare and social security. Mitt may have embraced Obama's foreign policy in the debate, but he only did it because he doesn't want the public aware that his foreign policy team includes the same neocon advisers that schemed the war in Iraq.
One has to watch Fox to get real reporting. The rest of the media has their collective heads up Obamas ass so far they don't know there are real stories to report. If you are happy with the lies and cover up then that's great. I choose not to be a party to that. Vote for him again and see where you are four years from now.
OBAMA - "THE THINGS I SAY I MEAN"...........................REALLY?
LIST OF OBAMA LIES 2012 - UPDATED - OBAMA LAUNDRY LIST OF LIES
Crop Failure (Obama lies when he says Paul Ryan is blocking drought relief)
Source:NationalReview
SO IT BEGINS: OBAMA LIES, CLAIMS ROMNEY-RYAN WILL RAISE YOUR TAXES
Source: Breitbart.com, August 12, 2012
Barack Obama has been proven by more than one fact checking organization to be a habitual liar.
"I am told that Governor Romney's new running mate, Paul Ryan, might be around Iowa the next few days," he said while in Council Bluffs, Iowa. "He is one of the leaders of Congress standing in the way. So if you happen to see Congressman Ryan, tell him how important this farm bill is to Iowa and our rural communities."
House passed bill on August 2, 2012 (Paul Ryan voted yes)
The American automobile industry has come roaring back…So now I want to say what we did with the auto industry, we can do it in manufacturing across America. Let's make sure advanced, high-tech manufacturing jobs take root here, not in China. And that means supporting investment here. Governor Romney … invested in companies that were called 'pioneers' of outsourcing. I don't want to outsource. I want to insource.
Forbes- Outsourcer-In-Chief: Obama Of General Motors
"You Didn't Build that"
A few examples
While writing the previous piece where Washington Post's The Fact Checker gave Barack Obama four Pinocchios on a statement he made on April 30, 2012, I clicked over to PolitiFact and took a look at the Obama File they keep where they have three pages of statements made by Barack Obama that were rated false statements.
Obama- If the Supreme Court throws out the federal health care law, it "would be an unprecedented, extraordinary step of overturning a law that was passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact- Slim majority, not unprecedented)
Obama- "For the first time since 1990, American manufacturers are creating new jobs."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
Obama- "Preventive care … saves money, for families, for businesses, for government, for everybody."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact- Wrong in 2009, and wrong today)
Obama- "Thirty million Americans, including a lot of people in Florida, are going to be able to get healthcare next year because of that law."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
Obama- "I made a bunch of these promises during the campaign. … We've got about 60 percent done in three years."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact- "In the Works" does not equal "done")
Obama Admin.- Under President Barack Obama, the United States has "doubled our exports."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
Obama Admin.- The president's proposed budget "will help reduce the deficit by $400 billion over the next decade to the lowest level since Dwight Eisenhower was president."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-A mangled reference to a prior talking point)
Obama- Under the White House's budget proposal, "we will not be adding more to the national debt" by the middle of the decade.
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-Revenue would equal outlays, but he ignores growing interest on the debt)
Obama- Twelve judges have thrown out legal challenges to the health care law because they rejected "the notion that the health care law was unconstitutional."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-Score two to two on judges' decisions on constitionality)
Obama- "I didn't raise taxes once."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-We've tracked a few increases)
Obama- When President Franklin D. Roosevelt started Social Security, "it only affected widows and orphans," and when Medicare began, "it was a small program."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-A grain of truth in the big picture, far off on the details)
Obama- The Bush administration had been "giving (auto companies) billions of dollars and just asking nothing in return."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
Obama- "The vast majority of the money I got was from small donors all across the country."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-Big donors bankrolled much of Obama's campaign)
Obama- "We've excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-We found at least four)
Obama- When Obama was interviewed by American reporters in Asia, "Not one of them asked me about Asia. Not one of them asked me about the economy."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-More than one did)
Obama- Insurers delayed an Illinois man's treatment, "and he died because of it."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(Insurer's decision was reversed and man lived three more years)
Obama- Health reform will "give every American the same opportunity" to buy health insurance the way members of Congress do.
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
Obama- Preventive care "saves money."
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
(PolitiFact-Covering preventive care for everyone is a net cost)
Obama- (No earmarks in spending bill)
Truth-O-Meter rating: False
That was only from page one of Obama's false statement PolitiFact files.
(Note- Skipped one from page one because while PolitiFact rated it as false it was because Obama misspoke and quoted the wrong time frame, so I don't count that as an outright lie to the American people, just sloppy.)
Page two is here and page three is here.
Noteworthy- Those three pages do not include the five instances where Obama was ruled worse than "false" but were called "pants on fire" false.
The another three pages of statements that are listed as "mostly false" on the Truth-O-Meter.
Mostly false statements by Obama or his administration- Page one here, page two here and page three here.
All those listed above are from one fact checking organization, PolitiFact, which leaves one to wonder how many lies Obama has told in total since organizations often fact check different statements.
Barack Obama has been proven by more than one fact checking organization to be a habitual liar.
Lies During Third Year
I will walk on that picket line with you, if workers are denied the right to bargain.
Youtube
In his 2012 State of the Union Address, President Obama said that American oil production is the highest that it's been in eight years.
www.breitbart.com
I've done more for Israel's security than any President ever
Obama aided Islamic Extremists take over of Egypt/ Libya – Weapons pour into Gaza
Virtually every Senate Republican voted against the tax cut last week
Examiner
"Every idea that we've put forward are ones that traditionally have been supported by Democrats and Republicans alike."
Like Raising taxes?
Obama met highly qualified out of work teacher Robert Baroz
He wasn't out of work and Obama never met him.
GOP Responsible for Obama Jobs Bill Not Passing
Dems Rejected Jobs Bill
You have 80 percent of the American people who support a balanced approach. Eighty percent of the American people support an approach that includes revenues and includes cuts. So the notion that somehow the American people aren't sold is not the problem
Gallup Poll: Only 69%
These are obligations that the United States has taken on in the past. Congress has run up the credit card, and we now have an obligation to pay our bills.
Looks like it's been incurred mostly in the years of Obama
Jobs Bill Paid for
Seems not so much Paid for
Then you've got their(GOP)which is dirtier air, dirtier water, less people with health insurance
Barack Obama, campaiging in Asheville, NC, 10/17/11
I cannot guarantee that those checks go out on August 3rd if we haven't resolved this issue. Because there may simply not be the money in the coffers to do it.
American.com
USA producing more oil than ever before
Petroleum Insights
Fence between US and Mexico is "Practically Complete"
Department of Homeland Security says 5%
Rich doesn't pay their fair share.
National Taxpayers Union
Mitt Romney would deny gay people the right to adopt children.
Cnn Interview
Lies During Second Year
Obama claimed the SCOTUS decision in Citizens United v. FEC, "open[ed] the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections.
nationalreview.com
No signing statements to nullify or undermine congressional instructions as enacted into law
Obama Lies to Keep Czars
No "boots" on the ground Libya
Anyone that has worked with the AC-130 gunship can tell you, you need spotters to let aircraft know where the targets are. Usually it is Special Forces, Rangers etc trained for this mission. It's CIA Agents in Libya on the ground
Reform will also rein in the abuse and excess that nearly brought down our financial system. It will finally bring transparency to the kinds of complex, risky transactions that helped trigger the financial crisis.
Obama Lies About Financial Reform Bill
All Americans WILL BE were, "surprised, disappointed and angry" about lockerbie bomber
Obama Memo
I will not rest until the BP Oil Spill stops
Obama's Schedule
The health care bill will not increase the deficit by one dime.
Campaign and Presidency
If you like the health care plan you have you can keep it
TownHall
"Under our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions, and federal conscience laws will remain in place."
U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C., September 9, 2009.
ObamaCare Fee is not a new tax
Obama denies healthcare is a new tax on all Americans
We have run out of places in the US to drill for oil.
Obama's oval office speech in June 2010
Now suddenly if you don't have your papers and you took your kid out to get ice cream, you can be harassed, that's something that could potentially happen.
Arizona Immigration Law
Doctors choose amputation because they get better compensation. Greedy Doctors taking out tonsils for more money.
Claims never documented
The Health Care Package will pay for itself
Time
Republicans don't have a single idea that's different from George Bush's ideas — not one.
Hmm Immigration?
We shouldn't Mandate the purchase of health care
Democratic Debate Lies
Obama says he'll save average family $8,000 in gas
Video Proof
I am immediately instituting PayGo "Pay as you go"
Said during a speech immediately after the Trillion Dollar "Shovel Ready" bill.
I got the Message from Massachusetts
Daily Bail
Lies During First Year
We began by passing a Recovery Act that has already saved or created over 150,000 jobs." – caught cooking the books and now changed to 'jobs supported' versus 'created/saved'
AP fact Checker
Number one, we inherited a $1.3 trillion deficit. … That wasn't me." – Congress, under Democratic control in 2007 and 2008, controlled the purse strings that led to the deficit Obama inherited.Obama supported the emergency bailout package in Bush's final months — a package Democratic leaders wanted to make bigger.
AP fact Checker
Collective salvation
Obama calls himself a Christian
I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.
Obama Inauguration. 20 Jan 2009
Cut Deficit in Half by end of first term
Associated Press Video
Health Care deals will be covered on C-span
Obama Lies
As President I will recognize the Armenian Genocide
ABC
Recovery Act will save or create jobs
ABC News
Unemployment rate will be 8.5% without stimulus.
Obama Lies
No Earmarks in the $787 Billion Stimulus
CNN
I happen to be a proponent of a single payer universal health care plan
Specator.Org
We have launched a housing plan that will help responsible families facing the threat of foreclosure lower their monthly payments and refinance their mortgages.
Obama Lies
I am not somebody who promotes same-sex marriage.
NPR
Guantanamo bay to be closed within a year
Council on Foreign Relations.
Won't Raise taxes on those making less than 250,000 per year.
Businessweek: Obama Agnostic on taxes
List of Tax Promise Violations
2008 Campaign Lies
I will walk the picket line with you, if workers are denied the right to bargain
Youtube
No more wiretapping of citizens
Youtube
Mr. Ayers as "a guy who lives in my neighborhood," but "not somebody who I exchange ideas from on a regular basis.
News Busters
I had a uncle who was one of the, who was part of the first American troops to go into Auschwitz and liberate the concentration camps
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Obama campaign would accept public funding
ABC
Minimum Wage will increase to $9.50/hr
A Socialist
Ann Dunham spent the months before her death in 1995 fighting with insurance companies that sought to deny her the coverage she needed to pay for treatment.
Mounting Heath Care Lies
Didn't know Jeremiah Wright was Radical
Dreams of My Father – A radical Socialist.
Would have the most transparent administration in History
Cato Institute
We will go through our federal budget – page by page, line by line – eliminating those programs we don't need, and insisting that those we do operate in a sensible cost-effective way.
Boston Globe
I have visited all 57 states.
Snopes
I'll get rid of earmarks
Source: Any bill passed during presidency
When a bill lands on my Desk, The American people will have 5 days to review it before I sign it.
Campaign Speech
My father served in World War II.
The Videos and the Facts
Have troops out of Iraq by March 31, 2009
News Video
Seniors Making less than 50,000 will not have to pay taxes
YouTube
Would not vote for any bill supporting troop funding without a firm withdrawal commitment from the Bush Administration.
He has done nothing but continue the Bush admins strategy and to explain how the "surges total failure" has now become his greatest achievement.
Present Votes Are Common In Illinois
NPR
I Won Michigan
Huffington Post
I won Nevada
The Nation
I don't Have Lobbyists
US News
My Campaign Had Nothing To Do With The 1984 Ad
Crooks and Liars
I Have Always Been Against Iraq
Washington Post
My Wife Didn't Mean What She Said About Pride In Country
CNN
Barack was never an ACORN trainer and never worked for ACORN in any other capacity.
Obama Campaign Video
I Barely Know Rezko
Sun Times
My Church Is Like Any Other Christian Church
ABC News
year
event
1995
In his memoir, Obama writes of one of the watershed moments of his racial awareness — time and again in remarkable detail. It is a story about a Life magazine article that influenced him. The report was about a black man who tried to bleach his skin white. When Obama was told no such article could be found in Life, he says "it might have been Ebony.He is 9 years old, living in Indonesia, where he and his mother moved with her new husband, Lolo Soetoro, a few years earlier. One day while visiting his mother, who was working at the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta, Obama passed time by looking through several issues of Life magazine. He came across an article that he later would describe as feeling like an "ambush attack."The article included photos of a black man who had destroyed his skin with powerful chemical lighteners that promised to make him white. Instead, the chemicals had peeled off much of his skin, leaving him sad and scarred, Obama recalled."I imagine other black children, then and now, undergoing similar moments of revelation," Obama wrote of the magazine photos in "Dreams."Yet no such photo exists, according to historians at the magazine. No such photos, no such article. When asked about the discrepancy, Obama said in a recent interview, "It might have been an Ebony or it might have been … who knows what it was?" (At the request of the Tribune, archivists at Ebony searched their catalogue of past articles, none of which matched what Obama recalled.)In fact, it is surprising, based on interviews with more than two dozen people who knew Obama during his nearly four years in Indonesia, that it would take a photograph in a magazine to make him conscious of the fact that some people might treat him differently in part because of the color of his skin.
2003
Barack Obama in 2003, talking to the AFL/CIO:"I happen to be a proponent of single-payer universal healthcare coverage. That's what I'd like to see."In January, 2008, Obama claimed in a nationally televised debate:"I never said that we should try to go ahead and get single-payer."
2004
In Obama's famous DNC Convention speech, Obama says, "My father was a foreign student, born and raised in a small village in Kenya. He grew up herding goats, went to school in a tin-roof shack. His father — my grandfather — was a cook, a domestic servant to the British."
Kezia, Obama Sr.'s first wife tells a story that puts Obama's account to lie.
Kezia said: In 1955 Obama Sr. was 18 and working in an office in Nairobi, when he took Kezia from her family at the age of 16. Her father was furious. "He did not like Obama. My father and brothers came to Nairobi to bring me back. They said I had to go back to school. "When I wouldn't, they said they would never speak to me again. "Barack was also worried about what his father would think because I was so young, but he gave us his approval. Obama's father (often described as poor) sent my mother and father 14 cows for my dowry.
Just how can a cook, a domestic servant to the British, provide a dowry of 14 cattle for Senior's first wife? Also, Obama's father had been working in a Nairobi office since the age 16, not herding goats.
As an aside, can you imagine if a Republican was running for president and it came out that his father had bought his first wife for 14 cows???!!!Just wow!!
2004
Responding to questions about his intent to serve out the six year senate term, Obama says, in this video, (link removed), that he will not run for the presidency in four years.Notice: The video has disappeared. Using WayBackMachine, I found two links — both played empty videos — a lot of stuff is being scrubbed from the web.Here is what he said in the video:"I think I've been very clear. Ah-ah-mumble-mumble, there's a presidential election in four years. I'm not running for president in four years."Here is a backup story — during a meeting with reporters at his Illinois campaign headquarters after his election to the U.S. Senate, he ridiculed as "a silly question" whether he would run for president or vice president before his term ends in 2011. "I've never worked in Washington," he said. "I can unequivocally say I will not be running for national office in four years, and my entire focus is making sure that I'm the best possible senator on behalf of the people of Illinois."
2004
On July 28th, the day after his speech at the Democratic convention catapulted him into the national spotlight, Barack Obama told a group of reporters in Boston that the United States had an "absolute obligation" to remain in Iraq long enough to make it a success."The failure of the Iraqi state would be a disaster," he said at a lunch sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor, according to an audiotape of the session. "It would dishonor the 900-plus men and women who have already died. . . . It would be a betrayal of the promise that we made to the Iraqi people, and it would be hugely destabilizing from a national security perspective."In late winter, 2008, on the campaign trail, Obama says he wants to bring the troops home yesterday — you decide — was he lying then or is he lying now?
2006
On the January 22nd edition of "Meet the Press," Tim Russert and Obama had the following exchange:Russert: "When we talked back in November of '04 after your election, I said, 'There's been enormous speculation about your political future. Will you serve your six-year term as United States senator from Illinois?'"Obama: "I will serve out my full six-year term. You know, Tim, if you get asked enough, sooner or later you get weary and you start looking for new ways of saying things. But my thinking has not changed."Russert: "So you will not run for president or vice president in 2008?"Obama: "I will not."
2007
As another example, consider Obama's stirring tale for the Selma audience about how he had been conceived by his parents, Barack Obama Sr. and Ann Dunham, because they had been inspired by the fervor following the "Bloody Sunday" voting rights demonstration that was commemorated March 4. "There was something stirring across the country because of what happened in Selma, Alabama," he said, "because some folks are willing to march across a bridge. So they got together and Barack Obama Jr. was born. So don't tell me I don't have a claim on Selma, Alabama. Don't tell me I'm not coming home to Selma, Alabama"Obama was born in 1961, and the Selma march occurred four years later, in 1965. The New York Times reported that when the senator was asked about the discrepancy later that day, he clarified: "I meant the whole civil rights movement."
2007
Obama went on to tell his audience that the Kennedys — Jack and Bobby — decided to do an airlift. They would bring some young Africans over so that they could be educated and learn all about America. His grandfather heard that call and sent his son, Barack Obama, Sr., to America.The problem with that scenario is that, having been born in August 1961, the future senator was not conceived until sometime in November 1960. So, if his African grandfather heard words that "sent a shout across oceans," inspiring him to send his goat-herder son to America, it was not Democrat Jack Kennedy he heard, or his brother Bobby, it was Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower.Actually, Senior was awarded an American sponsored scholarship in economics to the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He was selected by a former Kenyan cabinet minister, the late Tom Mboya, who was earmarked as the successor to Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first prime minister.The presumption was that Senior would return to Africa and use his "Western-honed skills in a new Kenya."
2007
On January 24, the Obama campaign released a statement, saying, "To be clear, Senator Obama has never been a Muslim, was not raised a Muslim, and is a committed Christian who attends the United Church of Christ in Chicago.On March 14th, in a statement to The Times, the Obama campaign offered this statement to correct their previous statement, that appears to be a bold-faced lie:"Obama has never been a practicing Muslim. The statement added that as a child, Obama had spent time in the neighborhood's Islamic center."And, the original statement began, "To be clear …"So, in three months, Barrack's campaign has gone from describing the U.S. presidential hopeful as never having been a Muslim and never having been raised as a Muslim to now never having been a practicing Muslim.What's with the semantics? Statements from Obama's campaign appear to have evolved, to say the least.
2007
On March 25th, the Chicago Tribune reports that an extensive search found no basis for an episode Obama recounts about a picture he ran across in Life magazine of a "black man who had tried to peel off his skin" in a failed effort to use chemicals to lighten it. Obama writes that "seeing that article was violent for me, an ambush attack."The Tribune continued: "Yet no such Life issue exists, according to historians at the magazine. No such photos, no such article. When asked about the discrepancy, Obama said in a recent interview, "It might have been an Ebony or it might have been … who knows what it was?"At the request of the Tribune, archivists at Ebony searched their catalogue of past articles, none of which matched what Obama recalled."
2007
On March 27th, Obama, tells the crowd at fundraiser , "I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution."For the record, Obama is a "Senior Lecturer (on leave of absence)" at the University of Chicago Law School. He has taught Constitutional Law III: Equal Protection and Substantive Due Process, Current Issues in Racism & the Law, and Voting Rights & the Democratic Process.
2007
On May 8th, Obama, caught up in the fervor of a campaign speech Tuesday, drastically overstated the Kansas tornadoes death toll, saying 10,000 had died."In case you missed it, this week, there was a tragedy in Kansas. Ten thousand people died — an entire town destroyed," the Democratic presidential candidate said in a speech to 500 people packed into a sweltering Richmond art studio for a fundraiser.The death toll was 12.
2007
On May 10th, Obama botched his facts in a speech criticizing the U.S. auto industry for "investing in bigger and faster cars while foreign competitors invested in more fuel-efficient technology."Obama stated that "while our fuel standards haven't moved from 27.5 miles per gallon in two decades, both China and Japan have surpassed us, with Japanese cars now getting an average of 45 miles to the gallon." But Toyota, which should know, has responded, "No carmaker gets 45 mpg; ours is closer to 30 mpg."Well, we're glad to see Obama's shifting the blame from the consumer to the automakers. That must explain why the Illinois Senator and Presidential candidate owns a HEMI-powered V8 Chrysler 300C.Obviously it's Chrysler's fault Obama bought a big 5.7-liter engine from them — he just didn't have a choice.
2007
During his 12 years in politics, Sen. Barack Obama has received nearly three times more campaign cash from indicted businessman, Tony Rezko and his associates, than he has publicly acknowledged, the Chicago Sun-Times has found.Seven months ago, Obama told the Sun-Times his "best estimate" was that Rezko raised "between $50,000 and $60,000″ during Obama's political career.However, Obama has collected at least $168,308 from Rezko and his circle. Additionally, Obama also has taken in an unknown amount of money from people who attended fund-raising events hosted by Rezko since the mid-1990s. Everything you ever wanted to know about Obama and Rezko.
2007
Responding to criticism of his disrespect of the flag of the United States during the National Anthem, Obama defended himself by saying "My grandfather taught me how to say the Pledge of Allegiance when I was 2." He didn't even remember what he was doing on September 17th, when Obama, Hillary and Bill Richardson attended the Steak Fry of Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) in Indianola, IA.How can he possibly remember what happened when he was two years old?
2007
On October 6th, Obama accused his fellow American citizens of the indiscriminate murder of Iraqi civilians, saying, "And these private (Blackwater USA) contractors, they go out and they're spraying bullets and hitting civilians and that makes it more dangerous for our troops."Obama lies with the same ease as the Clintons and proves that he will say anything to win the nomination and election.
2007
Last fall during a nationally televised presidential debate, Obama hesitantly raised his hand and joined with most of his Democratic rivals to declare that he opposed decriminalizing marijuana. (first video).But as a candidate for the U.S. Senate four years ago, Mr. Obama told Illinois college students that he supported eliminating criminal penalties for marijuana use or possession, according to a videotape of a little noticed debate that was obtained by The Washington Times."I think we need to rethink and decriminalize our marijuana laws," Mr. Obama told an audience during a debate at Northwestern University in 2004. "But I'm not somebody who believes in legalization of marijuana." (second video).Asked about the two different answers, Mr. Obama's presidential campaign said he in fact has "always" supported decriminalizing marijuana as he answered in 2004, meaning the candidate mistakenly raised his hand during the presidential debate last fall.
2007
On the 1st of December, Obama said, "I'm not running because I'm trying to fulfill some long-held plan."Oh, really?Iis Darmawan, 63, Obama's teacher in 1970, remembers him as an exceptionally tall and curly haired child who quickly picked up the local language and had sharp math skills. "He wrote an essay titled, 'I Want To Become President,'" the teacher said.In 1971, Obama's sister Maya, has also said, "There was always a joke between my mom and Barack that he would be the first black president."In 1991, David B. Wilkins , the Kirkland and Ellis professor of law, said he advised Obama to become a Supreme Court Clerk. "Obama recognized the honor in pursuing that post," Wilkins said, but quickly added that he wasn't interested."He said that he wanted to write a book about his life and his father, go back to Chicago, get back into the community, and run for office there. He knew exactly what he wanted and went about getting it done," Wilkins said.In 1992, Obama's brother-in-law, Craig Robinson pulled him aside and asked about his plans. "He said, 'I think I'd like to teach at some point in time, and maybe run for public office,'" recalls Robinson, who assumed Senator Obama meant he'd like to run for city alderman. "He said no — at some point he'd like to run for the U.S. Senate. And then he said, 'Possibly even run for President at some point.' And I was like, 'Okay, but don't say that to my Aunt Gracie.' I was protecting him from saying something that might embarrass him."In 1993, Obama began teaching at the University of Chicago Law School, where he declined to pursue a tenure-track post, hoping to save time for politics.The one thread, that remains consistent, throughout Obama's life, is his teacher's, mentor's and friend's recollection of Obama's single-minded pursuit of high political office.
2007
On December 22nd, in a small-town café in Pleasantville, Omaha, Obama was asked a question that typically only circulates on the Internet. As he sat down to have a slice of pie with a small group of potential voters and an elderly woman asked him about being Muslim. "I've always been a Christian," the Illinois Democrat responded. "I have never practiced [Islam]."Note: The newspaper editors had to add the word, "Islam."In his autobiography, "Dreams From My Father," Obama mentions studying the Quran. He was enrolled in two Jakarta schools as a Muslim. His teacher Tine Hahiyary said that she remembered that he had studied "mengaji" (recitation of the Quran)." Classmate Rony Amiris described Obama as being a very devout Muslim, saying, "Barry was previously quite religious in Islam." Another classmate, Emirsyah Satar, now the CEO of Garuda Indonesia, was quoted as saying, "He (Obama) was often in the prayer room wearing a 'sarong.'" (See Obama's Education.)Yet, on his official campaign website, Obama has posted this statement, "Barack has never been a Muslim or practiced any other faith besides Christianity."Obama's grandfather was a Muslim. Obama's father was a Muslim. Obama's stepfather was a Muslim. His African relatives are Muslims. What was he for the 27 years before his alleged conversion if he wasn't a Muslim? If Obama has always been a Christian, why was he enrolled in two Jakarta schools as a Muslim, and why did he study the Quran?And note his Clintonesque defense, "I have never practiced."This is Obama's biggest problem — his dissimulation.Saying, "I've always been a Christian," is a bold-faced lie.
2008
On January 22nd, the Hillary Clinton Campaign releases a video that proves that Obama lied about his position on "single-payer healthcare."The video compares statements Obama made during the January 21st Democratic debate with those he made to an AFL-CIO conference in June 2003 while campaigning for the Senate. Contradicting what Obama said at the debate, the old footage shows the senator saying, "I happen to be a proponent of single-payer universal healthcare coverage. That's what I'd like to see."At the debate, Obama stated: "I never said that we should try to go ahead and get single-payer (healthcare)."Single-payer healthcare is an euphemism for socialized medicine.
2008
February — As Sen. McCain has pointed out, Obama promised to use public funding in the general election if the Republican candidate would do so also. Well, McCain has agreed to it, but now Obama wants to back out of the deal. After all, when he made the promise, he didn't have a chance of raising more than the public's $85 million stipend. But now that he can raise $300 million, well, what's a little untruth between the waited-for one and his people? Yes, he can.
2008
On February 29th, the Obama campaign told Canadian Television (CTV) that no message was passed to the Canadian government suggesting that Obama does not mean what he says about opting out of NAFTA if it is not renegotiated.However, the Obama camp did not respond to repeated questions from CTV on reports that a conversation on this matter was held between Obama's senior economic adviser, Austan Goolsbee, and the Canadian Consulate General in Chicago.Earlier Thursday, the Obama campaign insisted that no conversations have taken place with any of its senior ranks and representatives of the Canadian government on the NAFTA issue. On Thursday night, CTV spoke with Goolsbee, but he refused to say whether he had such a conversation with the Canadian government office in Chicago. He also said he has been told to direct any questions to the campaign headquarters.CTV didn't stop there. They announced that their sources, at the highest levels of the Canadian government," reconfirmed the story to CTV and one of their primary sources provided a timeline of the discussion to CTV.
2008
On March 2nd, Obama told another whopper while criticizing Hillary Clinton.Obama said that Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a fellow Democrat from neighboring West Virginia, had read the intelligence estimate as a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee and after a brief pause said the then-chairman had voted against the war resolution.However, Rockefeller was not the chair at the time and voted in favor of the war authorization. Sen. Bob Graham of Florida was the intelligence committee chair in 2002 and voted against the resolution. Obama did not mention Graham's name in the passage.His exact words are, "She didn't read the National Intelligence Estimates. Jay Rockefeller read it. But she didn't read it. I don't know what all that experience got her because I have enough experience to know that if you have a National Intelligence Estimate and the chairman of the national, um, Senate Intelligence Committee says you should read this, this is why I'm voting against the war, that you should probably read it. I don't know how much experience you need for that."
2008
March 7th — Obama's courage: Contrary to a recent hyperbolic campaign ad, it wasn't "courageous" to give his 2002 anti-war speech, primarily because he delivered it at an anti-Iraq war rally.At the last debate, America's former co-president claimed that it was easy to give that speech, and it wasn't a gamble for him because he wasn't in the US Senate and therefore wasn't in a position of responsibility. Obama's impassioned reply was, "I was in the midst of a U.S. Senate campaign. It was a high-stakes campaign."Wrong. In reality, Obama did not announce his intentions to run for the US Senate until January 2003.
2008
March 7th — Obama say he doesn't take money from DC lobbyists and special interest PACS. This is the type of double-talk "politics of the past" rhetoric Obama rails against.While his claim is technically true, what he does do is take money from state lobbyists and other big money contributors who have substantial lobbyist machines in DC, like law firms and corporations.In April 2007, the LA Times quoted the Campaign Finance Institute's Stephen Weissman as pointing out that the distinction Obama makes on lobbyist money is meaningless: "He gets an asterisk that says he is trying to be different. … But overall, the same wealthy interests are funding his campaign as are funding other candidates, whether or not they are lobbyists."The Capital Eye reported that "[a]ccording to the Center for Responsive Politics, 14 of Obama's top 20 contributors employed lobbyists this year, spending a total of $16.2 million to influence the federal government in the first six months of 2007."Obama's no stranger to being influenced by those campaign donations, either.
2008
March 14th — In one of the biggest lies he ever told — Obama says he "vehemently condemns" the words of his pastor and mentor, Rev. Jeremiah A. Wright, an official member of Obama's campaign, as a member of Obama's African American Religious Leadership Committee. What an absolute pile of crap!Obama says he's never witnessed or heard these statement before.
On the last statement, do you have to hear words in person to condemn them?
Bottom line is that Obama saved us from a depression (no help from GOP), saved the credit industry (no help from GOP), ended the Iraq War (no help from GOP) and provided health care for th epoor (no help from GOP).
And he is chastised for doing all that? Really?
I see that your comments were NOT backed up by today's Gallup or Rasmussen poll or the fact that Romney and Obama are neck in neck in Ohio as of today when Obama was 7 points ahead just three weeks ago (before his first disastrous debate that is)........Really!
What Accomplishments...destroying the United States economy, embracing our Enemys the muslim Brotherhood, the additional 6 trillion in debt, the outrageous unemployment rate, the housing crisis he and the democrats created, the loss of $4300 in income every year, the increase in health insurance by $3000 a year because of Obamacare.
Exactly why I am voting for him, They say the Dems had a majority for the fist two years but the truth is they didn't have a big enough majority to over ride the fillabuster and thats exactly what the Republicons did. Over and over and over...
again, just being obstructionist and harming the economy and the people in the process, The fillubuster was used 100 time more than than any other time in the history of the country. If the Republicons had tried just a tiny bit the whole country would be much much better off today. Lets keep rewarding the Republicons for their bad behavior.
Someone said ask yourself if you're better off than you were four years ago so I did and I have gotten a raise every year for the past four years and my 401k has more money now than it did four years ago so who should I vote for again? FYI I am a registered republican.
debstar you must work for the goverment they are the only ones able to afford to give raises which comes off the taxpayers back. That is the only job Obama can create he sure cannot create a job for the regular working guy.
Federal employees have had no raises for over two years. There is no cost of living adjustment for feds and won't be for at least one more year and possibly more.
And also federal employees also pay their taxes which is part of their salaries!