if Obama wishes to restore faith in US values, he can begin with the following simple measures

[Catherina]

Obama seeks more transparent surveillance. He’s having a laugh…
Posted on August 11, 2013

Obama is having a laugh when he stated he intends to reform the surveillance structures of the USA. First, they cannot be reformed, for they are hydra-headed and will simply grow more programs as each one is pared down or lopped off. Secondly, his legacy is one of broken promises, though he still has time to do something about that. The litmus test we propose is simple and one that even a former Chicago lawyer can understand. It is given below: not completing it means he fails.

...

But there is one way in which Obama could redeem himself and satisfy Americans in the process ( as with the Bradley Manning show trial) if he so chooses, and so leave office with a different legacy. Indeed, he could change direction entirely (...). And if Obama wishes to restore faith in US values, he can begin by enacting the following simple measures…

B. The litmus test

1. Issue an unreserved apology re the handling of the case against Aaron Swartz: dismiss the prosecution team whose overreach led to his death and order that all documents relating to the case be made public.

2. Quash the conviction of John Kiriakou, who was responsible for revealing details about water boarding torture by the US.

3. Issue a much belated apology and grant compensation to Thomas Drake , NSA whistleblower who was charged with various offences for simply telling the truth.

4. Apologise to and compensate NSA whistleblower William Binney, who helped expose the Stellar Wind program.

5. Drop all charges against Barrett Brown, who has done nothing wrong except carry out investigations to expose the extra-legal activities of private snooping companies.

6. Free Jeremy Hammond, an investigative researcher who was simply looking into the nefarious affairs of the private intelligence agency, Stratfor.

7. End the investigation into the publishing house Wikileaks and the persecution of Julian Assange, its editor-in-chief, and guarantee that there be no onward extradition to the USA so that he can leave the confines of the Ecuadorian Embassy (and safely answer any outstanding questions from Sweden).

8. Drop all charges against Edward Snowden and issue a guarantee he will not be prosecuted should he decide to return to the USA.

In addition…

If Obama is really genuine in his desire to see major change in US surveillance practice, he could set up a genuine review system (not a pretence one) that will include (should they want to) Edward Snowden, Thomas Drake, Daniel Ellsberg, Glenn Greenwald and representatives from the EFF, Public Intelligence and Wikileaks.

Also, he should sack General Alexander, for damaging US credibility, and the director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, for lying to Congress.

Appendix

A. Complete list of disclosures so far from Edward Snowden and via ancillary investigations in The Guardian. Includes PRISM, Boundless Informant, Tempora and much more.

B. List of additional material via Darkernet:

1. The four Prisms being run by or for the NSA.
2. The total surveillance systems that characterise the USA.
3. The Reach program used by Telstra (Australia)
4. The history of fibre-optic surveillance from the mid-90s onwards
5. Exposing the Australian end of PRISM
6. The NSA Sigint connection
7. More on the NSA social media partners
8. A wide view on Echelon and it’s history and sub-stations

See also why Snowden is the ultimate American patriot.

http://darkernet.in/obama-seeks-more-transparent-surveillance-hes-having-a-laugh/


It's implied but Bradley Manning should be part of the Litmus Test conditions too.

[RC]

1. Never happen. Too much common sense and honesty

Plus where is the profit motive?

[Catherina]

2. No it won't Making it an automatic #FAIL & we'll pay the consequences but the profit motive is there

$35 Billion lost in Cloud revenue alone
ALBA countries just dumped Microsoft products and are transitioning to open source in government and in schools
CISCO knows the hits on its profits have barely begun

I can't help but think how differently President Carter would have handled this.

...

On Thursday -- shortly following reports that the NSA was demanding master encryption keys from tech firms -- Apple CEO Tim Cook, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson, Google computer scientist Vint Cerf, and other top tech leaders flew to Washington, D.C. for an impromptu chat with the President, focused on government surveillance. Privacy/transparency advocates, such as Public Knowledge's chief, Gigi Sohn, also were in attendance. The Thursday meeting was held under a strict veil of secrecy.

...

(hours later) The Wall Street Journal was the first to report on an emergency press conference to be held by the President at 3 p.m. Friday afternoon to discuss privacy issues. The President is expected to offer up fresh promises on transparency and accountability, based on his "friendly" discussion with his tech friends-cum-campaign donors.

http://www.dailytech.com/President+Obama+to+Give+Speech+Promising+More+Transparency/article33146c.htm

[kath]

20. Ah, but President Carter wasn't a complete corporate tool the way this one is.

[ProSense]

3. Well,

"8. Drop all charges against Edward Snowden and issue a guarantee he will not be prosecuted should he decide to return to the USA."

...that's not going to happen.

"Edward Snowden broke the law by releasing classified information. This isn't under debate"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023439290

President Obama: Mr. Snowden has been charged with three felonies.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023436454

Still, isn't he safe and happy in Russia?

What's with the calls for compensation?

Remember whistleblower Thomas Tamm?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023032225

[Fringe]

6. Exactly!

[JDPriestly]

22. Except that I don't think a law that prohibits speech about an issue of such personal

and public interest is constitutional.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023443994

And publishing the specific documents in question was vital to raising the public issues involved. Other whistleblowers had spoken out without proving their statements to be true by producing supporting documents. They were ignored or thought to be lying or at least exaggerating.

So I think that a good case can be made that Snowden's speech is and should be protected by the First Amendment.

[ProSense]

39. He should come back to the U.S. and try your defense. n/t

[Aerows]

40. Will you volunteer to do his detention before he actually gets charged?

Because I'm pretty sure it won't be at the Holiday Inn or even at the soup kitchen. I'm pretty sure it will be rendetioned since he "lost" his passport.

[Logical]

68. Prosense, this poster posted their own thoughts. With great results! Try it. n-t

[cantbeserious]

4. + 1000

eom

[snappyturtle]

5. The President needs to clean house as suggested to regain public

confidence. I look at the whistleblowers (named above in the OP) as
citizens who have the guts to protect our freedoms guaranteed in the
Constitution. They are doing what the President took an oath to do but
instead the alphabet 'security' agencies kettle up the whistleblowers
and at the very least destroy their reputations and jobs.

The people are waking up. I hope the President makes some positive
real changes....not the wishy washy suggestions of his presser last
Friday. If he fails to, we will see the distrust of the American people
for the gov't growing....very dangerous. imho

[Enthusiast]

11. I don't think the President

would be allowed to make these changes even if he were inclined to do so. I think this country is clear gone. I hate to say it. When you allow the criminal banks to slide for money laundering of drug money, and overt acts of fraud, it erodes the very foundation of justice-the justice the nation was founded on.

[snappyturtle]

15. Well that's depressing....but you're probably correct. What in the

hell are we to do then? I'm about ready to head for the hills and
plant a garden to live out my last years in oblivion...really.

I remember the evening of the President's first election and the
celebration in Grant Park. I went to sleep that night thinking the
nightmare of the bush doings would cease. I dreamed habeas
corpus would be resurrected etc. But, in the back of my mind I
also remembered a Bill Moyers show with John Nichols and Bruce
Fein who warned (this was 2007) that if we didn't reign in bush
before the election there would be no future presidents who would
give up what bush executive 'authority' had achieved. They were so
right....and it's gotten worse. Give an inch and take a mile so to speak.

Question: Who do you think would not allow the President to make
the changes suggested in the OP even if he were inclined to do so?

[Enthusiast]

17. Who?

Not to sound paranoid, but it's the unknown ones that are really in control of the nation. The ones that are destroying the nation for their personal gain. The ones that promote the plutocracy. The ones that benefited from the industry wide financial fraud. The ones that made a killing through war profiteering. The man or men behind the curtain. I don't know their names. They exist. They are not some paranoid delusion. We see the results of their actions.

[snappyturtle]

25. Sorry....I thought that's what you would say...(Shouldn't have asked).

I think we need a new acronym: SPTB (secret powers that be)

[rhett o rick]

45. What's secret about the Carlyle Group? nm

[Mnemosyne]

34. Yes, they are the ones we will never see on the news. nt

[kentuck]

18. Unfortunately...

The President did not have the people to do the job. Most of them were only filling the position, including his Atty General. He could not do it alone. However, he could have done it with the right people behind him.

[snappyturtle]

27. And the Attorney General is appointed by whom? Although as I age

I think Presidents are figure heads for TPTB.

[JDPriestly]

23. Good points, Enthusiast.

[Mojorabbit]

33. +100 nt

[rhett o rick]

47. I dont believe he can. If you notice those in charge of the intelligence agencies are the same ones

that have been there for years. IMO they have more power than the president. Think about it. What can he threaten them with if they dont do what he wants? If he fires them then who would be able to run the spy programs? I doubt that we should shut them down completely.

There is a Ruling Cabal that is bigger than the president.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

7. A good start, a theoretical good start.

[Cleita]

8. First he's going to have to arrest General Alexander and throw the key away.

Otherwise he will meet with an unfortunate accident if he does any of the above first. However, your suggestions are what should happen.

[L0oniX]

9. Oh come on now ...really ...you posted this just to piss off prosense.

When ya don't go after "war" criminals and the banksters that sold bad shit then the law means nothing. So on with the show/lie that we are a nation of laws. Meanwhile they go after whistleblowers, crack dealers and pot smokers and hold that up to us like some cat dropping off it's latest mouse kill on your door step.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

13. That can't be. I think that she's off on the weekends.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

10. If

[Demeter]

12. If CONGRESS wishes to uphold its constitutional duty

then it's time for the Big I.

ESPECIALLY if the President doesn't follow your excellent advice, Catherina.

Also, you forgot to include dismantling the unlimited surveillance of everyone on the planet, the Drone Wars, the free-pass for banksters, and far too many things to list.

Ah, heck, just go for the Big I. The GOP is willing, for sure.

[colbertforpresident]

14. A Puppet

I voted for Obama twice. Unfortunately he is a puppet of the military / Security Complex. It's the only way to become President. He was still a better option and less harsh than Romney. The corporations control our country and now they have us all under surveillance.

[kentuck]

16. No doubt but that is the cause of some negative polling with his base.

Being a constitutional scholar, they expected him to stand up for the Constitution.

[Mnemosyne]

36. That is the main reason I voted for him, I believed that as a Constitutional scholar, well you know.

[Life Long Dem]

19. Said from the same people who threw Obama under the bus in the first 15 minutes of his Presidency

When he didn't accomplish all within 15 minutes.

[another_liberal]

24. No one threw him under a bus.

He has, however, thrown a bunch of us under there, and continues to do so. Shall I count the ways?

[Life Long Dem]

31. Love to count the ways

Fiscal Responsibility

Within days after taking office, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse. http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5

Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money. http://n.pr/hcgBn1

On his first full day, he froze White House salaries. http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIx

He appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending. http://www.cio.gov

He committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems, and also signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting system. http://bit.ly/hOw1t1 http://bit.ly/fz8GAd

Through an executive order, he created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. http://bit.ly/hwKhKa

Improving the Economy, Preventing Depression

He pushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as “the stimulus package,” despite the fact that not one Republican voted for that bill. In addition, he launched recovery.gov, so that taxpayers could track spending from the Act. http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSs http://1.usa.gov/e3BJMk

In his first year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy 3.5%. http://reut.rs/i46CEE

He completed the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, and recovered virtually all of its costs. http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVS http://bit.ly/eCNrD6

He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan. http://1.usa.gov/goy6zl

He oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years. http://bit.ly/hrrnjY

He oversaw investment in updated and improved manufacturing processes. http://bit.ly/fJEyDI

He also doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency. http://bit.ly/eYD4nf

He signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system. It also created a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown. http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7

He signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which was designed to to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices. http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcS

He increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect. http://bit.ly/f77aOw

He signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market. http://bit.ly/eEpLFn

Through the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery. http://bit.ly/dZgXXw http://bit.ly/gORYfL

He initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.
http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0b

He created business.gov, which allows for online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with SBA.gov.) http://www.business.gov

He played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis. http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5

He took steps to improve minority access to capital. http://bit.ly/f9xVE7

He created a $60 billion bank to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges. http://bit.ly/e1SSaQ

He implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as many as 1 million jobs. http://bit.ly/ibhpxr Many are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy of the entire Midwest. http://bit.ly/gj7mt5

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost. http://1.usa.gov/ez30Dc

Provided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession. http://bit.ly/g0IKWR

He used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eV

Crafted an Executive order stablishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans. http://bit.ly/eyqsNE

Wall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection

Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money. http://huff.to/eAi9Qq

He pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression. http://bit.ly/hWCPg0 http://bit.ly/geHpcD

He made it so that banks could no longer use YOUR money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against their own customers' interests. http://bit.ly/fnTayj

He supported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation. http://bit.ly/fnTayj

He wholly endorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes. http://bit.ly/esOdfB http://bit.ly/eG4DPM

He made a deal with Swiss banks that permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and tax evaders. http://bit.ly/htfDgw

He established a Consumer Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector excesses. http://bit.ly/fnTayj

Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination

He advocated for and signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity. http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7

He pushed through and signed a repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that forced soldiers to lie to fight for their country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified soldiers from helping. http://bit.ly/fdahuH

He appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy. http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0

He extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees. http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCj

He's appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history. http://bit.ly/g1lA7D

He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was after the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for the bill. http://bit.ly/fT3Cxg

Wrote and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and families. http://bit.ly/e1puTk

He expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act. http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0x

Fighting Poverty

He provided a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps). http://nyti.ms/gfLqyM

He signed an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs. http://wapo.st/eWECA8

Improved Foreign Relations and American Status Abroad

He visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office. http://bit.ly/hZycda

As he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration. http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g

He did much to restore America's reputation around the world as a global leader that does the "right thing" in world affairs, at least according to the rest of the world. http://bit.ly/h743y7 http://bit.ly/ho4TCr

He re-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues. http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDj

He established a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue. http://1.usa.gov/eX28DP

He established new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them. http://n.pr/hY3Kwa http://nyti.ms/emQBde

He ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans (and a smattering of Democrats) who prevented him from following through. http://bit.ly/eW6CVF

Ordered a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture, or what Bush called "enhanced interrogation." He ordered interrogators to limit their actions to the Army Field manual. http://bit.ly/g6MTuC

He ordered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed. http://bbc.in/h6N9ax

He released the Bush torture memos. http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0

On his second day in office, he signed a detailed Executive Order that banned torture, reversed all Bush torture policies, and put the United States in compliance with the Geneva Convention. http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zve http://nyti.ms/hzWWys

Better Approach to “Defense”

Created a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat. http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nE

He authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010. http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2

He restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush. http://lat.ms/gkcl3i

He signed and pushed to ratification a new SALT Treaty. http://bit.ly/f3JVtw

He created and executed a plan to end our involvement in Iraq in a responsible manner, and followed through. http://nyti.ms/fHTfrJ

Through the Defense Authorization Act, he reversed the Bush Administration and committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq. http://bit.ly/hk73OJ

He developed the first comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda and the withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding of Afghanistan. http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs

He returned our focus to Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our troops from the country. http://bit.ly/lNXUna

Treating Soldiers and Veterans with Respect

He made sure that families of fallen soldiers could be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB, by providing funding for it. He also ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers. http://nyti.ms/glqN66 http://bbc.in/gWSSkA

He funded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services. http://1.usa.gov/huhqfo

He provided the troops with better body armor. http://bit.ly/hzSv2h

Created the Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order to improve the quality of their medical care. http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxW

He put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. (personal note: my son will be in harm’s way for six fewer months with Obama as president, so you know I love this one.) http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7Q

He supported and signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better medical care for veterans. http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1

He ushered through the largest spending increase in 30 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs for improved medical facilities, and to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities. http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x

He created the Green Vet Initiative, which provided special funding to the Labor Department to provide veterans with training in green jobs. http://bit.ly/epwUQY

He oversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals. http://bit.ly/gjzTxX

Education

He has repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process. http://bit.ly/gYWd30 http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr http://bit.ly/eEzTNq

Completely reformed the student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate. http://nyti.ms/dMvHOt

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education. http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr This includes a major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide http://bit.ly/fNDcj3 , as well as an expansion in school construction. http://bit.ly/fYwNrV

He passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds. http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe

Greater Transparency and Better Government

He signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch. http://bit.ly/fsBACN

He signed an order banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years. He also put strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House. http://nyti.ms/gOrznV

He held the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public. http://bit.ly/gVNSgX

The Obama White House became the first to stream every White House event, live. http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5

He established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities. http://www.serve.gov

He provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history. http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttV

He crafted an Executive Order on Presidential Records, which restored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records, and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews. This will provide the public with greater access to historic White House documents, and severely curtails the ability to use executive privilege to shield them.
http://1.usa.gov/gUetLb

He improved aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent in the processing of FOIA requests. http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2

National Safety and Security

He’s restored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of natural disasters successfully. http://bit.ly/h8Xj7z

Authorized Navy SEALS to successfully secure the release of a US captain held by Somali pirates and increased patrols off the Somali coast. http://nyti.ms/efBO7B

Has repeatedly beefed up border security http://bit.ly/mMYB4i

Ordered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden. http://bit.ly/jChpgw

Science, Technology and Health Care

He created a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making.
http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw

Opened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects. http://bit.ly/j0KV2U

He eliminated the Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. He also provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research. http://bit.ly/h36SSO http://ti.me/edezge

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs. http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7

He signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis. http://bit.ly/fOi2rb

He expanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers. http://bit.ly/jRRRJc

Conducted a cyberspace policy review. http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvC

Provided financial support for private sector space programs. http://bit.ly/fn8ucr

He oversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use. http://bit.ly/dNTRyP

He ushered throough a bill that authorized the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products. http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB As a result, the FDA has Ordered Tobacco Companies to Disclose Cigarette Ingredients and banned sale of cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.”

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs. http://bit.ly/ecQSgA

He also increased funding for community-based prevention programs. http://bit.ly/frMPG3

He oversaw a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors. http://bit.ly/e5b1iq http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9

He eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price. http://bit.ly/fOkG5b

Two weeks after taking office, he signed the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million. http://bit.ly/fDEzGv

He held a quick press conference, and urged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. Rep. Waxman responded by launching a probe, and Anthem Blue Cross put the increase on hold for two months. http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9C

Ushered through and signed the Affordable Health Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage to 30 million more people, and ended many common insurance company practices that are often detrimental to those with coverage. He also established http://www.healthcare.gov /

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small business to provide health insurance to their employees, and 29 million people will receive tax breaks to help them afford health insurance. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level. http://nyti.ms/ekMWpo

Through the Affordable Health Care Act, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care. http://nyti.ms/fNB26V

Strengthening the Middle Class and Families

He worked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families. http://bit.ly/fNfidS

He cracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent contractor. http://nyti.ms/fOGLcj

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he cut taxes for 95% of America's working families. http://bit.ly/eSEI4F

Under Obama, tax rates for average working families are the lowest they’ve been since 1950. http://bit.ly/f74pD8

He extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years. http://bit.ly/eFeSdP

He extended discounted COBRA health coverage for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he’s extended unemployment benefits several times. http://aol.it/evtVxD http://nyti.ms/emrqKJ http://bit.ly/hOtIpg http://bit.ly/fTT7kz

Environment and Energy

He fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards that were above federal standards. http://nyti.ms/e8e94x

He fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in a decade. http://politi.co/hiaPKM

He oversaw the establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, which creates more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies. http://bit.ly/lZp73y

His EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history. http://bit.ly/lP3yEL

He ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances. http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbu

He ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021. http://reut.rs/fV155p (As you can see, Republicans are trying hard to kill it.)

He oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers. http://bit.ly/mjnq2R

Bypassed Republican opposition in Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions. http://bit.ly/froaP5

His EPA ruled that CO2 is a pollutant. http://bit.ly/iQTSNN

He doubled federal spending on clean energy research. http://bit.ly/iN0sCE

He pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars. http://bit.ly/j8UP5Y

He created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents. http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWq

He reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and even proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that climate change was a “hoax.” http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3 http://bit.ly/fE2PxK http://nyti.ms/hfeqvv

He fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide. http://bit.ly/eJ6QOO

He required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption. http://bit.ly/lBhk7P

Following Bush’s eight year reign, he reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic. http://bit.ly/fzQUFO

Created tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid automobiles, and later he and Democrats morphed that program into one that includes electric cars. http://bit.ly/glCukV

Mandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles. http://bit.ly/h5KZqy http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk

He strengthened the Endangered Species Act. http://bit.ly/hscjsH

His EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year. http://bit.ly/jYH7nt

Through the EPA, he took steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans. http://bit.ly/fBuWd2

He increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10% http://bit.ly/fbJPjY

Other Stuff

He has expanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements such as NAFTA. http://bit.ly/etznpY

He oversaw funding of the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. He protected the funding during the recent budget negotiations. http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO http://bit.ly/ff5Luv

Oversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts. http://bit.ly/dFb8qF

He nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices. http://huff.to/eOChg6 http://bit.ly/i02wgP

He appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president. http://bit.ly/dX6vNB

He eliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and he rescinded the global gag rule. http://bit.ly/eCFAI1 http://bit.ly/f92drF

He loosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference. http://huff.to/eQfa7j

His FDA banned the use of antibiotics in livestock production. http://bit.ly/jUjLzo

Ushered through and signed national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program. http://bit.ly/idgQH5
http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama...

Thanks go to FrenchieCat... http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x761518

[another_liberal]

32. You forgot a few.

Agreed to the Goldman Sachs inspired multi-hundred-billion dollar bank bailout, without punishment for the greedy bastards who wrecked millions of Americans' lives.

Agreed to send thirty thousand more Americans to fight in the lost cause we know as the war in Afghanistan.

Caved in and took single payer health care off the table at the start of negotiations over healthcare reform, although that is what a majority of Americans said they wanted.

Meekly allowed the Republican minority in Congress set the agenda for America (as in austerity, union-busting, NAFTA style trade agreements, no gun control, weakening the safety net for America's poor and continuing our insane level of military spending).

Failure to close Gitmo during his first term, as he promised he would do.

Allowed the Republicans to browbeat him into agreeing to the sequester plan to avoid a government shut-down over raising the debt ceiling.

Allowed the Republicans to browbeat him into putting reductions in Social Security and Medicare on the table as part of the deal over their phony national debt crisis.

Allowing prosecution of Bradley Manning as if he were the worst monster since Jack the Ripper.

Allowing the murder by drone attack of hundreds (if not thousands) of innocent civilian by-standers, many of them women and children.

Allowing the unprincipled hounding of Julian Assange (the President could have publicly stated that we would not move to extradite him).

Allowing the murder by drone attack of American citizens who had not even been charged with a crime, let alone ever having had a chance to defend themselves in court.

Failure to cut military aid to Israel, despite their continued insistence on stealing more and more Palestinian land for settlement construction.

Failure to cut military aid to Egypt's army after it staged a coup against that nation's first democratically elected President.

-

That is just a sampling of some of the ways our President has turned his back on the people who elected him. Don't get me wrong, he is still far better than having either of the Republican assholes who ran against him in the White House. There is no denying, however, that he has handed his liberal supporters a long string of disappointments.

[markpkessinger]

29. I don''t recall anyone here throwing him under the bus because he didn't do it all "in 15 minutes"..

... I do remember, however, people taking issue with some specific things he _DID_, certain appointments he made, decisions he took, etc.

[Aerows]

38. Would you like a mathematical representation of 5 years, 4.31 months?

Here, I'll give you one, since this was an issue debated by President Obama himself before he got elected, but I'll start with the day he got elected.

1982 days * 24 hours per day = 8760 hours * 60 minutes per hour = 525600 minutes in his Presidency, total.

Out of that many, you think 15 minutes is a lot?

[JDPriestly]

21. K&R and bookmarked.

I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't heard of some of the whistleblowers and that I really don't know all of what Snowden has revealed.

So thanks, Catherina, for your post.

[DirkGently]

26. KNR.

[indepat]

28. Look for the administration to hop to doing all this

[cascadiance]

30. Great list... Add "prosecuting SOME of the Wall Street Banksters" and it would be almost complete..

Obama's cited Reagan as an inspiration for him in the past selectively on occasions to our chagrin. If he would be true to that and prosecute HALF as many banksters as Reagan did Savings and Loan crooks, he'd be moving in the right ('er correct) direction...

[Mnemosyne]

35. Hear, hear! Thank you, Catherina. nt

[uponit7771]

37. BULLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL SHIT!! Bashers will still bash even louder, Obama can walk on water now

...and be the most left wing extremist in US history and that would satsify nothing.

Carter was hated too, Clinton was ran away from ...

The left eats their own no matter what job the president has done

[Aerows]

41. Bashing isn't even

remarkably true when it is the damn truth, and when isn't done with fists, but instead is done with facts that state the truth plainly. See, I know bashers. I know their work. They ignore evidence, they just like to beat the facts (and people) into the ground when it doesn't suit them.

So, no, I see no bashing here. I see people that are fed up with being lied to, and their Constitutional rights being violated because they are being lied to. If anyone wants to state the case that we aren't being lied to, well, it needs to start with Clapper and Alexander being given the boot since they lied to Congress and all Americans before Congress.

[uponit7771]

42. REALLY!? Half the right wing bullshit memes they spout here about Obama is true!?

The rest of the left still loves them some Obama, DU doesn't represent no where near the avg left voter.

Bashing is = spouting winger memes (Obama the powerless, Obama started the NSA spying Obama bit Bambi on the nose) and then trying to tear down anyone who has anything real to say isn't what I would call true

[Aerows]

43. I'm on the left

Many people here are on the left. Many people here have been bashed, but they know when holding Democratic politicians accountable, it isn't bashing. It's called "standing up for what is right" and "holding a politician's feet to the fire on what they promised".

I sincerely hope you aren't implying that everyone who does that and feels that way is a closet Republican, Libertarian or Anarchist, because if so, I'm afraid you are in the wrong company.

[uponit7771]

44. ...and when president Warren or any other president the left choose isn't 100% pure then the same

will be said about them too.

I'm not a purist, I'll remain reasonable when it comes to expectations of a left leader and keep on working on a left congress

[Aerows]

46. Well, the left can't do that to Obama with regards to Carter

He's been elected a second term.

Unless you suspect Obama has a blue dress scandal coming out, then he's in the clear.

Otherwise, this is legitimate policy criticism that would be happening no matter who the person holding the White House is. POLICY criticism, not PERSONAL criticism.

[uponit7771]

48. Obama doesn't have to have a blue dress scandal, the left will make one up for him and

...again, I don't consider winger meme's real criticism.

I expect him to follow around 70 - 80% of a left agenda with a functionaly left congress.

That's not the case now, anyone else can't do any better...

They could only get caught tryingt

[Aerows]

50. Speaking of getting caught trying

... really nice, there.

[uponit7771]

52. ...my point with getting caught trying is it doesn't meet the standard with the left. Obama has been

...caught trying on immigration and other issues and he's still bashed as a non purist.

I'm more turned off from the purist left than I could ever be with the last three dem presidents

[Aerows]

55. Getting caught lying in your own post

isn't a standard of the left? God, I hope not. Fail.

[Aerows]

49. Why change your entire post to this?

instead of this:
>>>
I've read what the left did with Carter and Clinton, I"m not repeating the bad part of left history
...in regards to Obama.

I'll keep things in perspective and usually the left eats its own and blows it out of perspective with the help of fudr and bashers.

>>>

In case we get a self-delete, that is what I responded to instead of this:

>>>
...and when president Warren or any other president the left choose isn't 100% pure then the same

Last edited Sun Aug 11, 2013, 04:45 PM USA/ET - Edit history (2)

will be said about them too.

I'm not a purist, I'll remain reasonable when it comes to expectations of a left leader and keep on working on a left congress
>>>

edit history rocks. It kind of clears up who is trying to twist the words of others and who speaks plainly. Not that what I had to say could be twisted, because I pretty much lay it on the blade.

You, however, with this little twist makes me wonder. Write a post about Carter and Clinton, and then entirely change it after I respond to be about Warren.

I'll let others form their own opinions.

[uponit7771]

51. I think I'm making the same point, I'm going to be more graceful with a president then the left

...or fudr is going to be.

I've seen what happened to Carter and Clinton and there's no fuckin way that's going to be Obama

Why would Gore think he would have to run from Clinton!?!?!?!?

The left base bashed him relentlessly, that's why...

Warren would have no better luck with the left, if she stepped out of the purist line just a bit they'd eat her alive to

[Aerows]

53. I think trying to play games

and edit a post after someone replied to it and then pretend that you had a different post after they responded to it, and graciously, I think you will concede, it a crappy thing to do.

Thankfully this board doesn't allow those tricks anymore. Poorly played.

[uponit7771]

56. This is false, I ediited my post BEFOER there was a posted reply...there's nothing preventing this.

...my dog in this fight is against the purist left and fudr

[Aerows]

57. I took screen shots

my dear. I'll happily display them for all.

How many links would you like?

Oh, and your edit history shows you editted several minutes after my post. Cheers!

[uponit7771]

70. I can edit my post WHILE someone responds to it...simple forum timing...doesn't take

...away the fact that purist on the left bashed carter, clinton and now Obama

[Aerows]

71. And I will post the screenshots if you insist

You got busted altering a post to make the post after you look bad (In your mind). Not sure what you want anyone else to say but "Oh, look, there is a person that was trying to look smart, and lost credibility because they forgot the edit function".

If you are fishing for an excuse, go for it. I'll sit back and wait for it, since you baited your own hook.

[uponit7771]

72. Post them who cares!?!? No one is "busted" this is silly. Carter, CLinton and no Obama based by puri

...purist left...

I see you're not responding to that part

[Aerows]

73. See, I don't think I'm a purist

Whatever you seem to think it means. I imagine it like wine, cheese and milk that has been tagged as such and bring consistent results because they are age old.

Those are protected, and much pride is taken in the making of them to standard.

That's what a purist does. Now I may be completely devoted to what I do, and try to do it the best I can, but it doesn't make me a "purist" at it.

It doesn't make me a purist to demand that Obama rise to the occasion. Which he isn't. Doing. Just. Saying.

As you can see, being a purist requires action and dedication. What it doesn't require is rhetoric and another woman hearing a line of crap, now it's from the President.

[woo me with science]

62. Well said.

[forestpath]

54. K&R. Unfortunately, Obama seems to think giving pretty speeches full of folksy metaphors is

a substitute for actually enforcing civil rights.

[Aerows]

58. Be wary of those that

try to engage you in conversation, then change their post up top. Edit history and screen shots will preserve what they said and what you replied to. Such childish tactics shouldn't be allowed to stand and illustrate when someone isn't interested in arguing in good faith.

[PowerToThePeople]

60. He needs to have a real progressive bully pulpit

This includes more than just the whistle blower protections that disappeared from the web page.

edit -sry, reply was meant to be to OP. I have been doing this a lot recently =/

[Aerows]

61. Not really

just the realization that bullshit smells, and alerts all of those smelling it to other bullshitters when one gets brave enough to make it so damned obvious.

[PowerToThePeople]

65. Spade is a Spade? n/t

[Aerows]

67. Pretty much n/t

[Aerows]

64. Applied either way n/t

[Aerows]

59. Oh, and K&R

May all see this great amount of information and the amount of fail that occurred in trying to divert from examining it.

[woo me with science]

63. K&R

[jazzimov]

66. Nope. Sorry, but some people will always hate Obama

just because he's Obama.

[sabrina 1]

69. I've been looking at Booz Allen's history, and we think Snowden is a threat to National Security??

Seems to me someone needs to start investigating these Private 'Security' Corporations. If what I'm reading about just this one Corporation, it is outrageous that our National Security is in the hands of these people at all.

And according to what I'm reading, there are ONE MILLION of them.

This is quite the lucrative business we have here. No wonder Clapper was 'heartbroken' when some of their little 'secrets' leaked out.