General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObama's Record
You know, some people talk as though President Obama has failed us. I know he's not perfect and I wish he had done some things differently, but let's look at the facts:
Unemployment is sown since he took office. We have created more jobs every month since his fifth month in office, every single month until today. We have had GDP growth in every quarter, beginning in his third quarter of 2009. The stock market has more than doubled. The budget deficit has been reduced every year since 2011. We are energy independent. Gas prices, far from being the predicted $5.00 a gallon from the "Doom Sayers", are at $3.69 a gallon today. He has ended one war and is winding down a second. Both wars he inherited. He has kept us safe at home. I'm sure there's more. But when people ask "what's he done?", these are some of my answers.
When you see Obama's approval numbers you can count me in the "approve" column. I know what the other side looks like.
= new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight:
NoneDon't highlight anything
5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
fasttense
(17,301 posts)economic stand that gets him in trouble with real liberals every time.
I think I could overlook him giving the uber rich an extension on the bush tax give aways with the lame duck congress. But his pro NAFTA, CAFTA and SHAFTA (TPP) is what puts him as a pretend liberal in my book. (Don't worry there are a lot of pretend liberals there).
His extending that fool Geithner, allowing bankster to get away without criminal prosecutions, not prosecuting war criminals for torturing POWs, and spying on everything that moves I can almost pretend didn't happen. If he had just done something about wrestling control of our economy away from corporations and the uber rich. Instead he gave us only talk.
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts)
L0oniX
(31,493 posts)The record shows aggressive, proactive pursuit of a corporate agenda...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3152360
...in every policy area important to the One Percent.
This list does not show the President trying to enact a more liberal agenda and being obstructed. It shows him working aggressively and proactively, over and over again, to install corporatists into his administration and to enact a corporate agenda.
Corporate and bank-cozy appointments, over and over again, including major appointments like:
A serial defender of corrupt bankers for the SEC; the architect of "Kill Lists" and supporter of torture, drone wars, and telecom immunity for the CIA; and a Monsanto VP who has lied and been involved in extremely disturbing claims regarding food safety for the FDA. An Attorney General who has not prosecuted a single large bank but wages war against medical marijuana users and *for* strip searches and warrantless surveillance of Americans. Tim Geithner. And now Penny Pritzker.
Bailouts and settlements for corrupt banks (with personal pressure from Obama to attorneys general to approve them),
Refusal by Obama's DOJ to prosecute even huge, egregious examples of bank fraud (i.e, HSBC)
signing NDAA to allow indefinite detention,
"Kill lists" and claiming of the right to assassinate even American citizens without trial
Expansion of wars into several new countries
A renewed public advocacy for the concept of preemptive war
Drone campaigns in multiple countries with whom we are not at war
Proliferation of military drones in our skies
Federal targeting of Occupy for surveillance and militarized response to peaceful protesters
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for warrantless surveillance
Fighting all the way to the Supreme Court for strip searches for any arrestee
Supporting and signing Internet-censoring and privacy-violating measures like ACTA
Support for corporate groping and naked scanning of Americans seeking to travel
A new, massive spy center for warrantless access to Americans' phone calls, emails, and internet use
Support of legal immunity for telecoms/warrantless wiretapping
Support of legislation to legalize massive surveillance of Americans
Militarized police departments, through federal grants
Marijuana users and medical marijuana clinics under assault,
Skyrocketing of the budget for prisons.
Failing to veto a bipartisan vote in Congress to gut more financial regulations.
Passionate speeches and press conferences promoting austerity for Americans
Bush tax cuts extended for billionaires, them much of it made permanent
Support for the payroll tax holiday, tying SS to the general fund
Support for the vicious chained CPI cut in Social Security and benefits for the disabled
Social security, Medicare, and Medicaid offered up as bargaining chips in budget negotiations, with No mention of cutting corporate welfare or the military budget
Advocacy of multiple new free trade agreements, including The Trans-Pacific, otherwise known as "NAFTA on steroids."
Support of drilling, pipelines, and selling off portions of the Gulf of Mexico
Corporate education policy including high stakes corporate testing and closures of public schools
Entrenchment of exorbitant for-profit health insurance companies into healthcare, through mandate
Legal assault on union rights of hundreds of thousands of federal workers
New policies of targeting children and first responders in drone campaigns,
New policies of awarding medals for remote drone attacks,
Appointment of private prison executive to head the US Marshal's office
Massive escalation of federal contracts for private prisons under US Marshall's Office
Chilling Legal Memo From Obama DOJ Justifies Assassination of US Citizens
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101654954
Study: "Trade" Deal Would Mean a Pay Cut for 90% of U.S. Workers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023661805
Obama Appoints Bain Capital Consultant Jeff Ziets to Top Post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023662209
Obama selects former Monsanto lobbyist to be his TPP chief agriculture negotiator
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023662210
White House: No Subsidies for Union Health Plans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014594512
Wall Street Deregulation Garners Bipartisan Support Despite Devastating JPMorgan Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/19/wall-street-deregulation-_n_2910168.html
The USDA’s Reckless Plan to Decrease Food Safety
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023670859
This is a complete list of Wall Street CEOs prosecuted for their role in the financial crisis
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3653154
Wall Street will get away with massive wave of criminality of 2008 - Statute of Limitations
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022516719Obama seeks longer PATRIOT Act extension than Republicans (December 2013)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x380450
When it comes to civil liberties, apparently Democrats are just as bad as Republicans.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022101960
NSA's Massive New Spy Center to Track Your Emails, Internet Activity, and Phone Calls
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101620852
Obama Quietly Signs Abusive Spy Bill He Once Vowed to Eliminate
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022104861
Obama repeals Magna Carta, asserting powers our forefathers denied to Kings
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101655620
Obama's Memo on Killing Americans Twists 'Imminent Threat' Like Bush
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101654919
Obama no better than Bush when it comes to security vs. civil liberties.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022355307
Obama Admin Seeks Permission TO LIE In Response To FOI Requests - Even To The COURTS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x2185303
NDAA on trial: Obama Administration fights ban on indefinite detention of Americans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101748688
Obama administration complicit with private prison industry: President Obama's IncarcerNation
http://www.nationofchange.org/president-obama-s-incarcernation-1335274655
Obama, Democrats Push to Make Bush Spying Laws Permanent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022084702
NDAA, signed by Obama, is a direct attack against legitimate protest and dissent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022064803
NSA Whistleblower: All Americans under constant surveillance, all info. stored, no matter the post
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002193487; http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021935289
Bipartisan Congress Disgracefully Approves the FISA Warrantless Spying Bill for Five More Years
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022087323
While Public & Media Focused on 2nd Amendment, 5th Amendment Quietly Dismantled
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022390581
How the Obama administration justifies extrajudicial killing of Americans,
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022318187
Judge Says Under Law Executive Branch Can Commit Acts That Sure Do Seem Unconstitutional
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022122464
Obama Justice Dept. says wiretap lawsuit should not proceed
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014337039
NDAA Lawsuit- Hedges v. Obama, The Last Thin Line of Defense
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022357078
Federal authorities step up efforts to license surveillance drones for law enforcement
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022383596
Big Banks and FBI worked together vs Occupy
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095056]
FBI Investigated 'Occupy' As Possible 'Domestic Terrorism' Threat, Internal Documents Show
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022061578
FBI Documents Reveal Secret Nationwide Occupy Monitoring (Updated the OP)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022057064
Public Buses Across Country Quietly Adding Microphones to Record Passenger Conversations
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021965291
Street artist behind satirical NYPD 'Drone' posters arrested
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021920967
The Obama DOJ urged the Supreme Court's endorsement of strip searches.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002521527
Obama Administration Fights to Allow Warrantless GPS Tracking
http://sync.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x1074474
Anonymous to FBI: hey, dudes, maybe you could take a break from...investigating activists....
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022145621
Half a billion dollars for drones to spy on Americans
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021876414
From Bradley Manning to Aaron Swartz -- The Government's Inhumane Persecution of Brave Truth Tellers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022276941
The sight of Army helicopters and the sound of gunfire...on Houston's south side
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022276742
Kiriakou and Stuxnet: the danger of the still-escalating Obama whistleblower war
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022275570
Can the DEA Hide a Surveillance Camera on Your Property?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022237059
Social Media and the Stasi
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021888029
Homeland Security Wants to More Than Double Its Predator Drone Fleet Inside the US, Despite Safety/Privacy Invasions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014312823
CIA Behind Bizarre Censorship Incident At Alleged 9/11 Plotters’ Gitmo Trial
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022280285
“I Am Wearing My Conviction As A Badge Of Honor.”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022275128
Meet the Contractors Turning America's Police Into a Paramilitary Force
http://www.democraticunderground.com/12525281
How Secrecy Corrodes Democracy
http://election.democraticunderground.com/101655009
Obama Quietly Issues Ruling Saying It's Legal For The FBI To Break The Law
http://election.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7545687
US Pulls Plug on Iran Cable News (Press TV)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014394770
DHS Watchdog OKs 'Suspicionless' Seizure of Electronic Devices Along Border
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022339091
The Untouchables: How the Obama administration protected Wall Street from prosecutions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022246632
Obama Orders Pay Raise For Congress
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022095402
Why is Social Security Under Attack from Obama, when it ADDS NOTHING to the deficit???
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022065493
The Untouchables: How the Obama administration protected Wall Street from prosecutions
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022246632
Guess what? Chained CPI is the bright idea of Third Way, the (Corporate) Dem "policy shop."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022021626
...Obama explicitly campaigned on opposing Social Security cuts -- and he just endorsed them (AGAIN)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022019860
Obama's Promises on Social Security: His OWN WORDS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022031544
Bernie Sanders: Chained CPI: An Economic and Moral Disaster
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022381690
wall street pulls the strings: social security under attack in february
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022155427
Obama signs bill cutting 2.2 billion from food stamps
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x309
Obama's New Treasury Secretary Pushes Austerity That Spreads Global Misery
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022652850
Obama appointed Alan Simpson & Erskine Bowles to his goddamned catfood commission...
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022633714
Why does President Obama keep Appointing Monsanto Shills to Key Gov. Positions?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022592785
Penny Pritzker..The Subprime Queen...Obama's Pick for Dept. of Commerce
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101665148
Obama's Betrayal of Public Education, Arne Duncan and the Corporate Model of Schooling
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x366410
How can we NOT feel betrayed? These are just ONE day's headlines:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x366410
Obama Approves New Cross-Border Pipeline Benefiting Canadian Oil Sand Producers
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112758698
Pres. Obama: Why are you pushing the Koch Supported Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023563816
The Trans-Pacific Partnership: A Global Attack by the One Percent
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101634573
TPP: A pact designed to increase the wealth and power of crony capitalists
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023936342
The Obama administration's legal battle against whistleblowers, federal unions.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022672473
Obama’s Escalating War on Freedom of the Press
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023312251
Why Is President Obama Keeping a Journalist in Prison in Yemen?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023300531
Former Top NSA Official: “We Are Now In A Police State”
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024197266
Obama administration asserts that NSA spying cannot be challenged in court
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023296209
The Obama administration is aggressively growing private prisons
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=2670142
When you hear "Third Way", think INVESTMENT BANKERS
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024127432
The Rightwing Koch Brothers fund the DLC -- article from '06
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x498414
You do know how the DLC/Third Way was formed? (corporate money, corporate infiltration)
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024150961
Third Way VP indicates they fear Elizabeth Warren's influence on the party.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024168867
Majority of Third Way support from Wall Street
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10024164622
The Democratic Party's deceitful game
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3928692
Enthusiast
(50,983 posts) L0oniX
(31,493 posts)fasttense
(17,301 posts)
uponit7771
(90,335 posts)...doesn't work at all now...
Obama's imperfect, and not needing to be perfect to be one of the best, records..... stands for itself
sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)have trouble getting their heads around the fact that since Reagan all presidents have been uber pitchmen for Big Money and that it doesn't much matter who gets the job. The rest of elected and appointed America, with very few exceptions, is owned by the same people who buy and sell presidents.
fasttense
(17,301 posts)sulphurdunn
(6,891 posts)different pitches: right of center progressive, right of center conservative and far-right (which is always conservative). Of course there are a couple of socialists and left of center Democrats in congress, so we could thrown in left of center, but the oligarchy doesn't worry about them.
Broward
(1,976 posts)and underemployment an accomplishment?