Some of President Obama's "conservative" accomplishments as president

[WI_DEM]

Here is what our "conservative" president has accomplished in about 22 months in office:

1) The Stimulus--people forget it was the biggest jobs program in history, and independent estimates indicate it has produced 2.5-3.0 million jobs so far.

2) Health Care Reform--every democratic president since Truman and even a GOP president (Nixon) has proposed HCR and failed--not Obama.

3) Lilly Ledbetter Fair Play Act of 2009

4) Matthew Shepherd Act of 2009

5) Obama Student Loan Forgiveness Program

6) Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010--the most far reaching Wall Street regulation program since FDR.

7) Auto Industry bailout
Obama said estimates indicate that actions by his administration helped save more than 1 million jobs across 50 states.
The Center for Automotive Research estimated that aid to GM and Chrysler saved more than 1.1 million jobs in 2009 and 314,000 jobs this year.
http://www.perrspectives.com/blog/archives/002027.htm

8) Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)covered 4-million uninsured children

9) Obama forced BP to set aside $20 billions for victims and is suing the company.

10) Obama nominated two qualified women to the US Supreme Court

11) Obama urges congress to repeal DADT and will sign the legislation today.

This really is the most impressive and progressive legilation by any president since the first couple of years of LBJ's Great Society.

[patrice]

1. What was that Community Radio bill that just passed? Who sponsored that?

I'll go look it up.

Someone posted about it here yesterday.

[still_one]

2. Some of those items definitely deserve accolades, but HCR and Wall street reform are dubious at best

For healthcare reform many of the benefits won't take place until after 2012. If you have a pre-existing condition, you have to be 6 months without insurance before you qualify. The so-called co-ops that were supposed to bridge the gap either have not yet been setup in most states, or are cost prohibitive. Flexible spending for healthcare has been cut from 5000 dollars max to 2500 dollars max. Why would they do that? The company I work for the insurance premiums are going up by 30%, and there is no evidence that the HCR will make it cheaper, in fact just the opposite, it will the consumer more, and cover less, though it will help the insurance companies at our expense

Financial reform is only window dressing. They would not restore Glass Stegal(sic), nor most of the regulations that were eroded for the last 20 years. Flash trading and dark pools have not been addressed, and those responsible for the financial collapse, are still in their posts making record bonus rewards, while the promise that home owners underwater in their mortgages would be helped, were not, and I know several people who could afford their monthly mortgage if they could refinance, but the banks won't give them the refinance

[Larkspur]

3. You forgot putting the Trojan Horse to gut Social Security in the recent Tax Bill

And next year, if he goes ahead cutting Social Security, he will be leading this nation back to 1894, the era of Grover Cleveland, another pro-corporate Democrat. It took the Democratic Party 40 years to recover from Cleveland's hubris and bad decsions. Wonder how long it will take the Democratic party to recover from Obama's selling out of Democratic principles?

[WI_DEM]

5. You think he's going to cut social security with an election coming up?

he isn't going to cut social security. What the commission proposes won't necessarily become law. Once again people here jump to conclusions like Obama won't repeal DADT--in the end he accomplishes more than any of the ney sayers think.

[no limit]

6. Will he raise social security taxes with an election coming up?

Nope, he sure as hell wont. So that means that social security will become a even bigger problem AFTER the elections than it is now and AFTER those elections it will be put on the chopping block. Because if will suddenly face a crisis that this president himself created.

[Robbins]

20. I agree

I keep hearing all this doom and gloom on SOcial Security.Commission can propose whatever they want.That doesn't mean It become
law.The Iraq Study group proposed reducing forces In In Iraq and Bush sent more troops.

The right wing has been telling Seniors Obama hates them.He would have trouble cutting social security and running for reelection
even If he wanted to.One thing Obama Is not Is stupid.Even with the deal to keep Tax cuts for the rich for 2 more years he got
stuff out of It.

[emulatorloo]

14. 82% of Republican Voters are against cutting Social Security for deficit reduction

Payroll Holiday is for one year and does not affect Social Security Revenues.

[no limit]

15. The tax cut would affect social security revenues

they promise that the US treasury will pay back the money social security will loose from the general funds. But that's a funny promise to be making, considering how much money they already owe to the social security trust fund. If the US treasury could actually pay back all the money they have borrowed from social security over the years we wouldn't have a social security problem, the fact is though that they can't.

[emulatorloo]

17. The point is that cutting social security is going to be a hard sell to voters of all

political persuasions, I just don't see it happening.

ON EDIT - here is that polling data:


http://crooksandliars.com/john-amato/new-poll-dire-results-if-social-securit

Overall, of the 1,200 likely voters surveyed, 82% of respondents oppose Social Security cuts to reduce the deficit, including

83% of Dems,
78% of Independents,
82% of Republicans, and
74% of Tea Party supporters.

[no limit]

21. The point is that this will cut social security revenues significantly.

There are alot of things in this world that polls show the government shouldn't do, the government often ignores those polls.

Have you once heard anyone in our national media mention raising the tax cut off rate for social security taxes? The answer is no. The debate is all about the fact that for social security to be saved it needs to be cut. These aren't just arguments coming from the right, but many democrats have bought in to this idea. And now the president has created a situtation where the burden on social security will be increased significantly when nobody even asked him to do so.

[egoclothes]

19. We may never recover

from the selling out of principles. They seem to be ingrained in both parties:-(

[no limit]

4. You're proud of a healthcare bill the president says he modeled after Romney's plan?

The same healthcare bill that has a mandate which the president himself ridiculed during the 08 primaries? What was it the president said about "if the mandate makes sense lets just solve homelessness by forcing everyone to buy a home".

[WI_DEM]

7. I'm proud of a HCR bill that gave one of my friends the opportunity to get insurance

without pre-existing and will cover millions of Americans in the end. Could it be better? sure, but then even my progressive heroes like Ted Kennedy (who died before it was voted on, but had supported the principles) and Dennis Kucinich supported this bill. It's a step in the right direction but like many programs it is to be built on and improved. Look at Social Security when it was passed under FDR--it was vastly improved over the years and made more inclusive.

[no limit]

8. So you support Romney care

I personally don't. Because to this day I think the point the president made during the elections about a mandate is still correct. If a mandate is a way to cover everyone then forcing everyone to buy a home would also solve homelessness.

[harun]

13. Obama's biggest accomplishment is getting Progressives to believe

a bunch of Corporate profit increasing legislation is "Progressive". It is about "Progressive" ideology about as much as the Right's constant attack on the poor is about "Liberty".

[Robbins]

22. Again I am with you

going after the pre-exsisting Condition which has been used to deny coverage Is a big thing.WHile far from perfect and I wanted the
public opotion this Bill was better than nothing.Democrats have for years wanted to improve health care and we finally got It while
It certainly Isn't perfect or get everything we wanted.If Ted Kennedy was still with us I am sure he would have voted for It and
would make some points as it being a good first step.

Remember the Right wing and teabaggers hate It.That makes me think It Isn't all bad.

[emulatorloo]

16. 1. Find me a quote where Obama said he "modeled" HCR after Romney's Plan

You won't be able to, because that is not what he said.

[BlueJac]

9. Don't forget the tax cuts for the rich!

[COLGATE4]

10. Some more of Obama's "accomplishments"

1. Obama’s tax bill of 2010 GUTS Social Security
2. Obama lowers estate tax for the rich
3. Obama double downs on Bush Wars, (have become Obama’s wars)
4. Obama attacks Teacher Unions (teacher unions now hate OBAMA)
5. Obama does not attack the Banks? he bails them out? (Just like the GOP)
6. Obama passes the Romney/Dole Health Care Bill (Romney/Dole are Republicans)
7. Obama is/was against the Public Option
8. Obama opposed Drug re-importation
10. Obama hand picks the "Cat Food Commission" to destroy Social Security
11. Guantanomo still open for business
14..Patriot Act renewed again by Obama
15. Renditions continue by Obama
16. Ben Bernanke was reappointed by Obama
17. Americans are targeted for assassination by Obama
18. Obama supports more off shoring of American jobs
19. Obama’s tax cuts help the wealthy and harm greatly the poor, elderly and disabled.
20. Obama sits back and does nothing but support the TSA
21. Obama freezes federal wages for 2 years and no COLA for another year with Social Security
22. Obama TARP Funds for Legal Services for Foreclosure Victims are blocked by the U.S. Treasury
23. Obama attacks Unions (His Big Screw You to the UAW is very Republican)
24. Obama endorses the Bush agenda of spying on, and killing Americans

[Milo_Bloom]

11. I'd include many of those things on a list to prove why he IS center right.

#2 is a republican program.

#6 allows too big too fail to continue and continues to allow trillions to trade in secret. (ie, it didn't address the central problem that caused the collapsed and leaves criminals in control of the system).. a classic republican solution.

#7 A giant corporate bailout? Really? Progessive?? REALLY??

[ibegurpard]

25. yup

there really is no hope for the Democratic party when people like the OP buy the spin the White House is pushing.

[harun]

12. When was HCR, did they do it after Health Insurance Reform?

[Robbins]

18. I am with You

None of this would happen under President Mccain.Without Aut Industry bailout and stimulas Unemployment would be over 20 percent.

[krawhitham]

23. Without #7 the Middle Class was dead

It was not really those who worked for GM & Chrysler, it was workers of smaller companies that supply parts and services to GM & Chrysler

[EndElectoral]

24. Looks like Net Neutrality is next.