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Subscribe to RSSObama’s promises kept… And promises broken… President pins the debt-ceiling responsibility on Congress… Executive recommendations on guns… Keeping track of the cabinet shuffle… Boxer backs Hagel… And a deeper look at Hagel’s “openly aggressive gay” comment.
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President Barack Obama speaks during his final news conference of his first term at the East Room of the White House Jan. 14, 2013.
*** Promises kept… : With President Obama’s second inaugural address now less than a week away, we took a look at his biggest three speeches over the past five years -- the 2007 presidential announcement speech in Springfield, IL, the 2008 convention acceptance speech in Denver, and the 2009 inaugural -- to checklist what he promised. And, by and large, he accomplished many of his big objectives. Or he mostly accomplished them. He promised ending the war in Iraq. (“America, it's time to start bringing our troops home,” he said in his ’07 announcement speech.) He promised health care reform. (“Let's be the generation that says right here, right now, that we will have universal health care in America by the end of the next president's first term,” he said in that same ’07 address.) And he promised quick action in dealing with the financial collapse of 2008. (“The state of our economy calls for action: bold and swift. And we will act not only to create new jobs but to lay a new foundation for growth,” he said in his ’09 inaugural.) Of course, there is still debate about whether his fixes will work, but the point is: He made a promise and got his vision of a fix.
Chuck takes a deep dive look into the promises President Obama made before his first term – during his campaign speeches and first inaugural address – and compares them to the things the President did accomplish in his first term.
*** … and promises broken: But he also didn’t accomplish some of his other goals -- like changing the country’s politics, a huge recurring theme in all three speeches. (“On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn-out dogmas that for far too long have strangled our politics,” he said in his ’09 inaugural.) Or recruiting more teachers when it turns out that about 212,000 teacher jobs have been cut between 2009 and 2011. (“Let's recruit a new army of teachers, and give them better pay and more support in exchange for more accountability,” he said in that ’07 speech.) And then there are the issues that barely got mentioned in those three big speeches, issues that ironically will make up the bulk of Obama’s second term agenda. Guns only received one mention. (“Don't tell me we can't uphold the 2nd Amendment while keeping AK-47s out of the hands of criminals,” he said in ’08 acceptance speech.) Ditto immigration. (“Passions fly on immigration, but I don't know anyone who benefits when a mother is separated from her infant child or an employer undercuts American wages by hiring illegal workers.”) And if you believe the increased burden on the government for natural disaster cleanup is related to climate change and global warming, you’ll also be disappointed. Looking back at those most important Obama speeches from ’07, ’08 and ’09, the issue BARELY got a mention. Indeed, it’s remarkable what was in those speeches and what wasn’t.
*** Pinning the debt-ceiling responsibility on Congress: It appears that the chief goal of Obama’s press conference yesterday was to pin the responsibility -- and potential blame -- on Congress for raising (or not raising) the debt ceiling. “There's one way to get around this. There's one way to deal with it. And that is for Congress to authorize me to pay for those items of spending that they have already authorized,” Obama said. And there’s also a reason why the White House decided to abandon the idea of any Plan B (like the $1 trillion platinum coin or the 14th Amendment): They will own part of the chaos if they pursue a Plan B. But by having no Plan B, the Obama White House is trying to ensure that raising the debt ceiling is all on Congress. What’s more, Obama seemed to accept that a government shutdown -- and not the debt ceiling -- is the better place to have a fiscal fight. “Well, ultimately, Congress makes the decisions about whether or not we spend money and whether or not we keep this government open… I think [a government shutdown] would be a mistake. I think it would be profoundly damaging to our economy… But they’re elected representatives, and folks put them into those positions and they’re going to have to make a decision about that.”
*** Executive recommendations on guns: Per NBC’s Frank Thorp, House Democrats were told yesterday that Vice President Joe Biden and his task force have developed 19 areas where President Obama could use executive orders to institute new gun control policy. The New York Times has more: “Actions the president could take on his own are likely to include imposing new limits on guns imported from overseas, compelling federal agencies to improve sharing of mental health records and directing the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to conduct research on gun violence, according to those briefed on the effort.”
*** The cabinet shuffle: Yesterday, we learned that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Education Secretary Arne Duncan, and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack will remain in their jobs during President Obama's second term. So to recap, here are the cabinet secretaries who are remaining:
Napolitano (DHS)
Duncan (Education)
Vilsack (Agriculture)
Holder (Justice)
Sebelius (HHS)
Shinseki (Veterans Affairs)
And here are the cabinet members leaving, plus their nominated replacements if applicable:
Clinton at State (John Kerry nominated)
Panetta at Defense (Chuck Hagel nominated)
Geithner at Treasury (Jack Lew nominated)
Solis at Labor
Jackson at EPA
*** Boxer backs Hagel: Yesterday, Sen. Barbara Boxer -- who is Jewish -- came out in support of Hagel. “After speaking extensively with Sen. Hagel by phone last week and after receiving a detailed written response to my questions late today, I will support Senator Hagel’s nomination as Secretary of Defense,” Boxer said. “First and foremost, he has pledged without reservation to support President Obama’s polices – policies that I believe have made our world safer and our alliances stronger.” More: “I asked him about a number of issues – including America’s special relationship with Israel, the threats posed by Iran to the world and the treatment of women and gay and lesbian members of our military – and his answers were reassuring and show a sensitivity and understanding of these issues. In addition, Sen. Hagel has pledged to meet with me once he has been confirmed for a more detailed discussion about the Defense Department’s efforts to combat sexual assault in the military.”
*** “Openly aggressive gay”: Yesterday, we took an in-depth look at Chuck Hagel’s controversial “Jewish lobby” remark. Today, we examine his nearly 15-year-old description of James Hormel, nominated to be ambassador to Luxembourg, as an “openly aggressive gay.” Explaining his opposition to Hormel in a 1998 interview with the Omaha World-Herald, Hagel said: “They are representing America. They are representing our lifestyle, our values, our standards. And I think it is an inhibiting factor to be gay -- openly aggressive gay like Mr. Hormel -- to do an effective job.” Later, the Omaha World-Herald noted that Hagel said “he has seen another video clip that showed Hormel at what Hagel called an anti-Catholic event in San Francisco, featuring the ‘Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence,’ a group of male drag queens.” Luxembourg is mostly Catholic.
*** Apology accepted -- but not by all: Hagel has apologized for the 1998 remarks on Hormel. "They do not reflect my views or the totality of my public record, and I apologize to Ambassador Hormel and any LGBT Americans who may question my commitment to their civil rights. I am fully supportive of ‘open service’ and committed to LGBT military families.” Hormel accepted the apology, and so did the Human Rights Campaign. "Sen. Hagel's apology and his statement of support for LGBT equality is appreciated and shows just how far as a country we have come when a conservative former senator from Nebraska can have a change of heart on LGBT issues,” the organization said. But the Log Cabin Republicans took out a full-page ad in the Washington Post hitting Hagel’s record on gay rights. “Chuck Hagel’s Apology: Too Little, Too Late,” the ad said.
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Lets be serious here if you or I didn't pay our bills that we agreed to such as power, water, gas, credit cards, phone, car payments, or cable TV for example we'd be shut off and those companies would report us to the credit bureau and no one will loan us or give us credit and would charge us in many cases fees to reconnect or restore services. Doesn't the idiots in congress understand this also applies to the government only it goes to not paying SS, retirements, shutting down government, and even paying the same things as we do. How did we elect a bunch of irresponsible people to be in charge of paying the bills?
If we knew those elected officials would pull this then how come some re-elected the problem again. Maybe we need to ask for resignations!
I think the real question is how much more does the congress have to tolerate. A president that is unwilling to bargain when his back is against the wall is bad, and when his back isn't against the wall what is the point of him comprimising on something. Calling someone an idiot for using leverage that they have bestowed upon them doesn't make much sense. Now I was in Iraq the last time the government was shut down and I did not get a paycheck, it sucked yes, but if this is how congress has the ability to cut government spending why not take advantage, if they come together and comprimise and come up with a bill that allows cuts to occur while raising the debt ceiling would that be bad, yes and no, yes because the raise of the debt ceiling takes money out of your and my pocket, which once again sucks, and no because cuts would help us down the road. So before you make an arguement about home stupid some one is try to see it from their point of view. Now do I think to just not raise the debt ceiling is the right move, no, I will agree with you there, but saying there is to be no discussion about it is not the right answer either.
Obama is a failure...a failure is recognized by blaming someone else for their lack of success...
Fisty, your favorite writers simply don't know how to count. The left out a bunch of lies and broken promises.
Don't forget the cover-ups.
It's not surprising we're in the mess we're in with the raw stupidity from the top down, starting with the Looter-in-Chief right down to his most stupid voter.
Just another mouth piece. Why do we keep electing people who have never worked an honest job in their lives? This goes for both Democrats and Republicans.
It is impossible to win an election if you don't offer free stuff. What a shame, because we are running out of free stuff.
a--rand
You and I and the rest like us are going to have to get better jobs or a 2nd job so we can make more money. That way, we can pay more of our fair share to support the derelict bottom feeders who don't and won/t work. Does this sound like a plan for obama-nomics??
Dang, are the republicans/conservatives ever going to stop repeating the exact same dogma? Your party was beaten like a drum in the Presidential election... doesn't that say something to you about what the majority of Americans want and believe. Well, I guess now that the Republican Congress doesn't seem to have learned anything from that beating, we will just have to show them the door as well. The Republican party is toast, you were given a chance to do what you were elected to do,(represent the American people) and you still chose to do the same thing, represent yourselves and money... That was not and will never be acceptable... change or die.
I want to remind you that the president was elected by less than half of the population, don't forget that his views would be the minority ruling the majority. Now the neoconservative movement in the republican party is not a good thing in my mind, just as the progressive liberal movement in the democratic party is not good either. The division in the parties themselves in leading to extremes in both parties to just stay relevant and not look weak in the party, so your call for the majority to change or die for a view of the minority seems a bit petty and a little egotistical.
I will say my vote for President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden was worth it! The BS of obstructionism and extremism from the Republican Party only hurt this country. Instead of creating jobs and fixing the problems of this country all the Republicans have done is say no but on social issues they beat the horse to death. They have never got the picture that the rich don't create jobs but the middle class does. If you give tax breaks to the rich they bank the money and don't spend it on jobs. Best example of this is George W Bush the one who crashed the economy!
Those in charge of the US House of Representatives need to be kicked in the butt and shown the door!
mark, keep watching the clowns on MSNBC and believing all their crap. You sound like a good little Obama puppet though
mark
Ignorant libs like you believe that 6 trillion in NEW debt is good.
Deviding the country(poor against rich, black against white) is a good thing.
Hey mark, what for of assistance do you and your family get?
Be honest reps,at least state whether you own a gun when you make a bad comment towards the President Of The United States and he was voted in by the people of this country,including dems,reps,and other political parties,who really here are stupid?I know of at least 3 people who are reps who voted for Mr.Barrack Obama!
wow dave - you know that many? You must be a special kind of child - you love that koolaid dontcha?!
BTW - hs is aka Barry Soetoro (and you forgot the middle name 'hussein') HAhahahahahha
what amazes me most is the fact democrats , socialist , liberals and progressives who post here dont talk about paying down the debt or cutting back on spending.
unlike republicans , teaparty and conservatives they only talk about spending more and blaming others.
its like they dont care about the nations debt going through the ceiling and no way to pay it back, to be forever in debt to other countries.
frankly its just un-american.
Ask rep Boehner!
Obama is more proof when you vote the Democrat Freeloader Party, we ALL lose. And we all lost big. The uneducated Demloader vote isn't smart enough to know it.
Agree. But I feel sorry for them. They are honest, well-intentioned voters who live by "sound bites" in a very busy world.
Yes, heaven forbid they miss Housewives of Beverly Hills or some other reality idiot show.
I'm more concerned about promises kept, the more this guy "accomplishes" the more freedoms American's lose.
And if you thought Obama care was bad, just wait for him to start repaying donors when he doesn't care about re-election...we're screwed.
Three tiers of Government, but only one can levy taxes and pay the bills it runs up...The House of Representatives! The President and the Senate can only approve or disapprove what the House of Representatives offers up! It's in the Constitution! Stop blaming the President for what the House has spent while Boehner refuses to pay for his past purchases! The fiscal cliff is the result of Boehner refusing to pay for what his House approved in the past!
Why can't the Tea Party understand how three-tiered government works! Of course the Senate and the President have the power to help draft legislation and sign the bills, but they do not pass the budget! The House of Representatives does that!
John Boehner...the bucks are on you! If you serve your rich benefactors and refuse to balance the budget, it is on you! If there is poverty in our nation because you refuse to raise minimum wages to living wage status, it is on you! If you take money from the blind, the sick, and the poor to cover the cost of the loopholes for the rich, it is all on you!
Jack, you need to get back on your meds, you are very delusional and hopefully don't own a gun
I'm not sure where you learned about the budget process, Jack. Let me abbreviate this for you. The POTUS comes up with a proposal. That proposal goes to the Congressional Budget Office. They do a lot of different analysis and then give it to the House and Senate budget committees. Then appropriation committees come in and explain why they need money. Then both chambers of Congress approve a budget. Then it goes to the POTUS who can sign it (then it becomes a law) or veto it (that means he says no, Jack). If he does that, then they start over again on another one.
And your argument regarding Mr. Boehner and the loop holes holds even less water. His whole approach was that the loopholes should be closed. Maybe you could read up on some of the proposals the House offered that never even made it to the floor in the Senate because Mr. Ried never allowed them to.
And while you are reading, you can find a budget anywhere during this Presidency, balanced or not. Actually, let me save you the effort you wouldn't spend anyway. There has not been one.
Do you need someone to go through this again for you? Or do you now understand that all of them are at fault?
HAhahaha - 'Jack' has left the building to find someone else to blame. HAhahahahha
From the lips of the most petulant liar that has ever inhabited the whitehouse.
One can only gaze in amazement at the stupidity of those who support this POS idiot of a president. F'ing morons...total, complete, absolute, F'ing morons.
Makes one wonder.
All the Nation's political candidates must stop making "voter-endearing" promises which lack intellectual and moral honesty. Such "stupid" promises further make voters feel manipulated and used, which they have been. Integrity and honesty must start at the top.
Of the promises broken, one must ask... How many were because Barack didn't try... and how many were broken because we have a completely inept Congress? Aside a few executive powers, the president can only sign legislation that comes to his desk. He cannot force Congress to get along with each other.
He also cannot ever come up with a cogent plan, which even Bush could do.
"cogent plan"? You're a funny guy. Remind me how far the stock market crashed, what the Iraq and Afghan wars cost our country, how dependent our people have become on his tax breaks when our country was doing fine without them in the 90's, and what it was that he did to stop illegal immigration from undermining ever stagnant wages in our country... Hmmm yup. Those were great plans.
No, Sid, he can't. But he can utilize the media in such a manner that it creates an even greater rift. Our stock market is artificially inflated. The people are now crying over their social security yet whine even more when they are asked to pay what they had previously paid (no, I never agreed with those cuts). The same people had higher taxes in the 90's as well, but cried bloody murder at the thought of them being raised back to the Clinton rates (while speaking poorly of the man who cut them, Bush). And remind me again of how much Mr. Obama has done in regard to stopping illegal immigration?
Hmmmm yup.
@sid - thats where 'leadership' would normally come into play. Barry Soetoro may be able to organize a community in chicago but he sure as hell can't lead a country.
Life in America was much better under Bush the idiot than Obama, whom if he were white would be recognized as the incompetent person of very average intelligence that he is in real life.
Bush was not an idiot. He cared for our country. Obama does not and he knows exactly what he is doing. He was able to fool most of the country with his lies and BS. Brilliant. Or maybe most Americans are just stupid.
You are free to leave when you like Bobbyz. The doors lock from the inside in this country. You aren't a prisoner.
I wonder what people thought we would get from a man who has never held a "real job'. He has no grasp of how to work with people, just lecture them.
well said. And he is the POTUS, WOW!!!
according to king obama you cant go out to dinner and eat all you want and then not pay for it it is just not right. but he can fly around the world on vacations, sometimes with extended family members on our tax dollars but thats ok!!! he has a short memory and its always my way or the highway. cant wait for him to be out of office
4 years plus joe, hopefully someone with your mentality is able to keep them selves out of trouble and doesnt harm anyone in that amount of time
you have no idea of how smart or dumb i am but you sure can attack anyone who does not agree with you what a piece of work you are
actually as far as promises go and what he has done Obama has to be the greatest president ever since fdr, anyone saying otherwise has to almost be retarded and hopefully are the ones we don't allow having guns, someone that stupid should'nt be allowed a butter knife not alone a gun for their and their families safety
troll, are you a crack head or just a comedian?
So Joe they do allow computers at the mental institutes i see, hope and pray you get cured soon, you being able to even follow this is a huge improvement, keep up the good work, we rooting and praying for you
troll, nice try, the reality is that liberals all suffer from a brain defect that hopefully some day can be cured. Until then you will have to continue to live in your little world of make believe.
joe sorry for going over the top, I can see you are at least informed by the false fox news lies and I'm being way too hard on you, hope you accept my apology you being on this site definately means your not a total mental case, you could be on fox or some other site, please except my apology and actually i appreciate you, without you this site would be boring
TROLL. well thanks, but I watch MSNBC for entertainment only. Nice line up of clowns on that channel, all with great expertise.
looks like a troll - acts like a troll - smells like a troll
Joe, don't encourage this class A chain jerker
Biggest lie - that your taxes won't go up if you make less than $250,000. Well apparently, my barely $30,000 a year is somehow the equivalent of $250,000, because in my paycheck this morning, my take-home pay was $50.00 light. That works out to $1,200 a year less for me. That's about two month's rent. Or about 40% of my annual food budget. Or electric and phone bills for the year. I already had to drop cable. My monthly bus pass to get to work. So which of these bills do I no longer pay?
You can't possibly be serious...
Your FICA simply went back to the 2009 rate...
How were you surviving in 2009??? Spam and Ramen noodles???
What a rube...
if your paid monthly maybe 40 bucks plus so may not really be a lie
It doesn't matter which bills you don't pay. Just ask a 0 bammy voter. Maybe they can help us to get some of the "mo' free stuffs" they all leach from the WORING citizen.
K1200RS - You've never heard of inflation? EVERYTHING costs more now. Food prices are up horrifically -- 30%-50% more for everything at the grocery store over the past two or three years. Electric rates have gone up. My bus pass costs $25 more than it did in 2009, and they are jacking up the price again next month. My rent has gone up. I have not had a pay increase since 2008, not even for cost of living. And you are apparently too dense to get the point of my comment, which was that Obama promised taxes would NOT go up on lower and middle class people, but that is exactly what has happened.
@L in Seattle - K1200 was still living in mommy's basement back in 2009 ... be patient
LOL. Thanks for the laugh, @EB Trips. I definitely needed it today.
Anyone remember the promise of TRANSPARENCY? That one was certainly broken.
agree good one , you rank as a smart blogger with your point
You have to judge Obama by his actions not his word. He lies. And many people believe him . Thats why he was re-elected. His entire administration is corrupt. From Clinton and Holder etc.
how does he lie it appears by his article he delivered on most of what he said, explain, face it no one can deliver on everything, not even you
Not delivering on a promise you make is inherently dishonest, @not a troll.
I watched his news conference yesterday. Boy what an actor. When he was running the first time he voted against raising the debt ceiling. And now our foodstamp, flip flop pres. wants to do it.
he voted against it when he was a senator, but of course once he was in charge he didnt want the limit, so i would say your comment is about 75% accurate cause face it only congressman(senate and house) can vote on this-he can only veto
troll, and this is why he nothing more than a phony hypocrite.
Hes just typical of most liberals, a liar.
feisty, how does mitt romney or his wife have anything to do with anything.
mitt romney was a mass gov and has not held office in over 8 years.
and in case your rusty brain has forgotten he has not even made a peep since he lost.
also, if you are 20 k in debt it will take 20 k to get out of debt not 60 k or 80 k so the old tireless blather from you and the left that bush created this is a farce.
your boy, oblahblah threw gas on a already out of control inferno.
and yes it is 4 more for 44 and the joke is on you because when we finally do default and can no longer pay our bills you will no longer be getting the government checks that afford you to sit here and blather all day under your multiple user names with your empty unproductive life.
so go ahead and bash my comments with your multitude of user names to make it appear as if it is the consensus of the libtarded community.
It's a farce that Bush created this , but it was already an" out of control inferno" When Obama took office ???
You're really not all that bright, are you?? LOL!!!
LUV when the rubes post... Always amusing..
to blame this all on obama is luticrus, every president since reagan is to blame, clinton didnt add to it, but help caused this with freddie mack and out sourcing so he gets no free pass either, why dont they allow us to pay more for medicare and ssi if we want too? I would most, would, why not offer it and take these 2 programs out of the equation?? My guess is the gop would have nothing left, because they will never cut the top ever or big oil
troll, can you honestly say that the govt. has ever run any program successfully. That includes both parties. The programs could be for a good cause but when the govt. touches it it is guaranteed to turn to s@#$T. Let's be honest, they could screw up a 3 car funeral.
The national debt has gone up under EVERY President since Kennedy--and Clinton was certainly no exception to that.
Under Bush, the debt doubled. Under Obama, the debt will again double. Does that make sense to anyone?
And for the record, Medicare has NEVER been paid with solely through what you pay on your check!
And last year. SS was in the red. It will be broke eventually, just like EVERY Ponzi scheme ends up.
"to blame this all on obama is luticrus, every president since reagan is to blame"
No no no, take it all the way back to where it really ALL started....LBJ
joe im on my 2nd week of unemployment I depend on it
Well, 26 weeks used to be long enough to get a job. Now it is like 99 weeks. Maybe you can find something soon!
troll, good luck finding something!!
You'll certainly need one helluva lot of luck with that.
Fiesty is too busy eating bon bons and watching honey boo boo.