Obama: Broken Promises

President Barack Hussein Obama has only been in office a month, and already he has been breaking promises. Let's forget about the presidential campaign for a moment, because we can assume that all candidates make promises that they will never keep. Rather, let's start with Obama's inauguration and see how many promises he's broken since Day 1 as President...

Broken Promise #1 -- Preserve, Protect & Defend: In his inaugural address, Barack Obama said that we as Americans must remain faithful to "the ideals of our forebears", and true to our "founding documents". When he deftly used the phrase "We, the People", it was clear he was referring to the United States Constitution...

Forty-four Americans have now taken the presidential oath. The words have been spoken during rising tides of prosperity and the still waters of peace. Yet, every so often, the oath is taken amidst gathering clouds and raging storms. At these moments, America has carried on not simply because of the skill or vision of those in high office, but because 'We, the People', have remained faithful to the ideals of our forebears and true to our founding documents. So it has been; so it must be with this generation of Americans [emphasis added].

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

Let's put aside Obama's mistake that "44 Americans have now taken the presidential oath". In reality, only 43 Americans have taken the presidential oath, because Grover Cleveland was both the 22nd and the 24th President with Benjamin Harrison serving as the 23rd President between his two terms. It's an easy mistake to make for people who are not well-versed in American history, or who forget to check their facts. But of course, most Americans don't run for the Presidency or hire speech writers who are supposed to check the facts.

More importantly, Obama clearly says that "this generation of Americans" MUST remain true to "our founding documents", and by inference SPECIFICALLY to the U.S. Constitution. How ironic it is then, that Barack Obama (son of a Kenyan father and British citizen), does not even qualify to be President of the United States under the U.S. Constitution because he himself is not a "natural born citizen" -- one of only three requirements in the Constitution needed to qualify for the office. Assuming that Barack Obama was born in Hawaii as he claims (although he has NEVER released his original, vault-copy birth certificate to support his claims), that would make Obama merely a U.S. citizen, but not a "natural born citizen". For more information on the definition of "natural born citizen", go HERE.

There still remains the undisputed fact that Obama's father was a British subject at the time of his birth, and therefore Obama could NEVER be a "natural born citizen" under ANY circumstances. The fact that the United States Supreme Court chose not to hear any number of cases contesting Obama's qualifications to be President of the United States (undoubtedly for political reasons), does not change the FACTS of the matter. Obama emphatically stated that "this generation of Americans" MUST remain true to "our founding documents", and by inference SPECIFICALLY to the U.S. Constitution. Yet, he himself (unquestionably a member of "this generation"), has not done so. Thus, before Barack Obama even uttered these words in his inaugural address, he had already broken a promise to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States", despite his oath to "execute the office of President of the United States"... faithfully, or otherwise.

Broken Promise #2 -- Hope Over Fear: In his inaugural address, Barack Obama said that we as Americans have chosen "hope over fear", implying perhaps that John McCain and George W. Bush represented "fear" while Obama represents "hope". Obama used "hope" as a trademark word throughout his campaign, but failed repeatedly to explain what that "hope" represented. Now, in his inaugural address, we finally learned that Obama would bring "hope" as opposed to "fear"...

On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear [emphasis added]...

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

Interestingly enough, Barack Obama has done nothing less than to use "fear tactics" to ram his stimulus package through the House and Senate. On Thursday, February 5th, Obama warned that failure to act on an economic recovery package could plunge the nation into a long-lasting recession that might prove irreversible, a fresh call to a recalcitrant Congress to move quickly...

...we have inherited an economic crisis as deep and dire as any since the days of the Great Depression. Millions of jobs... are gone; millions more of the nest eggs... have vanished. People everywhere are worried about what tomorrow will bring... And if nothing is done, this recession might linger for years. Our economy will lose 5 million more jobs. Unemployment will approach double digits. Our nation will sink deeper into a crisis that, at some point, we may not be able to reverse... We've seen the tragic consequences when our bridges crumble and our levees fail. Every day, our economy gets sicker... [emphasis added]

--President Barack Hussein Obama, The Action Americans Need, 5 February 2009

Instead of "hope", we have heard nothing from Barack Obama except "fear" and "crisis" and "worry" and "failure" and "recession" and "tragic" and "sick", and all manner of 'doom-and-gloom'. As Obama brings forth each new spending program to counter the effects of what he continues to describe as the worst economic crisis "since the Great Depression", he merely reinforces the fears of those who hear him, which drive the markets into ever greater decline...

President Barack Obama may think words like “catastrophe”, “crisis” and “disaster” help sell his economic rescue plans, but US history has shown that scare tactics can backfire. Having campaigned on a promise of hope and run against what he called President George W Bush’s “politics of fear”, Obama may be taking a big political risk — for himself and his policies — by resorting to the same tactic. In pressing Congress and the public to back expensive proposals, Obama has used the well-worn political rhetoric of fear to paint dire scenarios, hoping to persuade skeptics of the need for quick action. It may work, and it may not. “That end-of-the-world type of rhetoric is not good for business confidence,” said Chris Edwards, director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute.

--Obama’s Scare Tactics May Backfire, Financial Express, 13 February 2009

Broken Promise #3 -- Unity Over Conflict: In his inaugural address, Barack Obama said that we as Americans have chosen "unity over conflict". By that, he meant that Americans are tired of the same old politics as usual in Washington. By that, he meant that Americans want to see Democrats and Republicans working together, without all the partisan bickering and vitriol. While politicians will never be able to completely set aside their philosophical differences, Americans want to see Democrats and Republicans working together in a spirit of bi-partisanship where the working relationship is civil and friendly. Americans want to see Congress working for the good of the people rather than for the good of their respective parties...

On this day, we gather because we have chosen... unity of purpose over conflict and discord. 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 [emphasis added].

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

I have to laugh when Obama suggests in his inaugural address that he has come "to proclaim an end to... false promises". He made false promises throughout his campaign, and even here in his inaugural address he continues to make false promises -- promises which I am showing in this article he has failed to keep.

Now, one might argue that Barack Obama had every intention of trying to bring about "unity over conflict" when he spoke those words, but he must have completely forgotten what he said only days later when he rammed his stimulus package through the House and Senate. The bill had absolutely NO bi-partisan support from Republicans in the House, and next-to-none in the Senate. Republicans complained that Democrats refused to accept any input or consider alternatives. In the House, the vote was a straight party-line vote with zero Republicans voting in favor of the measure. In the Senate, only three RINOs ('Republican In Name Only') voted for the measure.

At his inaugural, Obama must have been thinking that "unity of purpose" means Republicans have to roll over and play dead every time the Democrats say so, because he has done absolutely nothing to foster "unity" over "conflict". In fact, at a meeting with top congressional leaders from both parties at the White House for a working discussion over the shape and size of President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus plan, Obama let it be known that he wasn't really interested in getting ANY input from Republicans. Although the meeting was designed to "promote bipartisanship", when challenged by one Republican senator over the contents of the package, the new president, according to participants, replied: “I won.” The statement was prompted by Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl of Arizona, who challenged the president and the Democratic leaders over the balance between the package’s spending and tax cuts. With those two words — “I won” — Obama let the Republicans know that all debate was put to rest on November 4th. For Obama, it's "My way... or the highway".

Broken Promise #4 -- Honoring Our Troops: In his inaugural address, Barack Obama said that we as Americans should honor our troops, our veterans, and our fallen heroes. He said that we should express "humble gratitude" towards our troops who "at this very hour" are protecting our nation -- the "guardians of our liberty" -- in far-off lands...

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned... For us, they fought and died in places like Concord and Gettysburg, Normandy and Khe Sahn... As we consider the role that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who at this very hour patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are the guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service -- a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves [emphasis added].

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

Yet, for all his soaring rhetoric, it was only hours later that Barack Obama dishonored our troops and vets. Barack Obama was the first president to skip the 'Salute to Heroes' Inaugural Ball, which recognizes Medal of Honor recipients. The Medal of Honor is considered the nation’s highest military award. Forty-eight of the 99 living recipients attended the ball, which was sponsored by the American Legion, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, as well as (12) other veteran’s groups and military service organizations. Of the 99 Medal of Honor recipients who are still alive, not even half are in any condition (or possess the wherewithal) to travel to such an event. And by the next inauguration, likely half of those won’t be with us. Over the past 56 years and 14 inaugurations, dating back to Dwight Eisenhower, no president has skipped this Inaugural Ball... until now.

And this is isn't the first time that Obama has snubbed the troops. The new president’s perceived “slights” against the military have made veterans and military members quite sensitive to how President Obama treats them. From calling for a pullout from Iraq during the campaign to forgoing a visit to injured Global War On Terror vets in Germany, they have kept an eye on his every move and decision with regards to our nation’s finest. This latest “change” appears to have set the tone for the rest of his administration. To forgo a tradition of greeting the veterans who received the highest honor in order to attend galas featuring Hollywood elites was just a bit too much for them to bear.

Broken Promise #5 -- The Light of Day: In his inaugural address, Barack Obama said that the government should operate "in the light of day". By this he meant that the work of the government should be "open and transparent", a phrase he used throughout his campaign. Obama said that the government should "spend wisely" and "restore the vital trust" between the people and their government...

The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works... Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government [emphasis added].

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

However, President Obama has already failed to make good on this promise as well. His stimulus package, officially known as the 'American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009', is nearly 1100 pages long and was essentially reconciled in the conference committee during "the dark of night" and voted on the next day. House members never had a chance to fully read the bill before they were called upon to vote for it.

On February 12th, 2009, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer scheduled a vote on the stimulus bill for the next day, even before final wording on the bill's content had been completed, despite the House Democrats having previously promised to allow a 48-hour public review period before any vote. The bill was not completed and posted to a House website until 10:45 PM on February 12th. On February 13th, 2009, at 2:24 PM, the Conference Report was voted on and passed by a roll call vote in the House. All but seven Democrats voted for the bill. All Republicans plus the seven Democrats voted against the bill.

“The Democrats have thrown this at us very last-minute”, said Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.). “That’s why the rule of thumb in the United States Congress should be, ‘When in doubt, vote no,’ because the devil is in the details and that’s why this stimulus is not worthy of support.” Rep. John Boozman (R-Ark.) shared that sentiment. “The American public expects for us to get in and know what we’re voting on,” Boozman said. “But there are very few members from Congress that are going to have time to actually read this thing.”

So much for Obama's promise of openness and transparency. So much for his promise of doing government business in the light of day. So much for his promise to earn the trust of the American people.

Broken Promise #6 -- Spending Wisely: In his inaugural address, Barack Obama said that the government needs to spend America's money wisely...

Those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account, to spend wisely... [emphasis added].

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

Well, Obama's stimulus package is anything but "wise spending". The purpose of the stimulus package was supposed to be a way of getting money into the hands of Americans quickly, in order to give the economy a jump-start. Unfortunately, this stimulus bill won't accomplish that. According to a letter from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the CBO estimates only $120 billion will actually make its way into the economy during Fiscal Year 2009 (FY-2009). It will take until the end of 2010 to get another $219 billion into the economy. All of which means that over half the money in this stimulus bill won't even get into the economy until after 2010 when the recession may have already run its course. For more information, go to the CBO letter HERE, and scroll down to see the accompanying data table.

Aside from that, all of the spending in this stimulus bill is deficit spending. The government doesn't have this money to spend, so it must borrow it. The CBO estimates that the impact of this bill will be to add nearly $185 billion to the deficit in FY-2009; nearly $400 billion in FY-2010; and $134 billion or more in FY-2011. Obama, who roundly criticized the Bush administration for adding to our budget deficits with the Iraq war, now finds himself in the position of having to defend massive increases to the budget deficit over spending that will come too late to jolt the economy, and which was rushed through Congress without adequate review and analysis.

Worse still, the Republicans offered an alternative to the Obama plan which would have gotten "more bang for the buck". According to the web site of House Republican Leader John Boehner, House Republicans came up with a plan that would have created "6.2 million jobs – double the jobs created by the Congressional Democrats’ proposal, at half the cost" [emphasis added]. According to a comparitive analysis of the House GOP and Congressional Democratic economic plans, using a methodology employed by President Obama’s own nominee as Chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, Dr. Christina Romer, the House Republican economic recovery package would have created 133,000 jobs by December 2010, or 54,000 more jobs than the 79,000 created under the Congressional Democrats’ trillion-dollar spending plan.

Yet, Obama ignored the House Republicans in favor of the Democrat plan which was loaded with spending on various Democrat pet projects that have absolutely no stimulutive effect whatsoever. In early February, GOP leaders put out a list of what they thought were "wasteful" spending items in the original House version of the bill. Hopefully, some of those items didn't make it into the final conference version. Even Britain's Times Online derided the bill...

The stimulus package, signed by the president in Denver last Tuesday, is a flawed mixture of tax cuts, spending, pork and the special funding for congressmen’s pet projects that Obama had promised to consign to the dustbin of history... We do know that those effects will be late in coming: it will take two months to review bids for repair work on bridges and roads - much longer for new infrastructure projects - and an additional four months to get the work started and the pay cheques out... Despite all its flaws, the stimulus package should add some pep to the economy. But that 'almost-instant' gratification might come with the longer-term pain of either higher taxes or inflation. --Irwin Stelzer, Obama Will Have To Pay For His Stimulus One Day, 22 February 2009

In another critique of the stimulus package, the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) group voiced strong support for the 'Government Neutrality in Contracting Act' (H.R. 983), a measure that would prohibit federal agencies from requiring discriminatory and wasteful union-only project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects. House Rep. John Sullivan (R-OK) introduced the legislation.

According to the ABC, although 84% of all U.S. construction workers have elected not to join a union in their careers, the Obama stimulus package stipulates that only union workers can receive contracts for government-related projects. “All hardworking Americans in the construction industry need a fair shot at economic recovery,” said Jerry Gorski, 2009 ABC national chairman and president of Gorski Engineering, Inc., Collegeville, Pa. “The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act ensures that all contractors and all workers – both union and merit shop – have a fair and equal opportunity to participate on federally funded and federally assisted construction projects"...

When President Obama signed Executive Order 13502, encouraging federal agencies to award taxpayer-funded construction contracts under PLAs, he signaled that he cares more about politics than good policy. Executive Order 13502 is a special interest handout to organized labor that will limit competition and raise construction costs by as much as 20 percent. This means that an estimated $30 billion of the proposed $150 billion in construction spending in the stimulus package before Congress will be wasted. Union-only PLAs drive up costs for American taxpayers while unfairly discriminating against the 84 percent of U.S. construction workers who choose not to join a labor union.

--Jerry Gorski, Curb Discriminatory & Wasteful Spending in Stimulus Package, 11 February 2009

So much for Obama's promise to spend public dollars wisely.

Broken Promise #7 -- No Apologies: In his inaugural address, Barack Obama said "to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today", that America will "not apologize"...

And so, to all the other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born, know that America is a friend of each nation, and every man, woman and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity. And we are ready to lead once more... We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense.

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

Yet, only moments later in this same inaugural address, Obama begins the process of apologizing. He says, "we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace." In other words, America has been hateful, divisive, and war-like. According to Obama, America has failed to "play its role" towards ushering in an era of peace... a failure he no doubt intends to correct. But he goes further and begins apologizing to Muslims...

"To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect" [emphasis added]. Obama here seems to be apologizing for the "old ways" of former President Bush. Apparently, Barack Obama thinks that the old ways of George W. Bush were disastrous, so he is apologizing to the Muslim world and seeks new and improved relationships. It is no coincidence that President Obama's first formal interview as President was with the Al-Aribya TV network. He seems to have spent much of the interview apologizing for America's past policies and promoting new ones.

Much of the interview was spent defining the new approach that the United States would implement in that region: respectfulness over divisiveness, listening over dictating, engagement over militarism. --Huffington Post, 26 January 2009

But Obama doesn't stop there. He goes on to apologize about America's wealth...

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to the suffering outside our borders, nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it [emphasis added].

--President Barack Hussein Obama, Inaugural Address, 20 January 2009

Thus, only moments after promising that America must not apologize, especially for "our way of life", Obama then apologizes for... our way of life. America is too wealthy. America consumes the world's resources. America must "change" its lifestyles.

So much for promises. Obama is sure to break even more of his promises. Stay tuned...