Things Obama did...
Ended the war in Iraq by starting the pull out and putting a date on the withdrawl...which could not have been done without the surge he and code pink were totally against...
Gave Iraqi's had their first SUCCESSFULL elections in Iraq, where more people showed up to vote than Americans could ever hope to pull off in any of their elections, with 60% of citizens at the polls...again, not possible without the surge that you are unjustifiably giving this administration credit for
Reinstated the Freedom of Information requests. Bush had shut down all freedom of information requests using a policy of always denying all requests... Obama switched that to the policy of openess, and a policy of approving almost all requests...Maybe because our enemies were getting too much info from the requests, but I'll give him a by on this one..
Reinstated our freedom of press for war coverage, Bush had shut down the presses ability to cover war casualties as the "images of the dead were unpopular"...obama once again allowed those images to be photographed...To honor our fallen, and the wishes of most of the dead soldier's familiies that their son's/daughter's/father's/mother's return was not used as political fodder was the primary reason there was a ban on these photographs. As a soldier, I support this ban unless the NOK SPECIFICALLY authorizes it
Increased Funding to Financial Aid for College Students for the first time in years, increasing the ability for disadvantaged people to go to school.... including increased Pell Grants, and a larger tax credit to families to offset costs...Someone else pays for someone else's 'credit'...I just want to pay for my own child's college, don't expect anyone else to...
He is also in the process of adjusting student loans which will save the govt billions in costs as well as reducing the costs of those loans to students....So that everyone can go to college? A fallacy, college is not for everyone....again, who pays?
Got congress activly moving on health care reform for the first time in a decade...While universal heath care for everyone IS a noble cause, SOMEONE is paying for SOMEONE who is not and eventually nobody's gonna come to the table anymore...and the direction he's moving is a MISTAKE all you have to do is look at the VA...
Started the first white house communications program in decades so people could be aware of what was going on at the white house... including online Q&A sessions, blogs, and various other media...and finally put the heath care debate on CSPAN after having to be publicly reminded by it's Chairman that he had promised to do it...
Reinstated the funded Urban Recovery Anti-gang act that was cut by Bush, which is expected to dramatically lower inner city crime..Until they take the guns away from people who want the right to protect themselves...
Put under fedral protection thousands of acres of forest land, the largest land conservation effort in over 15 years...I'm not educated enough on this subject to make an opinion so he gets a by here.
John McCain's own economic advisor Mark Zandi has admitted that "...In my view, without the stimulus, G.D.P would still be negative and unemployment would be firmly over 11 percent."...And it may have to be in order to flush the system of it's dead weight...don't think we may have beat this thing, just prolonged it's pain...and the additional debt on our children is going to come back to haunt us/them...
Ended the Policy of Don't Ask Don't Tell which as a soldier I believe was a decent compromise which preserved good military order and discipline...I could go on about this one for hours..the net effect is that commanders will now spend more time trying to protect or adjucate those who want to use the military to promote social policy (and whose personal views find it abhorrent and immoral to begin with), rather than getting to the business of fighting wars. Thank GOD I retired before this comes down the pike, because I would have stuck to my morals and RESIGNED before being forced to openly support a policy for which my moral code does not jive with.
Changed our militaristic guns first view on foreign policy and for the first time in a decade plus engaged in a dialogue with various countries..make love, not war, right? Hold hands and sing kumbiya? Just remember this when we lay at our enemies feet asking for mercy because we failed to ensure our security. Time and time again history has shown unfortunatly that "Peace thru superior firepower" works...As a warrior, I understand this principle
Single handedly shifted Americas global image from that of the evil empire, to a country of hope and change....change you can believe in, right? Haven't see our enemies stop trying to kill us yet, have you?
Froze the salaries of the white house staff...but hired 2X as many staffers for Michelle than Laura Bush ever had...and why are we not CUTTING salaries like everyone else outside the government?
Signed an executive order Banning Torture and inhumane treatment of prisoners...and try them in the US Court system with all the legal protections of a citizen..some of them should have never been made prisoners shoulda not wasted the effort and put a bullet in them (like child molesters) when we had the chance...
Signed an executive order that restored a 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records before they are released. It also eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews...He's not 'former' yet so we'll see how this plays out.
Signed an executive order that requires that appointees sign forms saying that they were not hired because of political affiliations or contributions...and IMMEDIATELY issued an exception for several...
Released the interrogation memos of the Bush/Cheyney debacle...that 'debacle' has so far prevented another full-fledged attack on our soil...we'll see what happens if (when) they get lucky again and public sentiment wants blood...
Signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists and banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years. Again, and immediately issued some exceptions..
Lifted a ban on giving federal money to international groups that perform abortions or provide abortion information...And you look upon this like it's a good thing? Do you have children? My personal perpective changed on abortion the moment I heard my daughter's heartbeat...I can only tell you that IF you haven't, you opinion on this subject as little merit as you don't have the perspective. If you do have children, how can you still feel like abortion 'just for the heck of it' is morally conscientable?"
Thaat said.... He's deffinatly had his share of Flops too...
Not making the health care debate public.. BIG NO NO (Socialism of health care...20 years from now we'll be scratching our heads wondering how we EVER let it happen...)
Not putting enough emphasis on tort reform in the health care bill, allowing states to attempt to get special privlages, etc....I agree that tort reform HAD to be part of the package, and the 'special privileges' to LA and NE to buy their vote is nothing short of LEGAL BRIBERY...so much for 'principles'...
He's deffinatly come up short....
Here's my take. The DEMS have the one chance in 25 years to have enough of a majority to just about dictate the rules/legislation/policy that they've been begging for...so while they have the shot, they are going to go for broke...kinda like the Republicans did when they had the reins. However, I think they are going to go down in flames for it when it's over. Eventually the Conservatives (didn't say Republicans) will get control again, and I SINCERELY HOPE they have the good sense to make SOUND DECISIONS (but given the 'way things work' in Washington, I doubt it..) which is exactly why too much power should NOT be given to the Legislature.
but all the same, the dudes done more in his first 1 year and 3 months than most presidents do in 8 years...
So i am going to at least give him his 4 years before i make the call.
I just hope we make it that long without totally messing things up.
