I say, let's have folks who want to find a viable candidate to primary Pres. Obama
Based on all of the dissatisfaction that I read about Pres. Obama day after day,
it may be a good idea to just have us fight it out among ourselves (since that's what we are doing anyways),
and it is sure to make some people very happy (most likely for about one hot minute).
I don't think that Pres. Obama can be attacked any worse than he already is, so there
What with all of the bad weather, the earthquakes, the lousy economy and the endless wars, I think
a primary would give us something to look forward to, and give us a chance to vent our daily anger
against the entire world or against 30 years of fucked up policies, or against just one man....in the short run! :shrug:
Plus, that way, there will be a bonafide excuse for those who attack this President relentlessly about anything and everything, day in, day out, as they will now have a candidate to defend, instead of just a President to attack. I'm thinking that some may currently be feeling rather trollish, as they are currently doing absolutely nothing but giving a big hand to the opposition and their media. Perhaps when one has to defend one's candidate, there will be less time for negative one-liner drive-byes and more intellectually honest debate of substance that deals with political reality and the actual lawful limitations of such. I'm all for giving folks something to be positive about, and having a candidate will force that to happen. :patriot:
Look, I'm for politically activating as many people as possible to actually do something instead of just sitting around talking shit, and having to prepare for primaries might just keep us all totally busy, since it doesn't appear that we have much of a stomach for attacking Republicans....so no loss there either!
I can't wait to witness the cynics and the perpetually unhappy start to really, really care about the nearby future. Or watch the doomsdayers and the naysayers have someone to align themselves with. It will possibly bring the truth to powerers and the Utopian day dreamers together to get something concrete done. Plus the RW trolls, the PL, the DLC, and the firebaggers can fight each other formally. We can have the half empty glass go up against the half full glass, and the petty nitpickers go against the big picture supporters. This should also engage the AA community, and the young and old alike to get involved in choosing sides and getting pissed enough to get out in the trenches and not only get mad, but to eventually get even!
And let us not forget our loyal corporate media who will be in heaven when adding up our money that they'll rake in for advertising and such (cause campaigns aren't free). This will be good for them too!
Now, I do think that the Internet mouths all over will deserve all of the consequences
that will come from this endeavor, whether it works out or it doesn't, and they should get all
of the credit, as it is brilliant (for the Republicans, more-so).
What I do hope is that once everything is said and done, I won't have to hear from them again
unless they unite with the winner. If we end up with an irreparably divided party and a Republican President, oh well....at least we fought, and fought hard...and fighting is what we demand anyways.....so there's that! :patriot:
There is much fodder here to attack....so read the list very carefully and take some notes!
Bookmark it if you have to, as the future will soon be ours, or yours, or theirs, or whatever!
Despite the characterizations of some, Obama’s success rate in winning congressional votes on issues was an unprecedented 96.7% for his first year in office. Though he is often cited as superior to Obama, President Lyndon Johnson’s success rate in 1965 was only 93%.
http://n.pr/i3d7cY Fiscal Responsibility
Within days after taking office, he signed an Executive Order ordering an audit of government contracts, and combating waste and abuse.
http://1.usa.gov/dUvbu5Created the post of Chief Performance Officer, whose job it is to make operations more efficient to save the federal government money.
http://n.pr/hcgBn1On his first full day, he froze White House salaries.
http://on.msnbc.com/ewJUIxHe appointed the first Federal Chief Information Officer to oversee federal IT spending.
http://www.cio.govHe committed to phasing out unnecessary and outdated weapons systems, and also signed the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act to stop waste, fraud and abuse in the defense procurement and contracting system.
http://bit.ly/hOw1t1 http://bit.ly/fz8GAdThrough an executive order, he created the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform.
http://bit.ly/hwKhKaImproving the Economy, Preventing Depression
He pushed through and signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, otherwise known as “the stimulus package,” despite the fact that not one Republican voted for that bill. In addition, he launched recovery.gov, so that taxpayers could track spending from the Act.
http://1.usa.gov/ibiFSs http://1.usa.gov/e3BJMkIn his first year, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act created and sustained 2.1 million jobs and stimulated the economy 3.5%.
http://reut.rs/i46CEEHe completed the massive TARP financial and banking rescue plan, and recovered virtually all of its costs.
http://1.usa.gov/eA5jVS http://bit.ly/eCNrD6He created the Making Home Affordable home refinancing plan.
http://1.usa.gov/goy6zlHe oversaw the creation of more jobs in 2010 alone than Bush did in eight years.
http://bit.ly/hrrnjYHe oversaw investment in updated and improved manufacturing processes.
http://bit.ly/fJEyDIHe also doubled funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership which is designed to improve manufacturing efficiency.
http://bit.ly/eYD4nf He signed the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act giving the federal government more tools to investigate and prosecute fraud in every corner of the financial system. It also created a bipartisan Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission to investigate the financial fraud that led to the economic meltdown.
http://abcn.ws/g18Fe7He signed the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure (CARD) Act, which was designed to to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive credit card practices.
http://1.usa.gov/gIaNcSHe increased infrastructure spending after years of neglect.
http://bit.ly/f77aOwHe signed the Helping Families Save Their Homes Act, expanding on the Making Home Affordable Program to help millions of Americans avoid preventable foreclosures. The bill also provided $2.2 billion to help combat homelessness, and to stabilize the housing market.
http://bit.ly/eEpLFnThrough the Worker, Homeownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009, he and Congressional Democrats provided tax credits to first-time home buyers, which helped the U.S. housing market recovery.
http://bit.ly/dZgXXw http://bit.ly/gORYfLHe initiated a $15 billion plan designed to encourage increased lending to small businesses.
http://1.usa.gov/eu0u0bHe created business.gov, which allows for online collaboration between small businesses and experts re managing a business. (The program has since merged with SBA.gov.)
http://www.business.govHe played a lead role in getting the G-20 Summit to commit to a $1.1 trillion deal to combat the global financial crisis.
http://nyti.ms/gHlgp5 He took steps to improve minority access to capital.
http://bit.ly/f9xVE7He created a $60 billion bank to fund infrastructure improvements such as roads and bridges.
http://bit.ly/e1SSaQ He implemented an auto industry rescue plan, and saved as many as 1 million jobs.
http://bit.ly/ibhpxr Many are of the opinion that he saved the entire auto industry, and even the economy of the entire Midwest.
http://bit.ly/gj7mt5Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he saved at least 300,000 education jobs, such as teachers, principals, librarians, and counselors that would have otherwise been lost.
http://1.usa.gov/ez30DcProvided funding to states and the Department of Homeland Security to save thousands of police and firefighter jobs from being cut during the recession.
http://bit.ly/g0IKWRHe used recovered TARP money to fund programs at local housing finance agencies in California, Florida, Nevada, Arizona and Michigan.
http://on.msnbc.com/i1i8eVCrafted an Executive order stablishing the President’s Advisory Council on Financial Capability to assist in financial education for all Americans.
http://bit.ly/eyqsNEWall Street Reforms and Consumer Protection
Ordered 65 executives who took bailout money to cut their own pay until they paid back all bailout money.
http://huff.to/eAi9QqHe pushed through and got passed Dodd-Frank, one of the largest and most comprehensive Wall Street reforms since the Great Depression.
http://bit.ly/hWCPg0 http://bit.ly/geHpcDHe made it so that banks could no longer use YOUR money to invest in high-risk financial instruments that work against their own customers' interests.
http://bit.ly/fnTayjHe supported the concept of allowing stockholders to vote on executive compensation.
http://bit.ly/fnTayjHe wholly endorsed and supported the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2009 that would close offshore tax avoidance loopholes.
http://bit.ly/esOdfB http://bit.ly/eG4DPMHe made a deal with Swiss banks that permits the US government to gain access to the records of criminals and tax evaders.
http://bit.ly/htfDgwHe established a Consumer Protection Financial Bureau designed to protect consumers from financial sector excesses.
http://bit.ly/fnTayj Civil Rights and Anti-Discrimination
He advocated for and signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal crime to assault anyone based on his or her sexual orientation or gender identity.
http://bit.ly/gsMSJ7He pushed through and signed a repeal of the discriminatory “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” policy that forced soldiers to lie to fight for their country, and put our troops at risk by disqualifying many qualified soldiers from helping.
http://bit.ly/fdahuHHe appointed Kareem Dale as the first ever Special Assistant to the President for Disability Policy.
http://1.usa.gov/fi5IY0He extended benefits to same-sex partners of federal employees.
http://1.usa.gov/g2RLCjHe's appointed more openly gay officials than anyone in history.
http://bit.ly/g1lA7D He signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, restoring basic protections against pay discrimination for women and other workers. This was after the GOP blocked the bill in 2007. Only 5 Republican Senators voted for the bill.
http://bit.ly/fT3CxgWrote and signed an Executive Order establishing a White House Council on Women and Girls to ensure that all Cabinet and Cabinet-level agencies evaluate the effect of their policies and programs on women and families.
http://bit.ly/e1puTkHe expanded funding for the Violence Against Women Act.
http://1.usa.gov/dSbI0xFighting Poverty
He provided a $20 billion increase for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps).
http://nyti.ms/gfLqyMHe signed an Executive Order that established the White House Office of Urban Affairs.
http://wapo.st/eWECA8Improved Foreign Relations and American Status Abroad
He visited more countries and met with more world leaders than any previous president during his first six months in office.
http://bit.ly/hZycdaAs he promised, he gave a speech at a major Islamic forum in Cairo early in his administration.
http://nyti.ms/dKvY4g He did much to restore America's reputation around the world as a global leader that does the "right thing" in world affairs, at least according to the rest of the world.
http://bit.ly/h743y7 http://bit.ly/ho4TCrHe re-established and reinforced our partnership with NATO and other allies on strategic international issues.
http://1.usa.gov/e7QuDjHe established a new U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue.
http://1.usa.gov/eX28DPHe established new, more reasonable policies in our relations with Cuba, such as allowing Cuban-Americans to visit their families and send money to support them.
http://n.pr/hY3Kwa http://nyti.ms/emQBdeHe ordered the closure of the prison at Guantanamo Bay. It was Republicans (and a smattering of Democrats) who prevented him from following through.
http://bit.ly/eW6CVFOrdered a review of our detention and interrogation policy, and prohibited the use of torture, or what Bush called "enhanced interrogation." He ordered interrogators to limit their actions to the Army Field manual.
http://bit.ly/g6MTuCHe ordered all secret detention facilities in Eastern Europe and elsewhere to be closed.
http://bbc.in/h6N9axHe released the Bush torture memos.
http://bit.ly/hWJ5z0On his second day in office, he signed a detailed Executive Order that banned torture, reversed all Bush torture policies, and put the United States in compliance with the Geneva Convention.
http://1.usa.gov/dL6Zve http://nyti.ms/hzWWysBetter Approach to “Defense”
Created a comprehensive new strategy for dealing with the international nuclear threat.
http://1.usa.gov/gDX1nEHe authorized a $1.4 billion reduction in Star Wars program in 2010.
http://1.usa.gov/gLFZl2He restarted nuclear nonproliferation talks and built up the nuclear inspection infrastructure/protocols to where they had been before Bush.
http://lat.ms/gkcl3iHe signed and pushed to ratification a new SALT Treaty.
http://bit.ly/f3JVtwHe created and executed a plan to end our involvement in Iraq in a responsible manner, and followed through.
http://nyti.ms/fHTfrJ Through the Defense Authorization Act, he reversed the Bush Administration and committed to no permanent military bases in Iraq.
http://bit.ly/hk73OJHe developed the first comprehensive strategy with regard to Afghanistan and Pakistan designed to facilitate the defeat of al Qaeda and the withdrawal of most troops, as well as the rebuilding of Afghanistan.
http://wapo.st/ee4Xcs He returned our focus to Afghanistan, stabilized the country, and began the process of withdrawing our troops from the country.
http://bit.ly/lNXUnaTreating Soldiers and Veterans with Respect
He made sure that families of fallen soldiers could be on hand when the body arrives at Dover AFB, by providing funding for it. He also ended the media blackout on coverage of the return of fallen soldiers.
http://nyti.ms/glqN66 http://bbc.in/gWSSkAHe funded Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with an extra $1.4 billion to improve veterans’ services.
http://1.usa.gov/huhqfoHe provided the troops with better body armor.
http://bit.ly/hzSv2hCreated the Joint Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record program for military personnel, in order to improve the quality of their medical care.
http://1.usa.gov/f4yaxWHe put an end to the Bush-era stop-loss policy that kept soldiers in Iraq/Afghanistan beyond their enlistment date. (personal note: my son will be in harm’s way for six fewer months with Obama as president, so you know I love this one.)
http://nyti.ms/e2YQ7QHe supported and signed the Veterans Health Care Budget Reform and Transparency Act, which made more money available to enable better medical care for veterans.
http://1.usa.gov/fN4ur1He ushered through the largest spending increase in 30 years for the Department of Veterans Affairs for improved medical facilities, and to assist states in acquiring or constructing state nursing homes and extended care facilities.
http://1.usa.gov/gY8O3x He created the Green Vet Initiative, which provided special funding to the Labor Department to provide veterans with training in green jobs.
http://bit.ly/epwUQYHe oversaw a $4.6 billion expansion of the Veterans Administration budget to pay for more mental health professionals.
http://bit.ly/gjzTxXEducation
He has repeatedly increased funding for student financial aid, and at the same time cut the banks completely out of the process.
http://bit.ly/gYWd30 http://bit.ly/e9c7Dr http://bit.ly/eEzTNq Completely reformed the student loan program, to make it possible for students to refinance at a lower rate.
http://nyti.ms/dMvHOtThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he invested heavily in elementary, secondary and post-secondary education.
http://1.usa.gov/gGRIAr This includes a major expansion of broadband availability in K-12 schools nationwide
http://bit.ly/fNDcj3 , as well as an expansion in school construction.
http://bit.ly/fYwNrV He passed the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which provided an extra $12.2 billion in funds.
http://1.usa.gov/dQvtUe Greater Transparency and Better Government
He signed an order banning gifts from lobbyists to anyone in the Executive Branch.
http://bit.ly/fsBACNHe signed an order banning anyone from working in an agency they had lobbied in previous years. He also put strict limits on lobbyists’ access to the White House.
http://nyti.ms/gOrznVHe held the first-ever first online town hall from the White House, and took questions from the public.
http://bit.ly/gVNSgXThe Obama White House became the first to stream every White House event, live.
http://1.usa.gov/kAgOP5He established a central portal for Americans to find service opportunities.
http://www.serve.govHe provided the first voluntary disclosure of the White House Visitors Log in history.
http://1.usa.gov/hQ7ttVHe crafted an Executive Order on Presidential Records, which restored the 30-day time frame for former presidents to review records, and eliminated the right for the vice president or family members of former presidents to do the reviews. This will provide the public with greater access to historic White House documents, and severely curtails the ability to use executive privilege to shield them.
http://1.usa.gov/gUetLbHe improved aspects of the Freedom of Information Act, and issued new guidelines to make FOIA more open and transparent in the processing of FOIA requests.
http://1.usa.gov/gjrnp2National Safety and Security
He’s restored federal agencies such as FEMA to the point that they have been able to manage a huge number of natural disasters successfully.
http://bit.ly/h8Xj7zAuthorized Navy SEALS to successfully secure the release of a US captain held by Somali pirates and increased patrols off the Somali coast.
http://nyti.ms/efBO7BHas repeatedly beefed up border security
http://bit.ly/mMYB4iOrdered and oversaw the Navy SEALS operation that killed Osama bin Laden.
http://bit.ly/jChpgwScience, Technology and Health Care
He created a Presidential Memorandum to restore scientific integrity in government decision-making.
http://1.usa.gov/g2SDuw Opened up the process for fast-tracking patent approval for green energy projects.
http://bit.ly/j0KV2U He eliminated the Bush-era restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. He also provided increased federal support for biomedical and stem cell research.
http://bit.ly/h36SSO http://ti.me/edezge Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he committed more federal funding, about $18 billion, to support non-defense science and research labs.
http://nyti.ms/fTs9t7He signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first comprehensive attempt to improve the lives of Americans living with paralysis.
http://bit.ly/fOi2rbHe expanded the Nurse-Family Partnership program, which provides home visits by trained registered nurses to low-income expectant mothers and their families, to cover more first-time mothers.
http://bit.ly/jRRRJcConducted a cyberspace policy review.
http://1.usa.gov/gmbdvCProvided financial support for private sector space programs.
http://bit.ly/fn8ucr He oversaw enhanced earth mapping, to provide valuable data for agricultural, educational, scientific, and government use.
http://bit.ly/dNTRyPHe ushered throough a bill that authorized the Food and Drug Administration to regulate tobacco products.
http://on.msnbc.com/fiKViB As a result, the FDA has Ordered Tobacco Companies to Disclose Cigarette Ingredients and banned sale of cigarettes falsely labeled as “light.”
Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he provided $500 million for Health Professions Training Programs.
http://bit.ly/ecQSgA He also increased funding for community-based prevention programs.
http://bit.ly/frMPG3He oversaw a 50% decrease in cost of prescription drugs for seniors.
http://bit.ly/e5b1iq http://1.usa.gov/fVNkt9He eliminated the Bush-era practice of forbidding Medicare from negotiating with drug companies on price.
http://bit.ly/fOkG5bTwo weeks after taking office, he signed the Children’s Health Insurance Reauthorization Act, which increased the number of children covered by health insurance by 4 million.
http://bit.ly/fDEzGvHe held a quick press conference, and urged Congress to investigate Anthem Blue Cross for raising premiums 39% without explanation. Rep. Waxman responded by launching a probe, and Anthem Blue Cross put the increase on hold for two months.
http://yhoo.it/e8Tj9CUshered through and signed the Affordable Health Care Act, which expanded health insurance coverage to 30 million more people, and ended many common insurance company practices that are often detrimental to those with coverage. He also established
http://www.healthcare.gov/Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he allowed children to be covered under their parents’ policy until they turned 26.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26V Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he provided tax breaks to allow 3.5 million small business to provide health insurance to their employees, and 29 million people will receive tax breaks to help them afford health insurance.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26V Through the Affordable Health Care Act, he expanded Medicaid to those making up to 133% of the federal poverty level.
http://nyti.ms/ekMWpoThrough the Affordable Health Care Act, health insurance companies now have to disclose how much of your premium actually goes to pay for patient care.
http://nyti.ms/fNB26VStrengthening the Middle Class and Families
He worked to provide affordable, high-quality child care to working families.
http://bit.ly/fNfidSHe cracked down on companies that were previously denying sick pay, vacation and health insurance, and Social Security and Medicare tax payments through abuse of the employee classification of independent contractor.
http://nyti.ms/fOGLcjThrough the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act , he cut taxes for 95% of America's working families.
http://bit.ly/eSEI4F Under Obama, tax rates for average working families are the lowest they’ve been since 1950.
http://bit.ly/f74pD8 He extended and fully funded the patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax for 10 years.
http://bit.ly/eFeSdPHe extended discounted COBRA health coverage for the unemployed from 9 months to 15 months, and he’s extended unemployment benefits several times.
http://aol.it/evtVxD http://nyti.ms/emrqKJ http://bit.ly/hOtIpg http://bit.ly/fTT7kzEnvironment and Energy
He fast-tracked regulations to allow states to enact federal fuel efficiency standards that were above federal standards.
http://nyti.ms/e8e94xHe fast-tracked increased fuel economy standards for vehicles beginning with the 2011 model year. It was the first time such standards had been increased in a decade.
http://politi.co/hiaPKMHe oversaw the establishment of an Energy Partnership for the Americas, which creates more markets for American-made biofuels and green energy technologies.
http://bit.ly/lZp73yHis EPA reversed a Bush-era decision to allow the largest mountaintop removal project in US history.
http://bit.ly/lP3yELHe ordered the Department of Energy to implement more aggressive efficiency standards for common household appliances.
http://1.usa.gov/g3MTbuHe ordered energy plants to prepare to produce at least 15% of all energy through renewable resources like wind and solar, by 2021.
http://reut.rs/fV155p (As you can see, Republicans are trying hard to kill it.)
He oversaw the creation of an initiative that converts old factories and manufacturing centers into new clean technology centers.
http://bit.ly/mjnq2RBypassed Republican opposition in Congress and ordered EPA to begin regulating and measuring carbon emissions.
http://bit.ly/froaP5 His EPA ruled that CO2 is a pollutant.
http://bit.ly/iQTSNNHe doubled federal spending on clean energy research.
http://bit.ly/iN0sCEHe pushed through a tax credit to help people buy plug-in hybrid cars.
http://bit.ly/j8UP5YHe created a program to develop renewable energy projects on the waters of our Outer Continental Shelf that will produce electricity from wind, wave, and ocean currents.
http://1.usa.gov/fgfRWqHe reengaged in the climate change and greenhouse gas emissions agreements talks, and even proposed one himself. He also addressed the U.N. Climate Change Conference, officially reversing the Bush era stance that climate change was a “hoax.”
http://bit.ly/dX6Vj3 http://bit.ly/fE2PxK http://nyti.ms/hfeqvvHe fully supported the initial phase of the creation of a legally-binding treaty to reduce mercury emissions worldwide.
http://bit.ly/eJ6QOOHe required states to provide incentives to utilities to reduce their energy consumption.
http://bit.ly/lBhk7PFollowing Bush’s eight year reign, he reengaged in a number of treaties and agreements designed to protect the Antarctic.
http://bit.ly/fzQUFOCreated tax write-offs for purchases of hybrid automobiles, and later he and Democrats morphed that program into one that includes electric cars.
http://bit.ly/glCukVMandated that federal government fleet purchases be for fuel-efficient American vehicles, and encouraged that federal agencies support experimental, fuel-efficient vehicles.
http://bit.ly/h5KZqy http://1.usa.gov/fLWq5c http://1.usa.gov/hmUSbk He strengthened the Endangered Species Act.
http://bit.ly/hscjsHHis EPA improved boiler safety standards to improve air quality, and save 6500 lives per year.
http://bit.ly/jYH7ntThrough the EPA, he took steps to severely limit the use of antibiotics in livestock feed, to increase their efficacy in humans.
http://bit.ly/fBuWd2He increased funding for National Parks and Forests by 10%
http://bit.ly/fbJPjYOther Stuff
He has expanded trade agreements to include stricter labor and environmental agreements such as NAFTA.
http://bit.ly/etznpY He oversaw funding of the design of a new Smithsonian National Museum of African American History, which is scheduled to open on the National Mall in 2015. He protected the funding during the recent budget negotiations.
http://on.fb.me/fD0EVO http://bit.ly/ff5LuvOversaw and passed increased funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.
http://bit.ly/dFb8qFHe nominated Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic Justice in the court’s history, and the women represent only the third and fourth women to serve on the court, out of a total of 112 justices.
http://huff.to/eOChg6 http://bit.ly/i02wgPHe appointed the most diverse Cabinet in history, including more women than any other incoming president.
http://bit.ly/dX6vNBHe eliminated federal funding for abstinence-only education, and he rescinded the global gag rule.
http://bit.ly/eCFAI1 http://bit.ly/f92drFHe loosened the rules and allowed the 14 states that legalized medical marijuana to regulate themselves without federal interference.
http://huff.to/eQfa7jHis FDA banned the use of antibiotics in livestock production.
http://bit.ly/jUjLzo Ushered through and signed national service legislation, increasing funding for national service groups, including triple the size of the Americorps program.
http://bit.ly/idgQH5 http://pleasecutthecrap.typepad.com/main/what-has-obama-done-since-january-20-2009.html
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